Can employee refuse to come to work

[NameChange1998]

I own a small veterinary practice. 6 employees including myself (Me, one vet, one nurse, one admin, one receptionist, one receptionist/ lay nurse). Employee in question is our vet nurse.

We have to stay open to see urgent cases. We've also now been told we can do some vaccinations.

Employee in question is saying she's not willing to "put her life at risk" by allowing clients on the premises.

She's a key member of staff and can't furlough her.

Can she refuse to come to work?

She has no health conditions and lives alone. She isn't responsible for any others.

She's making me feel unreasonable by expecting her to come to work. We're doing everything we can with regards to social distancing and keeping clients outside. But sometimes they have to come inside.

Just wondering what others thought and perhaps my stress about paying the bills and keeping the place going is stopping me being reasonable.

I have read the read @haffiana

OP states the following:
-Employee is coming into work, but has concerns ("moans")
-Employee has worked there for 14 years and is hard-working
-Employee has concerns about pets infected with corona
-Employee is not okay with people coming in
-Employee has as of yet not refused to work, but may in the future

Seems to me that valid concerns are being tossed aside by employer.
Seems like you're the one who needs to re-read this thread.

That’s crap lyra, can’t believe what insensitive comments you are making.

OP said:

We're being as safe as we can. People are dropping their pets at the door but she has to handle the pet. And she's saying the pet could have covid19 on it.

She's not being rational I don't think.

RTFT. Do that small thing before spouting made up, imaginary scenario shit.

@Haffdonga Not at a lot of vets right now. Client drives up, you talk to client in the car on the mobile phone, client secures pet out of the car, you take pet once client is back in car.

Or you talk to client on mobile phone in car once you have pet inside and can examine it.

About the only genuine reason you couldn't do this is if you were in a mobile phone dead area. Yes, it's harder, but that's life right now.

@Haffiana there are dogs and cats who have tested positive for corona. Now unless these were not valid tests or false positives, it seems like a valid concern to me.

They even tested tigers positive for corona. They could definitely have it,

And letting people come in for "discretion" is uneccessary, so OP is not doing all they can.

@Haffiana she also said She says no clients should be coming into the building under any circumstances.

Which is true

And is exactly what all of the vets round here are doing

It’s not insensitive to suggest that during a pandemic when sensitive and upsetting information is being given about people because it’s deemed safer that the same should be happening for animals

If ;

1. Staff have robust PPE.
2. Clients are kept out of the surgery.

3.Staff practice and adhere to social distancing within the work environment.

Then all possible safety procedures have been followed and the employee is then being unreasonable in not coming to work.

Sorry not @Haffiana but @ThroughThickAndThin01

She can refuse but you don't have to pay her.
Our vet does telephone consultations then you bring the animal to the door, put them in a crate and the vet takes it inside. Is that an option?

Unpaid leave.

No, what is actually required is that a distance of 2m is kept - you now, same as in a supermarket. There is no requirement that upsetting information is given in the street or whatever you are suggesting just because of what is being done in hospitals which is for all sorts of reasons. The two are not remotely comparable.

And whether or not animals carry virus on their fur is irrelevant ffs. If PPE is provided AND IT IS then it is irrelevant.

Of course. You are obviously right @haffiana

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever that every other vet practise mentioned on the thread is doing the car thing

There is no need to have unnecessary contact with clients.

The OP was completely misleading people anyway because the woman is still coming to work every day, she's simply expressing her unhappiness about the set up they have.

There is also no requirement to invite people in for upsetting information. You already have the risk from the pets and you want to increase the risk by letting people who don't need to be there?

Furthermore, I never said it had to be given in the street. Let people sit and their cars and facetime. If you had actually read this thread you would see that a lot of vets are doing it this way.

This is not a time to prioritize hurt feelings. This is a time to prevent needless deaths. Get your priorities straight.

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever that every other vet practise mentioned on the thread is doing the car thing

So what is the reason? Do you know why they are overriding government guidelines?

Furthermore, I never said it had to be given in the street. Let people sit and their cars and facetime. If you had actually read this thread you would see that a lot of vets are doing it this way.

They are doing it because they or their clients are frightened. That is not the same thing as it being in any way safer or necessary. There is no actual medical reason to do it.

So what is the reason? Do you know why they are overriding government guidelines?

Because they value themselves and their employees so have chosen to work in the most safe way possible

Asking clients to stay in their cars and consulting by telephone is one of the suggestions made by the rcvs. Obviously a large number of places have opted to do just that given the recommendation to minimise contact as much as possible

Yes, there is. The less contact the better.

There's absolutely no reason whatsoever that every other vet practise mentioned on the thread is doing the car thing

Except it minimises the number of people in the building touching surfaces therefore minimising the risk of exposure to the virus.

Try and have a conversation with her about her fears first of all and see what’s what and find out if there’s anything you can put in place to help her.

If she really wants to, I’m sure she could take unpaid leave or annual leave if it suits The business needs at This time.

You can’t Sack her unless she actually fails to turn up for work

@maternityclothes If you read my full post you'll I was being sarcastic to the poster who is adamant there's no need for it, despite so many vets opting for it

I am an SVN and on furlough. I work for a large corporate and they have furloughed all staff other than vets. We are not having our wage topped up.

It breaks my heart not to be able to do my job but i AM scared. Despite stringent biosecurity.

There is absolutely zero evidence of Covid-19 being transferred from domestic animals to people. However they can be fomites in the same way surfaces and packages can be. So if an owner coughs on their pet, or transfers the virus it will be present on their fur. It is not possible to socially distance when restraining an animal, it is up close and personal. Yes there is PPE but that is likely to be restricted. Our practice have donated surgical gowns to the nhs.

I want to be back at work and do my job but i AM scared.

Thankfully I have not as yet had to assist in a euthanasia via long line but this isn't without its downside. I think I would have to don full PPE and allow people inside and facilitate them being with their pet at the end. Not my decision though.

Your nurse sounds stressed and afraid. You don't say if you are a vet and customer facing?

@devildeepbluesea I really never at any time expected to be paid for not working, I just didn’t expected to be pushed into it when other colleagues were sitting in work twiddling their thumbs, drinking coffee, getting paid for it with their full holiday intact.

Re the notice. As I agreed via email my expected return date, are you saying they now can’t enforce leave unless with a certain amount of notice, somthey cant call it continuous, If notie from when? 2 w before my due day back is already gone so that means I can go back on my expected date and then they have to give 2 was notice? Or could they give me notice now, so I have to go back for 5 days then be off again. Can they really make me use ALL my holiday allowance within the first quarter of the year? What then? & do I have argument as they haven’t enforced any colleague to have holidays?
They don’t actually know, I hide it well, but I have medication & CBT for anxiety. This is making me ill beyond belief ...it’s not that I don’t want to work, it’s just they don’t have enough work.

Our dog has regular injection and the vet takes him out of the boot. We speak on the phone before the appointment. We pay on phone afterwards. Any needs left on car bonnet.

*Meds

@Imboredinthehouse you need to be calling ACAS too about your situation. Technically they can make you take all your leave, but depending on when your leave year ends that may not be best practice. It's always best to work with the employee to find a solution. E.g. if your leave year is Apr-Mar you'd have to go almost a whole year with no hols. Not ideal.

If you're taking leave by mutual agreement there is no need for notice .