Disciplined for Covid absences

[Nahhh]

Hi there,

I’m just looking for some advice. We’re in Wales we’re the rules are a little stricter but basically I’ve been put on an attendance plan for having too many absences.

In the last 6 months I’ve had 2 days off due to a miscarriage and then 5 stints of 2 days due to Covid tests. I appreciate this is a lot of absence but I’m not sure what to do. I’ve 3 kids and they bring all sorts of germs home and unfortunately on 5 occasions I’ve had a fever and a cough so have had a PCR test and stayed home until I had the results. I’ve been told to make more of an effort to stay healthy. I assume if I’m ill again I’ll have to forego the test and just go to work regardless? Morally I’m not sure what’s best.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot yeah you can but they're currently free and you're testing with no need. Bit of a dick move really.

@HelplesslyHoping

LFTs are not accurate if you have symptoms so ignore PP.

Maybe you need to send your employer proof of your PCR results so they know you weren't just having a day off for a cough?

This is absolutely false. LFTs are highly accurate with symptoms, and in fact more accurate in detecting symptomatic Covid than asymptomatic cases.

we have to do twice weekly lateral flow tests

perhaps you should suggest that to your work

@MrsLargeEmbodied

we have to do twice weekly lateral flow tests

perhaps you should suggest that to your work

She'd still have to isolate with new symptoms though

[quote girlmom21]@RuleWithAWoodenFoot yeah you can but they're currently free and you're testing with no need. Bit of a dick move really. [/quote]
If the OP is testing because they have symptoms, how is that a dick move or a waste of tests? It's literally what everyone has been asked to do.

@ScarlettSunset I wasn't responding to the OP. I was responding to the poster who's tested every day despite testing positive 9 days ago. I literally tagged the poster I was responding to

are you not vaccinated?

OP is your job one that you have to do in person? So you can't ask to wfh pending results?

@MrsLargeEmbodied

are you not vaccinated?

Vaccinated people still have to isolate with symptoms...

I am vaccinated.

Do you usually pick up bugs easily? I've not had a PCR test at all, ever and I've got a school age child. It does sound a lot to me.

Just lft?

[quote girlmom21]@ScarlettSunset I wasn't responding to the OP. I was responding to the poster who's tested every day despite testing positive 9 days ago. I literally tagged the poster I was responding to [/quote]
Apologies. I misread

@newrubylane

Does everyone commenting about the amount of illness not have/remember having young kids? We're currently on our fourth cold-type virus since the start September, and this one is the only one where they haven't had a fever or a bad cough. Plus I've now picked up a stomach bug as well so I'd have to be off again. It's not that strange.

I think many of us have young enough children and still think it’s a lot.

I've been hammered with tonnes of colds, bugs and whatever else in the past few months. Thankfully working from home so isolating has been fine, but I don't think it's inconceivable to have 4 tests in the space of a few months. I expect many aren't bothering as they're 'sure' it's not covid.

What kind of industry do you work in OP? I have worked all through Covid with no absences. I can work from home though and despite a few illnesses in 2 years I have not needed any time of for testing or otherwise. I have used LFT's and only used PCR when asked to be the app - For direct Covid contact. I do think you've had a lot of time off - especially as none of it was actually Covid and could be discounted. Your miscarriage probably should not be taken into consideration though - is your employer aware that is what happened? Could you ask for that period to be taken out of the equation? Most employers have triggered for absence sounds like you have breached them.

I think they’re being a bit unreasonable. To be honest if my work pulled me up on absence for blocks of 2 days, during a pandemic, as a mother of 3 young kids, I’d either request flexible working and wfh so any of the result waiting days don’t matter; or I’d consider looking for a new job that was more sympathetic. Are you the only one with this amount of absence? And are you paid for these absences? If not I think they are being unfair. It’s important though whether they are absences for you; or for your kids.. xo

At the school I work at we have to go for a PCR for any symptom, heck even if under the weather as we have had outbreaks. Our head and the governors say better safe than sorry. We are struggling with staffing, but we have had staff seriously ill from covid and children very vulnerable.

But you weren't off with Covid in the end and that level of illness is high. Getting a fever five times a year is a lot of times (do you mean an actual fever or just that your temperature is up half a degree). I've not had a fever since I was a child and yes I have a child who has been through nursery, childminders, school etc and had every cold going, but never with a fever and bad cough.

do you not socially distance at work?
we wear masks in the corridor, we socially distance, so even if we were unknowingly positive we should be ok

in 2020 before the lfts i was forever anxious about being positive

I am an employer of 25 staff here in Ontario Canada, and it is against the law for us to discipline an employee over absences due to covid, whether testing or isolating. We are allowed to ask for proof that they had the test or a doctors note to prove that they needed isolation. I personally do not want any staff member coming in my restaurant if they have been in contact. I have a staff member off right now as she lives with her sister who has been ordered to isolate for a couple days till her test comes back, so my employee is also isolating. It is the right thing to do. Here we still have to pay them for any covid related time off (thus doctor proof needed) and the government reimburses us for it.

I can see how the 5 x 2 day absenses would trigger an absence policy - I hope they didn't include your miscarriage, as a pregnancy-related absence this is excluded from any absence management (sorry for your loss OP).

Have they said what the plan entails? Eg another absence in 6 months triggers disciplinary action, or just that you should try to avoid catching anything? I'd be inclined to print out the government guidelines on testing and isolating and get it in writing that should you develop symptoms again they do not want you to get a Covid test.

I work in a call centre but in a keyworker capacity. We don’t wear masks at work because it muffles the voice too much over the phone in emergency situations.

The action is along the lines of any further absence in 6 months will take me a step closer to dismissal, it’s very slow moving in that respect I’ve just not had any bother before.

To the poster asking about fevers, I’m unfortunate that my body likes to spike a proper fever, so temperature between about 38 and 39C recurring between doses of paracetamol.

If your work are making it so difficult to do the right thing,I would judge them, not you, if you were to use a lft rather than pcr test.