Enforced Time Off with COVID

[slappedbyjacknaylor]

Posting on here for traffic

I work for a small business and the COVID policy has been updated regularly during the pandemic.

The current policy is that anyone who tests positive with COVID cannot attend work for at least 5 days (subject to negative tests) and possibly up to 10 days. This is completely rational as we do not want COVID spreading in the workplace.

My main issue is that we are only being offered SSP. Is it alright for our employer to enforce time off of work without pay, even if we are well enough to work? Social distancing / PPE can be put into place.

This wasn't so much of an issue when we were legally obligated to isolate and were paid SSP from day 1, but now the law / guidelines have changed I feel there is a bit of a grey area. SSP is only payable after 3 consecutive days of absence and it is absolutely not a liveable amount of money.

WFH is not possible.

If anyone knows anything about this or is in the same boat I would be very interested to hear!

Don't test...

@ColettesEarrings

Don't test...

Hmmmm....I think a few members of staff might take this approach! We have agreed that we should only test if we have symptoms or someone in our household is positive, but I can see people will try to hide either eventuality. My concern is that I could be off for almost 2 weeks with hardly any income and still have to pay all of the usual bills, including childcare which uses up a lot of my wages as it is. We do have some savings etc but they would be eaten up very quickly if I was off a few times over the coming months....

Hi

I think they can force you to be off with just SSP. We have just had an update from HR company this is the exact wording:

If someone presents themselves for work when they are infectious it is no different than the employee who turns up with scabies on their leg and refuses to use just one toilet! That's a breach of the Health & Safety. Under Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 a duty of an employee is to protect the Health & safety of their colleagues and members of the public. Knowing you are infectious and coming to work when you should be avoiding other, would, we feel be a breach of Health & Safety, potentially leading to disciplinary action.

Clearly if you haven't tested and don't know then you are not breaching H & S but if you have symptoms then they can discipline you and it could be gross misconduct.

Sick pay would depend on contract, we only get ssp but if we had norovirus we would not be allowed in a still wouldn't get paid. If they suddenly started paying us from day 1 for one type of infectious disease then they would be hard pushed to not pay it for all.

It is shite and I agree it's just more money coming off people with increase cost of living but just can't see it changing. I am lucky though that we can work from home if we need to.

This is why our UK government needs to give decent SSP provision. How did we end up with one of the lowest sick pay provisions in Europe!?

Isn't it all change again from 1 April?

•	The remaining domestic restrictions in England will be removed. The legal requirement to self-isolate ends. Until 1 April, we still advise people who test positive to stay at home. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.
•	From April, the Government will update guidance setting out the ongoing steps that people with COVID-19 should take to be careful and considerate of others, similar to advice on other infectious diseases. This will align with testing changes.

I wouldn't be testing tbh.

I work for a large public sector organisation and have just had the email round which basically says if you are properly too sick to work, stay at home, otherwise come to work as normal. No expected testing or anything.

No clue on whether they are keeping masks or not yet.

I am in the same position, no company sick pay at all for the first year of employment so SSP only.

I am also off work as I am COVID-positive, and remain so - it will be interesting to see what changes are made on Friday because I may not have two neg tests by then (still positive today).

@MintyIguana

Yes the governments guidance will but the Health & Safety at work act isn't likely to change. It just pushes the responsibility to companies and employees.

I already know at least 1 teacher and 1 person in a factory environment that were called into work last week even though they had covid because they were not ill and staffing levels were at an all time low. Both employers are crazy because they could have had even more absences as a result (I know the factory had screens and were able to social distance but not sure about school).

Some people will want to do the right thing and will not be able to and some won't care and will just go about daily lives as normal. Some will go in with a cold and face disciplinary from over zealous employers.

I agree with Iggy the whole mentality over working when is is crazy and the government say that expect people to do the right thing but refuse to legislate for it adequately.

@finalpunt
Unfortunately I (and a few others in my workplace) might fall firmly into the category of wanting to do the right thing but not being able to.
SSP really is a joke - I have no idea how the government has arrived at that amount. It isn't even my employer's fault, as a small business they cannot afford to pay people who are not in.

I manage a small company and we are taking it on a case by case basis.

If anyone phones in with a positive Covid test, then we will provide tests for them to take daily and Whatsapp in the result everyday. If they follow the guidelines then we will pay full pay.

The whole SSP rate and the first 3 days of no pay at all is absolutely ridiculous and just encourages people to come in. In a company the size of ours, that could close us down!

@sasparilla1

I manage a small company and we are taking it on a case by case basis.

If anyone phones in with a positive Covid test, then we will provide tests for them to take daily and Whatsapp in the result everyday. If they follow the guidelines then we will pay full pay.

The whole SSP rate and the first 3 days of no pay at all is absolutely ridiculous and just encourages people to come in. In a company the size of ours, that could close us down!

That is really great and I wish that all employers were taking the same approach. I love working for a small business - we are like a family. However, the lack of sick pay, the statutory annual leave (two weeks of which is dictated by a company shut down) and lack of other 'perks' makes it quite impractical sometimes!