AIBU to think DD should be paid for work absence due to Covid-19?

[NanaGary]

DD is a single mum and has 10-year-old twins. One of them is being treated with steroids for a kidney condition that has suddenly flared up. Steroids are immunosuppressant so she HAS to isolate for at least 11 weeks and DD has to stay home to look after her. Her employers - an NHS hospital (and incidentally the one that's treating the child)! - say they won't pay her salary. Is this unreasonable? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Compassionate paid leave is an option, but as it’s her child not herself that’s sick then her employer is under no obligation to pay your dd.

Why should they pay? Its not her that is sick so she can't do sick leave.

Compassionate leave may be an option, but i doubt they would pay 11 weeks.

If it was me i would expect to do a mixture of annual leave and unpaid leave and be grateful i would have a job to go back to. I would have nwver expwcted my employer to pay.

If they don't agree to any leave, then she may end up losing her job. 11 weeks is a very long time to be out

I'm a teacher and when a colleague had a child very ill they were not able to take paid leave for more than a short time. However the stress of this led to them being signed off work themselves and they were then able to get sick pay.

Sounds like a terrible situation and I hope your grandchild is okay.
No employer would (or could afford to) pay for someone to take leave for 11 weeks.
Can she get help through the benefits system?

My NHS trust are treating Covid illness as usual and paying sick pay, but not adding it onto sickness absences ( so not counting it as an episode of sickness ).

However, if staff need to stay home to care for shielding themselves, they are getting full pay, but if staying home to shield a dependant it's treated the same as usual, i.e your problem to sort ( as childcare is usually down to parent to sort), so they have to use holidays/ parental leave/ special leave or a combination of these.

Sounds like a really complicated, tough situation, I hope your granddaughter is ok. Can she get advice from a union (assuming she's NHS so likely to be in one?) about her options? Her employer may let her use some annual leave and perhaps a few days carers or compassion leave, but as it's for such a long time I can see how they wouldn't be able to pay her the whole 3 months. She would be able to take unpaid parental leave (entitled to 1 week per year up to 18 years old for each child).

The child has to self isolate not the mother, you can have other members do the family babysit, they just need to take additional precautions.

Also there is employment insurance for this, yabu to think she should be paid.

There aren't many employers who would pay 11 weeks compassionate leave, which is essentially what this is. I am local authority and can have 4 days per year and anything over this is unpaid, just to give an idea what might be standard.
I can't believe anyone would expect 11 weeks on full pay.

I would suggest that she’s speaks to her GP about the stress and anxiety of the situation, they may feel it’s appropriate to sign her off.

Are you sure your DGD needs to self isolate? I'm immunocompromised and on daily steriods, and I'm not classed as shielding, only vulnerable, so I don't need to self isolate, just keep social distancing/handwashing/sensible precautions.

Realistically, no employer is going to pay 11weeks of not working for looking after your own child, when there is a job there needing to be done. NHS have very generous annual leave, so half annual leave and half unpaid parental leave would probably be the best way to cover it.

@Serafinaaa

I'm a teacher and when a colleague had a child very ill they were not able to take paid leave for more than a short time. However the stress of this led to them being signed off work themselves and they were then able to get sick pay.

I’ve been in receipt of sick pay for a similar reason.

OP, speak to your gp.

It’s so tricky for your daughter.
I would clarify if it’s correct that they must isolate for 11 weeks, I’ve not heard that before.
I’m sorry, I feel for her. I also understand the employer’s position.

Yes, just be sick with stress or impress upon them that it's emergency child care which is Covid related - and is a government exception

They're not going to fire her for being sick with stress - it's obviously stressful

Sorry to hear this. My employer wouldn't pay either, I feel 11 weeks is quite long, but agree the pandemic is the root cause so very difficult.

Really hope the op goes well must be so worrying.

Is there any chance of furlough? The Government scheme applies to posts where people can’t work because of childcare, as well as those which are current dormant.

*currently, of course

Cam she request to be furloughed?

What makes her think the NHS can afford to pay her though? No company will pay someone to be off for 11 weeks when they are not ill.

If she hasn’t already been furloughed before 10th June (or around then) then that is no longer an option.

ust be sick with stress
Fraud - great idea.

YABU. They cant pay her for 11 weeks she isn't there.

I have a colleague who has a daughter with cancer and is in hospital for appointments every day. She’s off on full pay (nhs Hospital) but has worked here for 10 years +.

I’m not sure what her childcare arrangements would have been pre dc being unwell but the self isolating/shielding bit is odd and not in line with any guidance I’ve seen so I’d ask for clarity on that. Can any of her role be done from home?

@mrsm43s

Are you sure your DGD needs to self isolate? I'm immunocompromised and on daily steriods, and I'm not classed as shielding, only vulnerable, so I don't need to self isolate, just keep social distancing/handwashing/sensible precautions.

Realistically, no employer is going to pay 11weeks of not working for looking after your own child, when there is a job there needing to be done. NHS have very generous annual leave, so half annual leave and half unpaid parental leave would probably be the best way to cover it.

The regimes for kidney diseases can be up to 80mg daily, depending on age. It wouldn't surprise me if op's child is on a 40-60 starting dose, possibly then staying at that level but alternate day for the full three months, possibly tapering. Meanwhile op's child might already be very vulnerable having lost, for example, a lot of protein in the relapse stage, so is already very vulnerable to infection. A kind of double whammy. I would guess it's something like thar, to be told to self isolate for so long.

The original furlough might have covered this, I'm not sure, but I can't think of any get around for pay now. Is there anyone else who can care for her during work hours? It sounds a hard situation. Has your daughter joined support groups for children with her child's condition? They might also have advice.

No chance of the child’s father contributing to the shielding required by increasing maintenance to reduce the income shortfall?
As ever, the economic burden is on the mother (apologies if their father has died and I’m off base there)

I wouldn’t expect an employer to cover 11 weeks, but I would expect them to bend over backwards to give some as paid compassionate leave, some paid parental leave, some paid annual leave. I’d also expect them to be as flexible as possible - for example, if it’s just being at home for childcare rather than isolating herself, I’d expect her employer to give her the pick of shifts that would work around other family members being able to provide childcare.

I would actually really recommend asking on a support group specific to the condition in question. You might find different approaches across the country and be able to ask for further advice from the consultants in the light of that.

I'm NHS and in this situation we wouldn't be apid. We would be provided with a little (2 days) paid carers leave then allowed to take unpaid leave or annual leave. Could another adult in the family support with childcare? NHS is likely to allow temporary change of hours e.g. go part time.