HR help - Coronavirus and off work

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I got back from Italy at the weekend (in the north, but not a town that is quarantined or any current cases of coronavirus).

Following the advice on the news to self isolate, I asked my GP surgery as the town I was in (near Verona) wasn’t mentioned and was told to stay home for 14 days. However, whilst work support me staying home they are looking into whether it will be unpaid leave or not. There is little I can do to wfh and their current view is that I’m not ill, so it’s not sick leave. I don’t have enough annual leave left to take (and have handed in my notice so can’t even borrow leave or work overtime to build up hours once back).

I just wondered if anyone was experiencing the same and what their employers stance had been? I’m trying to get hold of ACAS so I’ve got as much info as possible for when my HR calls me back.

I dont know what others are doing but in our place it would be paid. Pay policy drives behaviours, if we want people to stay home we need to show that.

I feel it should be paid although I do appreciate I am well yet not working. However, it’s not like I can go out and do anything sociable or fun.

I’m hoping they were just caught off guard (this is probably fairly unprecedented in some respects) and after having a think and chat, will agree to pay. Although I wonder if they are worrying about large numbers of employees ending up in quarantine and the financial implications of paying them all.

I’m going to post this in AIBU for more traffic.

Im an employment lawyer. They are not obliged to pay you and you are not sick. plus you have not been to an area where the UK government recommends that you self quarantine. The official advice is that you only self quarantine if you have symptoms unless you've visited one of the towns which are quarantined.

As such I would not expect your employer to pay you. You're voluntarily isolating (which I happen to think is sensible but you can't expect your employer to pay for it)

if it is unpaid then you may be entitled to benefits for the period where you have no income. put in a claim today - you can do it online. you may not actually be entitled to anything but if you are, it can only be backdated to the day you submit the claim so don't waste any time, just in case.

As a PP has said, the government is advising that you only self-isolate if you have symptoms. Otherwise you can carry on as usual.

The only reason you need to self-isolate regardless is if you were in one of those specific towns. I know a few people who have just come back from north Italy and it's business as usual.

Go back to work. If they send you home, then they will have to pay you.

And this is how the virus will spread as people can’t afford to take time off.

This isn’t following government advice. Unless you’ve been in one of the locked down towns you need to go to work unless you have symptoms.

Not in an affected area.
No contact with a case.
No symptoms.
No request from work to stay at home.

Just go to work.

If you are following NHS advice would your GP be able to write you a sick note? How is it different from the 48hour rule (when you might feel well) after a sickness bug? Surely they pay people then?

Go back to work. I'm not sure why you are off tbh. You haven't been to an infected town and are as likely to have contracted CV in this country from some random you stand next to at the bus stop than from your trip.

The BBC had a good article on this - essentially if you are not and have not been ill, then you are not entitled to sick pay, so it's work from home if possible, if not then your employer can choose to pay you but are not obliged to, so if they don't want to pay then it's unpaid leave or annual leave.

www.bbc.com/news/business-51628524