School closed....isolate..no pay

[swimmingc]

So had a message to say DS bubble at school has closed. Ds is 7. He has to isolate so I have to take 14 days off work unpaid. I have worked through lockdown and am lucky to have not been furloughed but AIBU to think now I have to take 14 days unpaid leave off work I should be entitled to some kind of pay. I can not afford to lose 14 days pay. No other childcare option. No annual leave as work term time. Feel like crying.
What are everyone else in same position doing?

I think the NHS should put something in place for this situation, although I know that doesn’t help in the here and now OP. If you share child care with the other parent you mentioned, who is in the same position, and then get the parental leave of 2 days you say you may be elegible for, then at least that only leaves three days to try and sort. And to posters suggesting that the North will struggle due to less people able to wfh - really? We have offices and professionals up here too you know. Most of the people I know are currently wfh. Why would you think we don’t ?

[quote BoggledBudgie]@swimmingc the entire family has to isolate if your DS has been in contact with someone who’s tested positive now. You should be isolating too.[/quote]
Where have you seen this?

Do you not get pay through work? I work for the NHs and had to isolate for 2 weeks in March when DS has a cough. I was on full pay. Call your manager and check what the latest guidance is.

Ah sorry realised that’s slightly different as my DS was the one ill and not a contact.

In my company we will give unpaid leave,we simply cannot afford to pay staff in these circumstances

The government need to do something

As nhs could you not take five days carers leave and then at least a day or two could you do some online training working from home? Or ask your employer for a suitable wfh project? I know this depends on your role but in my nhs trust regardless of role there is always lots of e-learning that can be done even if not directly related to your role it could be developmental ? Or spend a day getting your appraisal ready etc??

God I wish people would check before making definitive statements about important things like whether someone will or won't get paid

OP please have a look at this, the government guidance. You could be entitled to sick pay, and also £500 if you meet the criteria.

I have C and Ped the most relevant bit but it's worth reading, and the SSP bit below

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

From 28 September, you may be entitled to a one-off payment of £500 through the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme if you are required to stay at home and self-isolate. Local authorities will be putting arrangements in place to make these payments, with further details to be made available shortly. You will be eligible if you live in England and meet all the following criteria:
• you have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace
• you are employed or self-employed
• you cannot work from home and will lose income as a result
• you are claiming at least one of the following benefits: Universal Credit, Working Tax Credits, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit

Also this is the SSP if you don't fall into that category

www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay

OP - you need to insist that you are given work (however limited) that you can do from home and take whatever family leave you can take. Much of this is often discretionary and depends on your manager. Go off sick if you need to - it is dreadfully unfair that you are in this situation and no one but no one should be out of pocket re a situation you cannot control

This is awful! I manage a nursery and decided to just continue to pay anyone who has to go for a test / isolate because othwrwise I’m worried the staff will just come to work even if ill and that could be even worse for the business!

I don’t think it should be on each company to decide whether to pay problem out of their own pocket though - it seems unfair and obviously loads of businesses won’t/can’t do that

OP hasn't been asked to self isolate by NHS test and trace. Only her son has. So I don't think she qualifies for the £500.

@JS87

OP hasn't been asked to self isolate by NHS test and trace. Only her son has. So I don't think she qualifies for the £500.

Also, it might be the schools own policy regarding the entire year group, rather than a track and trace retirement, which would also scupper the OP

It really annoys me when people say things like you'll have to take unpaid leave or use your holiday allowance or firms just can't afford to pay you to SI. Also the lack of insight from people who have no idea what an impact losing two weeks pay would be for someone.

It's so important we don't put people off SIing by thinking all the above (I know this as we are a low income family that worried about this! )

The problem with all this "on the hoof" stuff is it's always full
Of cracks for people to fall through.

In the same boat OP but with no family either who can help. It is shit. I took 3 days 'off' self-isolating/waiting for a test to come back. I work for an agency, so can say when I am available or not but if I don't work, I don't get paid obviously. I am applying for permanent roles atm to get some job security but not getting anywhere - I suspect (and they know I have kids as maternity is on my work history, you cannot have gaps) if choosing between a candidate with kids and without, employers will go for the safer option.
I am going to have to so a universal credit application and see whether I can get help.

I don't think the sick pay thing attached sorry.

Yes I also think you have to be T and T-ed to get the £500 (as well as meeting the other criteria) so that is interesting point as to whether this would apply for bubbles/classes/whatever.

Anyway here is the SSP. I hope you get it sorted OP it's absolutely shut. And yes @AIwaysThereMoonah we are in the same boat - also the government can say what they like but some employers and agencies will just do whatever the fuck they like and what they can get away with (and sadly this is a lot with the total lack of sufficient employment rights etc)

I'm in a fucking foul mood today, sorry if I am ranting

https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay/what-youll-get

I’m nhs and we have been given an additional week caters leave. Definitely check your allowance hadn’t changed.
Is TIL an option?

I wonder if this will have a long term effect on the employment of women as they are more likely to deal with childcare?

I can see some employers (wrongly and illegally) specifically avoiding employing women because of issues like this.

@IWantToBeMelissaWhenIGrowUp the OP is not the one self isolating so she will not qualify for SSP or the grant. It is her child who is isolating and neither have symptoms so neither options apply in this case

Have you spoken to your manager? I'm sure the NHS can find you something to do at home for the 2 weeks...There needs to be compromise.

@mindutopia I am amazed your friend was allowed to stay off on full pay to look after her kids. (Especially since her non NHS partner was at home anyway) We were told that NHS staff were the priority to come to work and the expectation was that the other parent would stop work to care for children. Certainly nobody in my department was even allowed to change shifts/work from home when there was no childcare available. I'm fortunate that my sibling was WFH and could take my child some days but a lot of us had to use annual leave to cover days when we had no childcare. I believe if you are looking after a child who is isolating then you are entitled to special leave through the nhs - it should come under the COVID guidelines.

We have lost thousands so far, savings have been decimated. We have been cutting right back and saving as much as possible to try to cover any time we might need to isolate, to cover any periods in the future where self employed dh can't work again due to restrictions and hopefully something for Christmas.

Whole thing, although I understand it is needed, is just miserable.

I'm obviously not advocating this, but musing, what would stop eligible employed parents (especially when we know they won't be tested within this period due to lack of capacity) saying that they had to SI as they or their DC had symptoms, which would entitle them to SSP? Rather than saying they had been told to SI by someone other than PHE?

I can't see how this could be enforced really?

[quote swimmingc]@Flynn999 I work for NHS so I don't think they furloughed anyone [/quote]
This should be covered by some form of leave if you are in the NHS. Speak to HR and the union.

@IWantToBeMelissaWhenIGrowUp

I'm obviously not advocating this, but musing, what would stop eligible employed parents (especially when we know they won't be tested within this period due to lack of capacity) saying that they had to SI as they or their DC had symptoms, which would entitle them to SSP? Rather than saying they had been told to SI by someone other than PHE?

I can't see how this could be enforced really?

My initial thought is nothing in theory, although it would mean requiring the sourcing of a test which, with the shortages, would be morally dubious.

They would no doubt get away with it though.

You need to share the responsibility with his father, even if it's tough in him too. Or get him to pay extra to cover your half . Dont take the full financial hit yourself.