How are things where you work now?

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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?

We are front line workers and we are only off with a positive result. The place would fall apart if everyone with a cold was off.

We're not meant to come in if we feel at all ill but we do hybrid working so can work from home anyway. If we do a test and it's positive we're meant to wfh for 10 days if well enough, otherwise follow normal sickness policy.

No one has actually told us anything so people are coming in with covid..

We're hybrid working and are asked to stay at home with cold symptoms and work will send you a test (they've bought a load) to your house.

We've had a lot of positive results in the last few weeks after a quieter period (after Christmas it was absolutely awful!) and those who are positive seem quite poorly, which is causing a LOT of issues.

@changingstages that seems sensible for firms that can do that.

I'm a teacher. I've had covid (second time) since Monday (happy half term to meeeee), I've been told to go in on Monday evening if I'm still testing positive. Kids gave to me, now they'll be getting it back.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot it's a horrid and extreme situation.

My work haven’t given any guidance, we are able to work from home but people are required to go into the office every day and only work at home by exception. A few have worked from home with covid recently so I suppose they’ve been told what to do when they tested positive rather than a general announcement. I’ve got a sore throat, cough and cold today so I’ve done a test as still have some, it’s negative so will still be going in