How are things where you work now?

[Smartsub]

Our HR guidance is:

• If you're unwell stay at home, off sick (paid)
• There is no expectation or requirement that you test with or without symptoms, but if you do choose to test and get a positive result yiu should stay at home for 5 days, then return regardless of what any subsequent test says. WFH if possible, although for many roles this will not be possible. This is not sickleave.

What we are finding is that some staff are still testing regularly and we have quite a few doing the 5 isolation with no or very mild symptoms. You can't really knock them for being extra careful to protect colleagues, but it does mean "unecessary" absences.

Also, when they return, they are facing very hostile colleagues demanding to know if they now have a negative test.

We had been in the habit of letting colleagues know who was positive - we had to do that for test and trace but it's clear to.me now that this is a grave error, discussing confidential health info, although most of the testing staff will do their "duty" and let those they've worked with know anyway.

So, I don't feel able to ask people not to test, we have to allow/insist on isolation for 5 days if they're positive. I'll change things so "we" don't tell staff, but they'll find out anyway. What would you do to make the return less fraught on both sides?

What an absolutely ridiculous state of affairs. So we have a group who are so used to testing it seems to have become this involuntary compulsion, regardless of the impact.

Then you have those who are terrified of this virus they've already survived for two years now they're acting like some people are vermin.

Seems like a huge social experiment.

Yes, this is exactly what it's like. I suspect the super caring group, who feel the need to test to protect others, also like the prospect of a week off, but obviously I can't say that out loud.

But they've been vaccinated, when is the testing going to stop?

If you are unwell (with whatever) stay at home/offline and recuperate (paid)

Choice of working in office full time, part time, hybrid, flexibly or wfh.

No need to test unless you want to.

Sometimes people test positive but feel well so wfh.

Our work pretty much treats it like any other illness, except that the rule that you have to be in the office at least two days a week doesn't apply to people who have tested positive if they don't want it to. But you don't have to test at all and I'm not sure many people are.

TBF they were being told to test regularly for months after they'd been vaccinated. Some must have huge stockpiles of tests!

Yes, it's the response of others when those who have stayed at home return that is the issue. People being treated like lepers.

People should do what they feel is right. If you don't test that is acceptable but if you morally feel you want to test that's fine too. No one should be given a hard time about it. I doubt most people are looking for 5 days off. Most people I know have felt pretty crappy with Covid and still look ill when they are back in after 5 days.

We aren’t allowed in with any cold type symptoms. However, we can easily WFH.

It's not that people are given a hard time for being off, it's that no one wants to work with them when they come back after their 5days!

I can't say I blame people for not wanting to work with them or them not wanting to work with others. Why would people actively spread or actively catch covid?!

My work is stupidly soft on sickness so are following the old legal guidance and don’t count covid towards sickness policy. Many, many people are taking the absolute piss.
We are sick off cleaning twice a day with the added bonus of an extra clean at the end of the day. Well I am.
The actual shops are back to normal, but head office are clinging on, they seemingly love a covid restriction, and have no idea the extra work involved as they are all working from home.

NHS
testing twice weekly
isolating if positive

We've had several disruptive outbreaks at work so we are expected to do our best not to cause another one.

How exactly is a bit woolly but they've said they'd rather have one or two workers off with children who are ill with covid and who should have tested negative before they come back than a third of the employees out at various points next month because they brought covid in.

Why would people stop testing @moomintrolls? You're talking like the pandemic is over.

That's my exact question.

When?

@moomintrolls At the start of yet another Omicron wave, with 25,000 people dead with covid on their death certificate so far this year, and with the ever present disruption to employment it seems a little premature to stop testing, doesn't it?

My work (in scotland) are still not letting us sit at a next desk to someone so there isn't enough room for all staff. Some are therefore on a rota to wfh.

We never advertised the people who had covid. It was a bit annoying at first but now seems sensible given the op.

Not to me.

Can you elaborate on why it does for you?

Covid on the death certificate does not mean it was the cause of death.

how many deaths has covid caused this year and how many are the threshold for you, personally, to believe testing is not necessary?

Many have stopped testing as the tests are not free and many don't get paid if they don't go in
People don't have money for tests and also days off
Can people not see that , £10 for a pack of tests os several meals or electric for a couple days

@moomintrolls It says "where COVID 19 is mentioned as a cause on the death certificate"

Looking at the government graphs it looks to me as if more people have died of covid in the last six months than died in the six months before that.

Just popping back to say I may be wrong about that. COVID 19 was the top cause of death in the U.K. in 2020 and 2021, but so far in 2022 it's only third.

I'm CEV and am able to access free LFTs. I am advised to test regularly as if I catch Covid I am eligible for treatments. Said treatments are most effective if taken early, hence the recommendation to test regularly.

I am absolutely testing regularly and I'm sure lots of other people eligible for treatments are doing likewise.

At work we are doing hybrid working. Most people are in the office 2-3 days a week and WFH on the other days.

Some are mostly WFH for various reasons e.g. a delay in getting reasonable adjustment equipment in the office as well as at home or to manage a medical condition.

We're expected to WFH with any Covid symptoms so people aren't coming in with colds, chest infections etc. Despite this we get almost daily notifications of someone having tested positive after coming in on x date.

Time off with Covid now counts as sick leave but we don't have any sickness trigger points any more so it doesn't really matter.

The approach is generally sensible but there is a push to get more people in more often.