From sick pay to schools, more action is needed to protect the poorest from the economic and health effects of the virus
Inequality. Everyone agrees it’s bad. Everyone agrees that the pandemic and lockdowns have exacerbated inequality. And everyone agrees that something must be done to reduce it. So, what has been done? Nearly a year into the pandemic, and at the start of the third national lockdown in England, the answer is very little.
Consider one of the most basic issues in a pandemic – sick pay. Decent sick pay allows those who may be ill to take time off work without having to worry about their next meal or being forced to carry on working to make ends meet. Those in lower-paid jobs are the least likely to be able to work at home and therefore most likely to catch the virus and most in need of decent sick pay.
