Left veteran offers small firms a sick-pay compromise

Small firms could be freed from paying employees’ first 14 days of sick pay under a compromise proposed by Left Party veteran Ulla Andersson. She wants the measure to help secure Centre Party agreement to abolish the deduction workers face when they fall ill.

In an open letter published by Aftonbladet on Saturday, Andersson suggests removing that responsibility for companies with up to ten employees. She presents it as a way to address Centre’s concern about employers’ costs while ending the deduction, known as karensavdrag.

Employers currently pay eligible employees sick pay for up to 14 calendar days. The standard deduction is 20% of an average week’s sick pay. Collective agreements can affect how it is calculated.

Andersson, a former MP and economic-policy spokesperson, is urging the parties to find common ground in government talks. Her letter also suggests combining tax cuts for low earners with higher taxes on billionaires.

This is her proposed compromise, not an agreed change to sick-pay rules. The letter gives no start date or detailed funding arrangement for replacing small employers’ payments.

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