Colleagues wife tested positive

[Burnthurst187]

I happen to be on holiday today but I've heard on the grapevine that a colleague came in to my dept today even though his wife was displaying Covid symptoms and later today she tested positive. He then went home to be tested

As you can probably imagine there's a lot of pretty annoyed people at work who came in to contact with said employee today

He is at least the third person to come to work still having known they've come into contact with somebody with symptoms

I personally would have stayed away from work. What are MNer's work policies on this? I don't even know mine! I think my company need to send out some very clear guidelines on what to do

@ABitOdd

Surely everyone knows the government guidelines on this if you or any members of your household has symptoms of coronavirus you must isolate!! No wonder this country is in this mess! I think as well employers are somewhat responsible mine included as they made me take isolation as annual leave so that would make someone less likely to follow the rules next time.

Not allowed to be off at my work unless either I have symptoms myself or a member of my household tests positive.

Surely everyone knows the government guidelines on this if you or any members of your household has symptoms of coronavirus you must isolate!! No wonder this country is in this mess!

this here

but if people are forced to take a/l then people will keep stum

That would be gross misconduct according to our work's policy.

Idiot. And agree, he shouldn't be getting tested.

He is at least the third person to come to work still having known they've come into contact with somebody with symptoms.

You don’t automatically have to isolate if you’ve had contact though. It’s if you’re told to isolate by track and track that you absolutely have to. Otherwise you just have to take care with social distancing. It’s different for members of your own household or support bubble.

@PurpleDaisies

Does he live with his wife?! She’s a member of his household so he had to isolate as soon as she tested positive. He shouldn’t be being tested now unless he’s got symptoms because that makes zero difference to whether he has to isolate or not.

Just to correct myself, he had to isolate as soon as she showed symptoms.

I work in a school.
Policy is that if a member of your household has symptoms you need to isolate according to guidelines (and will be paid).

However, if the head finds out that said member of your household is a child he will deem it a 'childcare issue' and refuse to pay you.
This means you have to be very carefully non-specific when you make 'the phonecall'

Employer here. I have asked people to isolate in this exact situation. Small employer so we discussed with employee - she ended up with 4 days off till neg test so we agreed 2 days hol to be used and 2 days paid leave.

Doesn't stop two of my staff having their uni children back for "one last supper" this weekend when they've been in contact with positive tests.

Fuming doesn't begin to describe it. If they end up off with COVID it'll be SSP all the way.

He should have isolated when she first got symptoms.
He shouldn’t test (unless he has symptoms) he must isolate for 14 days.

if some one I lived with had symptims I have to stay off until they have the results from a test.

If track and trace or the app tells me to self isolate, I have to self isolate.

We have to follow the guidance.

@solidaritea That is against government guidance, if your work are saying that they are breaking the law. The current guidance is: if anyone in a household have a cough or fever or change in taste/smell, the whole household have to self-isolate until the one with the symptoms gets a test. If the test is negative, self-isolation can end (unless the patient with symptoms is poorly and it's likely to be a false negative). If positive, the patient isolates for 10 days and the rest of the household isolates for 14 days.

What are MNer's work policies on this?

It’s not a work policy issue, it’s a government rules issue. But, where I work, you’d get a serious bollocking for going in. Our offices are open on a purely voluntary basis with temp checks on the way in. They’re pretty strict.

There should not be individual work policies, they should all follow the govt policy. If somebody in your household displays symptoms of Covid. Other ppl in the house must isolate til the result. If negative, isolation is finished. If positive then family members do 14 day isolation.

Your husbands colleague should not be getting tested unless he has symptoms. Even if he gets a negative he has to isolate for the 14 days.

Work places should have disciplinary processes to deal with ppl who do this.

Are there different rules if for example a partner is tested routinely for work (regardless of symptoms) or if the zoe app prompts you to have a test ?(with different symptoms to the testing criteria)

@Fizbosshoes being tested randomly is not the same as having a test because you have symptoms. You have to isolate if you, or a member of your family develops a cough, high temp or a loss or taste or smell. Not for any other reason.