WWYD - dd self isolating, employer wants me to get Covid test (no symptoms)

[RaRaRasputinHardBastardToKill]

My dd is in 6th form. The boy she sits next to in one of her subjects has tested positive for Covid. She's at home self isolating, no symptoms.

I work in a very small business which would be devastated at this time of year (busy retail) if the staff were to get Covid. Obvs my boss doesn't want to risk me passing it on to anyone if I am infected but he REALLY needs me at work. At the moment he has asked me to stay at home. I've asked if I could return if I had a Covid test and he thought yes.

I have no symptoms so theoretically shouldn't be getting a test but I really do want to be at work (pay is not the issue, more not letting colleagues down).

WWYD?

Get a test. We've had an outbreak at work, we tested regardless even though we didn't have the three key symptoms, just snivelling and sore throats etc, and we all had positive results.

I don't have any symptoms, neither does dd so even if we had it (early stages), would it show up yet?

If my employer asked me to test every time one of my two DC were self isolating I'd have had seven tests by now, as one has had five self isolations and one two.

That said, my one son did catch Covid at his school. As a family, the other three of us managed to avoid catching it unless all three of us happened to be asymptomatic.

It's tricky, no legal requirement for you to test, you are a contact of a contact who has no symptoms.

I understand you don't want to let colleagues down, but the wfh wasn't at your request. Personally I'd wfh in this situation.

Sorry, should have explained I can't WFH.

Ah OK. What an impossible situation then.
Is your boss prepared to pay for private tests?

I know he wouldn't pay for a private test.

I feel terrible because this is our busiest time of year by far and it's a real 'all hands on deck situation' and physically I feel absolutely fine. I want to be at work. But at the same time I totally understand boss's feelings, we are a small staff, if one of us got it, it's likely the business would either have to close or only open part time (with the staff I hadn't been in contact with).

The whole point of self isolating is it might take days to show up, so you might test negative now and then catch it off your daughter tomorrow

If your boss wants you to have a (very likely unnecessary) test then the business would need to pay for it, in the same way that many other businesses are paying for asymptomatic testing of staff.
My company has paid for access to a set amount of private home tests for use by staff in these circumstances.

Anyone would think these rules hadnt been clearly explained for the past 9 months

Your daughter is self-isolating, you don’t have to isolate. She’s in 6th form and can presumably look after herself whilst you work. Why does your boss know? A negative test would prove nothing, it’s no longer valid by the time you get the result!

You don’t have to isolate, only your daughter,. If she has symptoms and gets a test, then you will have to isolate, but not now.

Puzzled also as to why he wants you to isolate. You dont have to only dd.
I do hope he is paying you fully for this enforced and unnecessary self isolation.

You can be at work, no need for you to self isolate as you aren't the boys close contact.

Why did you tell your employer at all? Your dd isn't young enough to need you to stay at home.

Your employer either needs to pay for a private test or you go in to work. Either/or.

You don't need to stay home. You don't need to test.

Was your daughter wearing a mask?

This is where rules and common sense collide. Yes the rules say you don't have to self isolate but I can understand why your workplace is concerned.

The compromise here would be for you to take off a few days until a test would have a chance to work and then for your workplace to pay for the test!

If dd is asymptomatic, I don't think you need to self isolate.

You would be better off getting your daughter tested if anyone I would have thought. If she is still negative then that would definitely put you in the clear.

If you are in a high tier, then I can't really see the issue with this.

Some of the replies to this thread has made me realise why covid is still spreading!

Your daughter could get it any time within the next 2 weeks, so how many tests do they want you to take?

You would need daily tests until your DD's SI was up - on the general idea that if you are incubating it but your viral load is still so low as to be undetectable that morning, you are quite unlikely to become infectious in the hours immediately afterwards.

A single test really won't tell you anything, as your DD could be incubating and you do not knkw when she could become infectious (typically around 48 hours before onset symptoms)

Best thing you can do is SI from your DD as far as is possible within your home. A sixth-former, who is currently well, should be capable of looking after herself for a few days

Dd is more than capable of looking after herself, that's not the issue and I also know I don't technically need to self isolate, as does my boss, it's the business's particular circumstances that made it more complicated than usual.

I told my boss because I was being a responsible employee. It wasn't my call to make. Anyway I've spoken to my boss now and we've agreed a plan.

Thanks for the replies from those who understood the problem

@RaRaRasputinHardBastardToKill as a decent human being you need to isolate.

@RaRaRasputinHardBastardToKill sorry wrong thread should have re read yours before posting the above