How to stop people taking the biscuit with self isolation with coronavirus?

[ellaandthebella]

So I am a manager at a business with a number of employees and we are discussing what are procedures are going to be with regards to coranvirus. Obviously some people are possible going to need to self isolate, but I have no idea where to begin with this. Should we say anyone with flu symptoms to self isolate for the 14 days or leave it for now and wait for government advice? We are in a business where people can not work from home. I know there are going to be a few people who say they are unwell just for the break from work. Does anyone have any ideas of how to limit this, or are we just going to have to take the hit?

Are you going to be paying them full wages? What if when they return, they come into contact with it again? Or they come in and are feeling ill, but can't afford to stay off or you give them grief about it?

Try looking for the advice now - and keep looking at it, as it's updating several times a day. Don't wait for a letter as even if one comes, it'll be out of date before it's been printed and put into an envelope.

After all, whilst there may be somebody who takes the piss, assuming that many will and you need to stop it before it starts could mean somebody who is genuinely ill comes in and the disease spreads to a vulnerable member of staff, customers or somebody's child/grandparent. And in that case, you would bear at least some responsibility for that.

I know there are going to be a few people who say they are unwell just for the break from work. Does anyone have any ideas of how to limit this

Why would they have that relationship with you that they'd treat you this way?

ACAS have advice to employers about this which we've distributed to all staff. Basically, if staff are instructed to self-isolate by a medical professional, then they're paid according to the company's sickness pay scheme. If they just choose to, then it's unpaid. Of course, it's unlikely anyone will be able to provide a fitness for work note saying they've been instructed to self-isolate. Sucks, but every employer is in the same boat.
www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus

You follow the government guidance as it stands for any given time. Most people won’t have to isolate at all even with flu symptoms (but if you’ve got the flu you wouldn’t be at work anyway). Some will have to isolate if they have flu symptoms and have recently travelled to certain parts of the world and a few will have to isolate even without symptoms if they’ve travelled to the very high risk areas.
You could reasonably ask people to provide evidence of recent travel to the affected areas if you distrust your staff.

Are these employees intending to self-isolate actually likely to have been in contact with the virus? Any recent travel to the risky areas? It's the time of year when lots of people have coughs and colds and flu-type symptoms, it's probably not going to be COVID-19 is it?

Where I work, we have 2 people currently self-quarantined at home, one after travel to South East Asia, one after travel to Northern Italy. Nobody else seems to be jumping ship for 2 weeks off work.

I agree that if you have the type of workplace where you think people are going to voluntarily self-isolate for two weeks just for the time off work you need to very much examine the environment you’re working in.

After all it’s not two weeks’ jolly or even the same as two weeks’ normal sick leave - they’d have to stay in 24/7 for two weeks because bumping into one person who blow the whole thing - it’s not as if they could say they were going to the doctors or getting a bit of exercise.

I agree that if you have the type of workplace where you think people are going to voluntarily self-isolate for two weeks just for the time off work you need to very much examine the environment you’re working in.

You said what I was trying to say.

LOADS of jobs are shit. If you haven’t had one then you’re lucky. If I wanted to ‘self isolate’ away from prying eyes I’d go and stay at my Mum’s on the other side of the country.

Tell them they need a note of some description from their doctor.

You can't go to the GP to get a note for this. Calling 111 - which is the actual procedure/pathway the government/PHE/the NHS has set up doesn't get you a permission slip, either.

I think you need to issue some guidance to your employees on when self isolation is appropriate

Our business has done this. It is appropriate if you have recently returned from one of the named places on the government's website or if you have been in close physical contact (we have been advised this means closer than 2m for more than 15 minutes) with someone who has.

If you fall into the above you are expected to self isolate for 2 weeks but the business requires proof of travel for you or the person you have been in close contact with

Of course people take the piss, I can't believe people say otherwise and it doesn't mean they hate their job or don't respect their boss just that they want a freebie.

if you have the type of workplace where you think people are going to voluntarily self-isolate for two weeks just for the time off work you need to very much examine the environment you’re working in

Christ. Some people take the piss. You've only to look at aibu weekly about colleagues and managers who are idle, lying gits. It's got nothing to do with the company environment (other than poor choice of staff in the first place)

There was an aibu only this week about a guy who has blatantly lied previously about his kids being sick, only to have a month off work with the death of his father who by all appearances is alive and well.

If you are having these issues I’d be looking to turn your company around, it’s a very bad sign and should be a wake up call. In the meantime the best you can do is tell them to follow government advice. Self isolating over general flu symptoms is unnecessary at this point.

Most workplaces have skivers, regardless of culture and working environment!
Self isolation at least means they cant go out on the razz or days out.

I agree that if you have the type of workplace where you think people are going to voluntarily self-isolate for two weeks just for the time off work you need to very much examine the environment you’re working in

Pretty much ALL work environments have the chancers and the skivers. And if you live far enough away from work, it's fairly easy to get away with it, too.

I agree that if you have the type of workplace where you think people are going to voluntarily self-isolate for two weeks just for the time off work you need to very much examine the environment you’re working in.

I'd disagree there. There's some people who will always be happy to have 2 weeks messing about at home. Some of those will stay at home, and properly isolate, and others will risk going out and if caught will be indignant about how mean the person was who saw them.
I could happily spend 2 weeks stuck at home (not planning on do so though)
Then I know some people who always like to make sure they're the first with any illness. They'll be checking themselves in on fb to the testing sites with no reason to do so...
Some people will have a slight sniffle and be "certain" it is coronavirus - probably several times.

Nowt to do with where they work, more to do with their attitude.

Hi all. We have a new Coronavirus section and we'll be moving a few relevant topics into it (including this one) over the next few days.