Employee refusing to work at home

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My employee is refusing to work from home, they won't come and collect the computer and paperwork from the office. I need them to work from home, they are a vital part of the company and making sure we secure jobs after this is all over. I offered to drop the belongings to their house and sanitise the computer, keyboard etc, but they still said no it's too dangerous.
I'm now more stressed than ever, I have to pay someone to sit at home doing nothing, while paying all my other employees who are doing their best to keep the company operating from their home. I can't find anything online about this as it's all about employers refusing to let employees work from home.

Surely you don’t have to pay them then?
We use a fab freelance HR advisor who’s been great with all this stuff.

Well they are on unpaid leave aren't they?

Well, I think this is ridiculous. Drop computer all sanitised. They could leave it outside in sun for a few hours to ensure further degradation of any remaining virus.

If they wont work, you dont have to pay. I think employers need to be helpful to staff but it should go both ways.

On what grounds have they said, do they have health issues?

Tell them as they are required to work but refusing due to her health you will only pay them the ssp rate see if that works

Is it the kind of role where you could find someone to replace them at short notice? If so I would put your employee on unpaid leave for now and tell them there may be a disciplinary process when the restrictions are lifted, then try to find someone to replace them for now.

You may find that they stop this nonsense when they realise they won’t be paid to sit at home all day.

If they are refusing to work from home then I would think you don't have to pay them.

Telling them that might help them focus their minds...

Tell them to sign on to universal credit for sick pay.
Keep their messages of not willing to work.

Keep any and all correspondence of them refusing to work. Then when they contact you regarding their wages, refer them back to said correspondence.

It works both bloody ways - CFery

I assume they think it’s too dangerous to buy any food from shops as well? After all, anything in a supermarket is far more likely to be carrying virus traces.

But seriously, could you put them on the furlough arrangements?

Your problem is that if they’re doing a key role you need the work done. SSP might be the way to “nudge” them. Good luck!

You need to ask your HR person/team what to do.

I have to pay someone to sit at home doing nothing

No, you don’t. If they declare they are sick or self-isolating that’s one thing; but just refusing to work? Especially when you’ve tried to make all reasonable adjustments - dropping off equipment etc - I’d think that you’d be more than justified to deal with this the same as if they refused to work under normal circumstances.

Hope this isn’t too rude thread hijacking - but what would people’s response be in the same situation but the worker is refusing to come into work at one of the excepted services?

Unpaid leave all the way. If they continue being a twat sack them, let them take you to an employment tribunal and watch them being laughed out of the place.

Hi,

I'm a HR Director - I'd take a hard line on this, otherwise you may find you loose any "control" you have over this situation.

I think you have two options, you can write to the employee and say you are putting them on unpaid leave until they start outputting again. Or you can go down a disciplinary route, for failure to follow a reasonable management request. Yes we're in unusual circumstances but it doesn't give people green light to just sit at home and do nothing, not unless they are saying they are isolating, or are sick. But from your OP it doesn't read that way?

If you want to DM I'm happy to help further.

Another vote for unpaid leave

It is unpaid leave
I have already had an employee walk out and say they didn’t want to come in for 12 weeks so they went on unpaid leave
Will deal with them at a later date

Seriously, how are people giving advice when they don’t have the facts? Why won’t they work? Children at home? Why won’t they collect work equipment? Are the in the vulnerable group? All need answering b4 any1 can give advice

Don't threaten to put them on SSP as one pp suggested. If they are not ill they shouldn't get SSP.

Make sure you instruct them in writing that you require them to work from home in accordance with government's instructions. If they refuse, ask them to respond in writing. If they aren't prepared to then write/email that you will regard them as being on unpaid leave and stop paying them.

You can't do what a pp suggested and claim 80% of their pay as a grant from the government because you are providing them with work. That grant is to prevent companies from making their staff unemployed. You get it where you can't provide them with work but keep them on your books as your employees. That is not the case here.

What’s the reason they are giving? If they have lots of children at home it’s a reason for them being less productive and a good company will cut people a bit of slack. But I can’t think of any reason (unless they are actually very sick with CV) to not do ANY work and refuse to even have the equipment. Offer them unpaid leave for 3months and see if anyone else who works part time would be willing to up their hours with the money you save.

His girlfriend is pregnant with their first, he was fine coming in yesterday, but now we're in lockdown he's not fine to collect the equipment today, he'll be in the office for less than 5 minutes.

WwfLeopard

Seriously, how are people giving advice when they don’t have the facts? Why won’t they work? Children at home? Why won’t they collect work equipment? Are the in the vulnerable group? All need answering b4 any1 can give advice

Well, I read the OP properly. The OP said they offered to drop the belongings to their house and sanitise the computer, keyboard etc, but they still said no it's too dangerous

The employee doesn't want to work from home because they think it's too dangerous to handle their (sanitised) equipment.
I'm pretty sure the OP would know if they are in the vulnerable group. If not, the onus is on the employee to tell them.

If they can't work and refuse the reasonable alternative then you can't pay them. Hopefully you can get a temp to do their job.

You are offering them an alternative this in any other situation would be a resignation. But in the circumstances it is UNPAID LEAVE

I think you are being unreasonable. This virus is a scary unknown and i think the problem is your lack of organisation. You should have sorted working from home 10 days ago. As been said you could offer special leave and pay them if your company says so as a policy or unpaid leave. Don't be a dick.