Self isolation, work and getting paid

[WaferThinIce]

I’m after a little bit of advice if possible please.
A few (4) months ago i became an accidental employer. It was planned, another business was closing, staff being made redundant and a space available. So I jumped in, taking on the six staff and trying to build a new business during a pandemic.
I didn’t and don’t expect to break even let alone make a profit for several years but money is tight and I have to make sure it’s spent carefully.
One member of staff is on their fourth period of self-isolation.

The first two I paid their salary as if they were there and also agency staff to cover their work. The third period I asked that annual leave be used and again (rightly) was paid in full.
I’ve just been informed that the person is entering a fourth self isolation. I simply cannot afford to pay their salary plus agency cover again. And it is utterly unfair on the other staff. So it will be SSP. I do feel really bad about this. What I’m asking is if there are grants or assistance the staff member can apply for that I don’t know about. Any help you can offer will be great.

I’m only aware of this

www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-claiming-financial-support/claiming-financial-support-under-the-test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme

FOUR self-isolations in four months of employment? I manage a team of 230 staff, and have had fewer self-isolations over the last year! Sorry - they are either very careless or pulling a fast one. With less than two years service, I would be dismissing. You cannot afford this.

Flowery is right. If she doesn’t qualify because she’s not in receipt of the benefits it’ll have to be a discretionary support payment. She might also be able to claim for a discretionary payment through her local council.

Unless she has kids in school, what is she doing that means she’s on the 4th period of isolation in 4 months though?

I don’t think it’s beyond the realms of possibility to be self isolating a lot depending on what someone has to do. I’ve worked throughout and have to use public transport, I get a lot of alerts through the app but haven’t been put in isolation yet. I take a route that seems fairly quiet though.

My workplace has had a run of lots of people getting isolated due to contacts in the app the last couple of weeks.

@WaferThinIce have you done everything you can reasonably do to help avoid or minimise the situation, any way to adjust her working hours so she isn’t on busy public transport or even allowing a break in the working day to do her shopping if she thinks that’s where she’s picking up these isolations? Is any wfh available? I take it you have official documentation that confirms she’s actually isolating?

Holiday or SSP where I work, I haven't anyone say they've had to isolate more than once, are you sure your employee is being honest with you? What is she doing to have to keep isolating?

Good point cornetto. I’d sort of discounted it because I’ve not been pinged at all since using the app on public transport, but I have changed my hours to avoid busier times and it will depend on circulating levels in the area as well.

Agree I’d want to get to the bottom of the number of self isolations. I’ve done it once when my sons dad caught covid from his colleague. Touch wood, not since other than two short periods when I’ve tested.

Is the employee showing you proof of needing to isolate?

I deleted the app as it has given me two self isolation periods at a time when I was shielding but nothing when my sons dad had tested positive

Where is she getting all these shielding notifications from? Have you seen them yourself? It seems very high.

Ultimately though, if she isn't paid to self isolate then the chances are that she won't tell you she's meant to be self isolating and will therefore keep coming into work. That's what I plan to do if told to self isolate because I can't afford to take 10 days off unpaid.

75% of applications to the discretionary grant scheme are rejected, so neither of you can rely on that.

Sorry for not getting back, was dragged out on a lovely muddy walk by my daughter.
She has school age children and is an essential worker so they have still been going to school. She doesn’t use public transport and I have no reason to think she isn’t being straight with me.

It’s just so difficult, but I simply cannot afford to pay her again along with agency staff.
Thank you for the link, hopefully there’ll be something she can claim.

So is this about her kids being told to self isolate because of a contact at school (which is more of a childcare issue) or because she herself has been in contact with a positive case?

If it's the former, in England, she's not going to be eligible for the £500 payment regardless of whether she's on benefits or not. In Wales, she may be eligible (not sure about Scotland or NI). Is the children's father involved?

If it's because she herself has been in contact with a positive case then she might be eligible for help - but unless she's on in work benefits then there's a 75% chance she'll be rejected and get nothing.

@WaferThinIce

Sorry for not getting back, was dragged out on a lovely muddy walk by my daughter. She has school age children and is an essential worker so they have still been going to school. She doesn’t use public transport and I have no reason to think she isn’t being straight with me. It’s just so difficult, but I simply cannot afford to pay her again along with agency staff. Thank you for the link, hopefully there’ll be something she can claim.

She isn't isolating if her children have been sent home from school unless they are actually having tests does she, she's looking after then surely, she doesn't have to be off so you've been extremely generous. I wonder if she fully understands the rules, actual full isolation 4 times is a lot