Peartree warns day-one sick pay will increase costs for FM industry

Forthcoming changes to statutory sick pay could significantly increase employment costs for labour-intensive sectors such as cleaning and facilities management says professional cleaning and facilities solutions provider, Peartree Cleaning Services.

Under new legislation, coming into force on the 6th April 2026, statutory sick pay will be payable from the first day of absence rather than from day four, a change expected to increase the financial burden on employers with large frontline workforces. Peartree estimates the reform could double the amount the company currently pays out in sick pay, reflecting the scale of its operational teams working across multiple client sites.

Alongside the introduction of day-one eligibility, the earnings threshold for statutory sick pay will also be removed, meaning employees will be entitled to some level of payment regardless of how much they earn, provided eligibility criteria are met. Employees will receive 80 per cent of their wages or the current SSP rate, whichever is lower.

The company says the issue is particularly significant for the facilities management sector, which employs more than 1.4 million people in the UK and contributes over £60 billion to the economy each year because services such as cleaning, security and catering rely heavily on large hourly workforces, changes to employment legislation can have a substantial cumulative impact across the industry.

Stuart Conroy, Commercial Director at Peartree Cleaning said: “The move to day-one statutory sick pay will inevitably increase costs for employers in sectors like cleaning where workforces are large and services operate across multiple locations. Short-term absence is relatively common in frontline operational roles, so bringing statutory sick pay forward to the first day increases payroll exposure for companies delivering services on tight margins.”

In response to the changes, Peartree is introducing updated absence reporting procedures to help manage short-notice absences more effectively. Under the new approach, employees will follow company guidelines and report absence through the Peartee 360 App, ensuring absences are recorded quickly and consistently.

Employees will also have access to a personal dashboard showing their sickness levels, helping improve visibility and accountability around absence.

Conroy added: “Clear communication is essential in a service business like ours. By asking employees to follow the new reporting process, we can ensure teams are supported while also maintaining the high standards our clients expect.”

Peartree says responsible absence management will be increasingly important as the facilities management sector adapts to the new legislation and the additional costs it brings.