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Covid

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You have to go to work even if you are positive

31 replies

organisedmother · 22/03/2022 19:43

The sh**t show I’ve dealt with today, I work for a big retail beauty store that clearly have no idea of procedures.

Me “I’m positive for Covid lft and pcr”
Boss “ok self isolation has ended so you need to come to work and wear a mask”
Me “ok massively uncomfortable with that, can I get sick pay”
Boss “no you used it all for when you child had Covid”
Me “oh ok so what’s my option”
Boss “well you should be attending work and if you don’t its no pay and a formal meeting as you at your max sickness”
Me “ok looks like I’ll be in”

I send a group message to all members of staff apologising and telling them they may want to wear a mask today as none of them do anymore.

Me “good morning everyone”
Assistant manager “ what are you doing here positive”
Me “I’ve been told to come in!, I don’t want to be here”
Assistant manager “I’m ringing another store you shouldn’t be here”
Me “ok I’ll wait in the back”
Assistant manager “they said you are double vaxed so your good”
Me “ok I’ll get to work”

Another member of staff arrives
Staff “what the hell are you doing here with Covid you need to leave.
Me “ I’ve double checked I’ve been told I have to work”
Staff “I’m ringing HR I’m not working with you”
Me “ok I understand I’ll wait out back”
Staff “ you can work out the back because apparently your allowed to be here.
Me “ok that’s fine I’ll do delivery”

Spent 4 hour shift doing delivery with gloves and mask on then left.

Arrive home to messages from another member of staff
Staff “You Cannot come to work tomorrow I am venerable and boris says it’s on your conscience to do the right thing”
Me “I’ve been told if I don’t I won’t get paid and have to have a formal meeting about my sickness I could get sacked!”
Staff “I’m ringin hr, how can you be ok coming to work you could kill someone, what are you doing!! I was just in Waitrose and was telling the girls that the till and she even said she would never come to work with Covid”
Me “ I don’t want to come to work, I don’t really have a choice”

Me in tears with the back of forth, debating to say I read the Covid test wrong, exhausted from everyone telling me I’m going to kill someone but also need money to pay my bills.

Boss rings…..

Boss “hr have called you shouldn’t have come to work today”
Me “but they called hr and said it was ok because I’m double vaxed”
Boss “no that’s wrong, don’t come back until your negative then we can have a meeting about your sickness”
Me “what, is it going against my score”
Boss “yes of corse”
Me “omg, am I still getting sick pay”
Boss “no you have used it all on the kids”
Me “ but I’ve not had a sick day for about 7months”
Boss “yes but when you had 10 day isolating for the children it’s gone and you need to wait till April”
Me “so I have no pay for at least a week?”
Boss “maybe more call me when your negative”

Literally in tears is this the plan of living with Covid….

OP posts:
MuggleMadness · 22/03/2022 19:48

I'm sorry you've had such an awful & stressful day! It's utterly crap, but blame all the people tapping on about 'living with covid'. & the spineless Govt for removing mandatory isolation .

Practically- are you in a union?

BluebellsGreenbells · 22/03/2022 19:59

To be fair, if you didn’t test you wouldn’t know. So either you are too sick to work and should stay home or you should be in work.

That said each company should have their own policy on this, a decent employer should have had plenty of time to adjust to the new regulations and had policies in place.

Who knows how this is going to end?

MargosKaftan · 22/03/2022 19:59

Call HR yourself tomorrow then follow up in writing / email to your HR and boss that you are feeling well enough to work, are happy to work as you did today and understand there should be no requirement for you to isolate anymore. If they don't want you to work, although you are not sick and are able to go to work, will they pay you ? Be clear in writing you are prepared to go to work and consider yourself to be fit to work.

Piratesue · 22/03/2022 20:00

There is no limit to how many sick days you can have. If you have only had 1 incident then you are well below Bradford factor guidelines. Ask to see your sickness policy or handbook that should help

BedknobsNoBroomsticks · 22/03/2022 20:06

@Piratesue

There is no limit to how many sick days you can have. If you have only had 1 incident then you are well below Bradford factor guidelines. Ask to see your sickness policy or handbook that should help
At one company that I worked for you were only allowed your contract hours off sick per year, so if my weekly contract hours were 20 I was only allowed 20 hours off per year. If I had more it went to disciplinary.
BedknobsNoBroomsticks · 22/03/2022 20:09

OP I would contact HR.

If you aren't getting paid does your local council offer any financial help? Ours does but I am in Scotland so it may be different where you are.

carefullycourageous · 22/03/2022 20:11

Oh this sounds horrible! Brew for you.

This is the reality of Johnson's uselessness - no one knows what they are doing and individuals are at the mercy of businesses.

I do not know what you do about your workplace - long term I feel if you could find a better emplyer that might help, but easier said than done.

jessieminto · 22/03/2022 20:16

@Piratesue

There is no limit to how many sick days you can have. If you have only had 1 incident then you are well below Bradford factor guidelines. Ask to see your sickness policy or handbook that should help
This is true in a practical sense. You could be sick for 100 days and if you are sick, then you are sick.

There is definitely a limit to the number of days you can take off sick and still get full pay. And then there are limits to SSP as well.

And there is a limit where your employer can fire you for breach of contract because you are sick and can't fulfil it.

Your employer gets to set their own rules for when they give you full pay and at what limit they will fire you. The government sets the rules for SSP.

As another poster has stayed, put in writing that you are not sick and want to work, and there is no law preventing you. Ask them to confirm that they do not want you to work and will pay you for your absence, or let you return to work.

Also ask for the isolation period to be updated in your records as dependency leave, you were looking after a sick child, not sick yourself. Therefore it is not your sickness record and you are entitled to time off to care for a dependant when they are sick. You are not entitled to be paid for that time, and so you may prefer it to be counted as your sick leave if you want paid for it.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 22/03/2022 20:16

That’s awful. Are you well enough to work?

The company policy sucks.

Hope you recover quickly.

MichaelAndEagle · 22/03/2022 20:16

It seems like the company itself really doesn't know its own policy on this!
Sounds awful for you OP.

I would ring HR yourself and if possible get them to email you something so you can produce it as evidence if needed.

userxx · 22/03/2022 20:18

You'll get SSP.

ReeseWitherfork · 22/03/2022 20:20

Yes ultimately it's the company telling you not to come to work. So they can't claim you've called in sick?!

dudsville · 22/03/2022 20:22

How is this policy monitored? Do they check your tests? Do you forward the results to your employer?

organisedmother · 22/03/2022 20:27

I’m not sick at all no symptoms etc, I did send a quick message saying, what happens if I just come in to work as I’m fine? I was told told disciplinary action would be taken.

Wish I never told anyone I was positive, just felt I had to give staff the respect to know so they could be extra careful.

I’m going to ask for hrs email tomorrow and ask for a meeting to be set up, I am at the bottom of the chain so am not great at this sort of thing.

It’s been made clear I will not be getting paid as I’ve reached the maximum sick pay, I am part time but all the money counts that I need so it’s just a blow.

OP posts:
organisedmother · 22/03/2022 20:28

Nobody has asked to see anything.

OP posts:
freddiethegreat · 22/03/2022 20:32

The only way they can do this is to medically suspend you. You are not calling in sick, you haven’t got a fit note. If they are telling you to stay home they will need to medically suspend you & that has to be on full pay. I would contact HR tomorrow & start talking in those terms.

However, disclaimer, I am not a professional or an expert in the field. I have had cause to investigate medical suspension recently because of my own work situation.

organisedmother · 22/03/2022 20:42

They said for the safety of staff and customers I can’t come to work and they will not pay me.

OP posts:
EvilPea · 22/03/2022 20:48

I’m so sorry. This is absolute bollocks and something I’ve wondered how it will play out practically.

I’ve nothing useful to add. Other then write it all down. Who said what and when.
Then follow up to confirm it all with HR in writing to say due to the lack of clarity you presume this will not be held against you in anyway (and check the pay situation on the guidelines)
To be honest they should have been all over this with policy from the announcement. It’s not a unique situation.

mocktail · 22/03/2022 20:48

They're being massively unreasonable. I'm puzzled though how you got sick pay when your child was ill - surely that would usually be annual leave or unpaid. The company really need to get familiar with their own policies!

user1487194234 · 22/03/2022 20:48

In future don't share with colleagues
In lots of work places you would not get paid in these circumstances
Not everyone works in comfy public sector jobs

Waxonwaxoff0 · 22/03/2022 20:53

This is why I'm not testing. I'd rather not know if I've got it. If I'm well enough to go to work I'm going in.

EvilPea · 22/03/2022 20:55

@user1487194234

In future don't share with colleagues In lots of work places you would not get paid in these circumstances Not everyone works in comfy public sector jobs
Which really is wrong as you should be able to tell people so they can make an informed decision about mixing, E.g “I’m seeing my mum this weekend, she’s not had her 4th jab yet”

But I can’t disagree it will be what you have to do what you have to do to keep your bills paid.
As the PP says you only know because you tested, plenty of people aren’t and wouldn’t.

organisedmother · 22/03/2022 20:59

Absolutely, a costly punishment for being honest, I’ve learnt my lesson, next time I’m keeping my mouth closed!

OP posts:
gettingolderandgrumpy · 22/03/2022 21:01

Op your mistake was sending that message to all . You should of done what they said in the beginning come in when they said instead you sent message to all causing a fuss and you were told to go home so the only loser is you as no pay and possibly disciplinary action . There system is load of crap and sounds like they are making it up as they go along . Next time go in if you feel fine everyone will soon anyway as no free tests . .

gamerchick · 22/03/2022 21:07

Yeah I'm not allowed to work with covid but we don't even get sick pay in the first place. At least covid doesn't go on my sick record though.

Sucks but what can you do. Seems your lot don't know their arse from their elbow.