Today (Wednesday 4 March 2020) the ISM has called on music
education hubs to ensure that all those who are engaged for
work are paid sick pay equivalent to their normal wages
where there are school or music centre closures, or where they
are off for any reason linked to COVID-19.
Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the
Incorporated Society of Musicians said:
‘Many peripatetic teachers are employed or engaged by
music education hubs on basic terms and conditions or zero-hour
contracts which do not provide workers with adequate sick pay.
When such teachers are instructed to self-isolate, they are
considered ‘off sick’. However their entitlement to sick pay may
be very limited. Indeed statutory sick pay is only £94.25 per
week – and for teachers who are engaged by music education hubs
on zero-hour contracts there is a risk that they may not be
eligible for statutory sick pay. So music teachers could very
easily find themselves without pay through no fault of their
own.
Therefore we are calling
on music education hubs to ensure that
all those who are engaged for work are
paid sick pay equivalent to their normal wages where there are
school or music centre closures, or where they are off for any
reason linked to COVID-19.’
The ISM is also calling for teachers to, where possible,
work in a different, appropriate setting, such as providing
online tuition, in cases where self-isolation might be instructed
so that the progress of their students is not hampered and they
can continue to learn as normal.
Since the COVID-19 virus outbreak, the ISM has received
many enquiries relating to impact on musicians’ because of the
virus. ISM members who are affected by COVID-19 in the course of
their work are advised to get in touch with the ISM legal team
at legal@ism.org. The
ISM is continuing to update members on COVID-19 advice which can
be found at ism.org/advice/coronavirus-stay-informed.
The ISM has engaged with Music Mark, whose membership
includes music services and music education hubs, on the
matter.
About the ISM
The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) is the UK's
professional body for musicians and a nationally recognised
subject association for music. Since 1882, we have been dedicated
to promoting the importance of music and protecting the rights of
those working in the music profession. We support approximately
10,000 musicians across the UK and Ireland with our unrivalled
legal advice and representation, comprehensive insurance and
specialist services. Our members come from all areas of the music
profession and from a wide variety of genres and musical
backgrounds. We campaign tirelessly in support of musicians’
rights, music education and the profession as a whole. We are a
financially independent not-for-profit organisation with no
political affiliation. This independence allows us the freedom to
campaign on any issue affecting musicians.
