To think they won’t lock us in work

[SooticaTheWitchesCat]

I work in a care home, admin, not care staff, and my colleague thinks if one of the residents gets coronavirus then we will all be made to stay at work, that they would refuse to let us leave the building until it was all clear.

AIBU to think they cannot do that? They could ask us not to come it but not lock us in the building?

[needmoresleep1]

Of course they won't lock you in! You'd be told to get swabbed at your hospital and self isolate at home till the results come back

[Willow2017]

Of course they cant do that tell your friend she is an idiot. How does she think they are going to hold all the staff indoors and provide for them for days on end until results come back?
She is reading too many distopian novels!

[TitaniaQoF]

It depends upon your pandemic protocol. I don’t think they could lock you in legally and as admin you would probably by exempt but I’ve seen care home pandemic protocols before and they suggest if the disease is in the home all care staff should stay in the building.

[NotStayingIn]

I would ask your employer to share their contingency plans with the staff.

My organisation (totally different type of work) did that weeks ago and we get daily update with the latest position.

If yours haven’t shared any info yet they really need to be nudged to do it soon.

[SooticaTheWitchesCat]

@ Willow2017 - I think you’re right!

@TitaniaQoF - I’m admin, not care staff

[SooticaTheWitchesCat]

@NotStayingIn they have sent emails but they have certainly not said they will force us to stay.

I think my friend is being a bit dramatic

[WorraLiberty]

Did you not ask your line manager?

[HappyHammy]

Doubt they can lock anyone in. Where would you eat sleep poo and wash.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I work in a hospital and we’ve had that conversation in my non clinical department. I think we’d all go home to self isolate.

[crimsonlake]

It poses an interesting question...However of course they could not keep you confined in the building from a practical point of view. Apart from that what about single parent's and those living on their own with pets. Ridiculous.

[NotStayingIn]

Glad they have already shared info. I can see where your friend is coming from possibly, as people in the care home can’t be left to fend for themselves. But that doesn’t mean you guys get locked in! I hope the info you’ve been given has been clear on what would happen in a worse case scenario.

[AddressLabel]

Maybe they are getting confused with people not being allowed off cruise ships

[gamerwidow]

They won't lock you in. When we had a confirmed case in the hospital I work in the staff directly involved in the care of the patient were told to go home and self isolate for 14 days.

[Herpesfreesince03]

They can lock you in. It happened at my local doctors surgery yesterday. A patient came in with suspected corona virus. They locked the surgery doors with a waiting room full of people and kept them there for two hours. I’m not sure what they’d do in a care home but after that I think there’s a possibility of it happening anywhere

[SooticaTheWitchesCat]

@AddressLabel she mentioned exactly that!

@WorraLiberty it’s a bit complicated as we are employed by the NHS and the care staff are employed by the home so there is always a bit of crossover when it comes to policies. My manager has said we should be at home self isolating if it comes to it. I think care staff would be expected to stay.

@crimsonlake there are rooms there with showers but jot enough for all staff. There must also be people with children, pets etc. So I can’t see how it would work.

[gamerwidow]

@Herpesfreesince03 that's not the same as locking someone in until they get the all clear, it takes days to get the coronavirus test result.
They might keep you there to get everyone's names so they know who to contact to quarantine later but they're not going to keep your there for 2 or 3 days.

[SooticaTheWitchesCat]

@Herpesfreesince03 if they kept us there for a few hours I would be fine. She was talking about keeping us there for 2 weeks!

[Herpesfreesince03]

Oh no, didn’t know you meant that long! Definitely not two weeks

[curlsnotfrizz]

of cause they cannot force care staff to stay. where did your friend get this ridiculous idea from?

[SleepingStandingUp]

@Herpesfreesince03 I'm not sure how legal that would be if someone challenged it. If it had been say in the afternoon do they think the local primary school will happily keep all the kids til gone 5pm?

[tashakg89]

I work in a supported living house for nhs and there's no way I'd be self isolating at work for two weeks!
however if one of the tenants did get it and had to self isolate not sure how that would work staff wise as they can't look after themselves and we have no protective equipment so far!

[DogInATent]

They can do that.

It's what the Civil Contingencies Act is for.

[HappyHammy]

How can all the staff stay for 2 weeks. Where will you live?

[ineedaholidaynow]

But not all the staff could go home and self isolate as who would look after the care home residents?

[SooticaTheWitchesCat]

@ineedaholidaynow I am admin not care staff, I am not involved in day to day care for the residents.