Partners of vulnerable people

[Woodandsky]

Should partners of extremely vulnerable people still be expected to go out to work while their partners self-isolate?

My son's partner is 7 months pregnant and has a health condition which puts her into the most serious of the vulnerable people list. Other than unavoidable medical appointments she is planning to self-isolate for as long as it takes.

My son is a supermarket customer delivery driver... he has taken 2 weeks unpaid leave for now in the hopes that more guidance will be released, but he's not sure how he can safely go back to work without bringing the infection home with him at some point.

What do you think he should do? What should his work do - should he be sacked if he won't come in, not paid but his job held open or should the government pay people like him 80% of his wages and insist his job is held open for him?

There has been so little guidance about this, I've had a similar thread but I'm a frontline worker so I'm literally having to make a choice about protecting my husband who is firmly in the at risk category or letting colleagues and the vulnerable people on my caseload down.

If we knew it was just for a couple of weeks we would try and arrange our life to manage it to reduce the risk but this could go on for months. Are either I or my husband just supposed to move out and not see our very young children for the duration?

My friend is a nursery worker and her partner has asthma. She is social distancing.

We have the same issue. I have to stay home for 12 weeks but my husband has to work as we cannot survive without his wage. I had to give up my job last year as my chronic condition worsened and was trying to get another one but all my interviews were cancelled. There doesn't seem to be guidance on this

There should be guidance.My dh work has rightly sent home all vulnerable workers on full pay, it’s not possible to wfh. As it’s me that’s vulnerable he has to take unpaid leave. I don’t work due to disability so no income.

I’m over 7 months pregnant, Husband has Crohns, I work in a supermarket, he’s an administration clerk at a supermarket warehouse (he allocates stock to supermarkets most of the time so doesn’t have any contact with people outside his office). After today I’m home with no pay (unless I can convince a GP to give me a sick note, so I can at least get SSP) and he’s continuing work.

I’ve literally just created a new post based on similar concerns. There’s 4 of us at home who are classed as vulnerable but DH has to work as he’s part of emergency services. But that, in theory, means that he could bring the virus home to us when we’re supposedly isolating for the next 12 weeks at least. It’s scary.

Can he live elsewhere for the duration. Not ideal obviously, but safer.

My hubby is on vulnerability list so I’m social distancing only out for local shops.

Same position. I am pregnant and asthmatic. Me and the kids are home but my husband still has to work. I'm so worried.

Haplap if he lives elsewhere that leaves a disabled pregnant lady (and then new mother) on her own, I can't imagine anyone would recommend that as a plan.