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Covid

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Original poster

Can my work keep me prisoner/ in quarantine?

101 replies

Jsygrl · 08/03/2020 21:03

I work in a care home and I love my job even though it is really tiring, I work 12 hour shifts and when I work 3 consecutive days it really wipes me out. Now that coronavirus has the world in a panic my work has informed us that should anyone within the home or a relative of anyone within the home be diagnosed with coronavirus the carehome will be locked down and quarantined for 14 days. All staff in the building will have to work for that entire duration. At the care home I work in we have day staff and night staff, I start at 07:30 and finish at 19:30 when nightstaff take over. If it’s locked down in the day that will mean that night staff will not be allowed to enter, so essentially we will be working 24 hours a day for 14 days?! Is this even legal/allowed? On top of that I have COPD so I’m really worried that coronavirus might even kill me if I become infected because I’m higher risk? I’m really concerned about this because should it kill me I don’t want to be ‘at work’ I want to be surrounded by my family? So am I legally entitled to tell them that I am not staying and do they have the right to detain me against my wishes? Can they fire me for that? Thank you, this is really making me worry x

OP posts:

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 08/03/2020 22:12

I wish I had misunderstood but I was told to pack a bag to leave in my car just in case

Great. So when they tell you to go and get your bag you get in your car and drive away.

T0tallyFuckedUpFamily · 08/03/2020 22:12

Ask management what masks, visors, gloves, hand gel, etc they have in the home, in case of an outbreak.

Sharkyfan · 08/03/2020 22:13

But if all the staff drive off before new staff have come in, what happens to the care home residents?

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 08/03/2020 22:16

That will be the stupid nursing home manager’s problem to solve for threatening to keep people against their will.

DowntownAbby · 08/03/2020 22:17

YABU.

FFS there's a special Coronavirus section for this stuff!

TheMustressMhor · 08/03/2020 22:18

But if all the staff drive off before new staff have come in, what happens to the care home residents?

That is indeed the question.

Since our social care system is on a knife-edge anyway, this virus is going to break it - and patients will suffer. Really suffer. I mean, they already do, because there aren't enough staff. But when there are no staff?

Sharkyfan · 08/03/2020 22:19

Well not entirely the managers problem...
Neglecting an adult with care and support needs is a crime.
But agree that the situation would be somewhat complicated if a shift was finished!

Butterwhy · 08/03/2020 22:22

No they can't. If there are cases within the care home to the level that staff aren't allowed to leave, given that most of them will likely be elderly a large number will probably have to go to hospital anyway. Unless you are also expected to whip medical machinery and medical knowledge up. I can see their logic that residents still need caring for, and ideally you don't want to be putting other staff at risk (guessing they might not go to work anyway if they know), but they still need to follow guidance. If the guidance is that everyone can be locked in against their will and required to work 24 hour days for several weeks, then I suggest leaving.

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 08/03/2020 22:22

Neglecting an adult with care and support needs is a crime.

As is holding people against their will.

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 08/03/2020 22:22

It would be a bit shit for the nurse in charge, they can't leave before another nurse comes on but care assistants are a different matter

Sharkyfan · 08/03/2020 22:23

It’s already problematic for us that all the care we source is from private care homes/care agencies who ultimately can just say no to taking someone new, or give notice on an existing service user/resident and have no obligation.
Can forsee in this sort of scenario it could really come back to bite us.

Sharkyfan · 08/03/2020 22:27

Anyway, like I said I’m sure it’s all been thought about...
I expect the contingency plans involve running on skeleton staff and providing full protective gear to staff in the event of an outbreak.

AcrossthePond55 · 08/03/2020 22:33

The issue is not whether or not they can force you to stay, legally they absolutely cannot.

The real issue is whether or not they can fire you if you refuse to stay. That's what you need to take advice on.

datasgingercatspot · 08/03/2020 22:37

I wish I had misunderstood but I was told to pack a bag to leave in my car just in case sad

So you tell them your boot latch is broken and you have to pop it open through the driver's side door, hop in and drive the fuck off.

OlaEliza · 08/03/2020 22:40

If they want to lock you in but let you out to your car to get your bag, just leave then instead of going back in.

TheMustressMhor · 08/03/2020 22:40

As I said, your managers have failed signally to comprehend what PHE are saying about CV.

stuntbanana · 08/03/2020 22:42

It may be part of policies and procedures that you are replaced by staff before you sign out and leave the premises , but in this scenario no staff would come in to replace the staff about to finish shift so therefore you are expected to stay until replaced ( which won't happen )

datasgingercatspot · 08/03/2020 22:44

They can expect all they want. They can't force you to stay.

Isla727 · 08/03/2020 22:50

Maybe ask your GP for a sick-note that details that you can only work with non-contagious residents due to your COPD.

COPD definitely puts you at high risk from Coronavirus and it would be massively unreasonable of them to expect you to work with sufferers.

StealthPolarBear · 08/03/2020 22:50

My grandad's in hospital at the moment. His grandson-in-law's brother has tested positive. By that logic the entire hospital will be locked down. Bagsy not in A&E at the time!

HotPenguin · 08/03/2020 22:51

It's common for care homes to be locked down due to infections like norovirus and flu, and they don't lock the staff in in those circs. It sounds like your care home don't know what they are doing on this. We will still need staff to work in care homes throughout the outbreak so it's a shame they aren't handling it better and helping you to feel reassured. Thank you care home staff for all that you do.

T0tallyFuckedUpFamily · 08/03/2020 22:59

In reality, some staff will agree to stay on and some of the next shift will also agree to help out. There are good people working in care, let’s face it they ain’t doing it purely for the money. But I’d bloody make sure that management stayed and helped out.

I think decent person would understand why anyone with an underlying condition had to leave, but if they don’t, that’s not your problem.

katy1213 · 08/03/2020 23:03

They can't do that. And at the minimum wage I guess you're being paid, staffing problems are their problem, not yours.

mantlepiece · 08/03/2020 23:14

They will have to send the army in.

That’s what Boris said.

Really, that is the plan, the whole plan. There is no other plan.

Original poster

Jsygrl · 08/03/2020 23:22

It is a privately run care home and it cost a lot of money for residents to stay there. I care about them a lot, and I worry about them, I am a team player always, I just don’t want to die without my son, bf of 16 years and cats near me.

OP posts:

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