Sickness benefits in a polarised labour market

People in insecure jobs are less likely than those in secure employment to be entitled to sick pay and are consequently more likely to claim incapacity-related benefits when they become sick. Drawing on a qualitative study, this article shows that this inequality is mirrored in the ways that insecure and permanent workers manage their ill health while in work, the consequences that result from them going off sick, and their ability to return to work when they recover. It is concluded that people on the margins of the labour market are more disadvantaged not only in work, but also in sickness.