Corona Virus: How Are We Doing?

[Pat "5mph"]

Not "wow" at you, for the record: I didn't realise that the UK didn't have support for people when they test positive.

A while back the government (Boris was PM) said that if you test positive but are well enough to work, you must go to work.
Your employer is not obliged to pay sick leave anymore because of Coronavirus.
Lots of employers don't pay sick leave, but there was extra government support for testing positive during the pandemic.
I currently work for the NHS: we get paid while off sick, we aren't allowed to work while testing positive, but a coronavirus related absence will now count towards our sickness record, just like any other illness.
When I was working in the hospitality industry it was not uncommon to come to work half dead (lol), no shift worked, no pay.

 

[MontyVeda]

Not "wow" at you, for the record: I didn't realise that the UK didn't have support for people when they test positive.

Statutory Sick Pay (currently around £100 a week) doesn't even cover most peoples' rent/mortgage... and for the first three days of illness, you get sweet FA, and if the first day of illness is a Friday, day two is counted from the Monday. Of course an employer can be more generous if they choose to, but many will only pay out the bare legal minimum, which can still leave people in real financial hardship.

 

[Alex321]

Statutory Sick Pay (currently around £100 a week) doesn't even cover most peoples' rent/mortgage... and for the first three days of illness, you get sweet FA, and if the first day of illness is a Friday, day two is counted from the Monday. Of course an employer can be more generous if they choose to, but many will only pay out the bare legal minimum, which can still leave people in real financial hardship.

And it tends to be those in low paid jobs to start with whose employers only pay out the statutory minimum. Which makes for even more hardship.

I've always worked in IT, with well paid "professional" class jobs, and I've never had less then 3 months at full pay, followed by a period at half pay.

But there was a period when one of my daughters was working a job only a little above minimum wage, and her employer only paid SSP.

 

[Slick]

It's only guidance to self-isolate now, daily deaths are a fraction of what they were, but I think covid is still a notifiable disease, and employers have a duty of care to their workforce so should be promoting self-isolation. All seems a bit muddled.

My work is quite clear, do not test, they don't want to know. If you are fit, come to work, if you aren't, stay at home.

 

[MontyVeda]

My work is quite clear, do not test, they don't want to know. If you are fit, come to work, if you aren't, stay at home.

but will they pay you, or fleece you?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My work is quite clear, do not test, they don't want to know. If you are fit, come to work, if you aren't, stay at home.

Another shoot employer

 

[MontyVeda]

Another shoot employer

...working within the constrains of employment law.

And whenever the employees try to improve things, the News loves highlighting the disruption being caused by striking workers.

 

[Slick]

but will they pay you, or fleece you?

Full pay for sickness.

Another shoot employer

Not really, we have moved on and Covid is a different animal now we have the vaccine. I was one of 2 people that worked right through, but everyone else got close to 8 months of furlough on full pay, and when we did return, any Covid related illness didn't go against your sickness record until earlier this year when everyone had the opportunity for 3 jags. Pretty fair to my mind.

 

[Slick]

...working within the constrains of employment law.

And whenever the employees try to improve things, the News loves highlighting the disruption being caused by striking workers.

Don't even go there with striking workers, we haven't the stomach for it.

 

[classic33]

Full pay for sickness.

Not really, we have moved on and Covid is a different animal now we have the vaccine. I was one of 2 people that worked right through, but everyone else got close to 8 months of furlough on full pay, and when we did return, any Covid related illness didn't go against your sickness record until earlier this year when everyone had the opportunity for 3 jags. Pretty fair to my mind.

Three!
Even a certain Welshman, brought to live in Yorkshire, only had two.

 

[Slick]

Three!
Even a certain Welshman, brought to live in Yorkshire, only had two.

I've actually had 4 now, but its too boring a story to regail on here.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

66 here - 3rd jab booked for 14 October.

 

[Alex321]

Another shoot employer

In what respect?

The "do not test" is government advice now, and I don't think anywhere in the UK now has free tests available, so you would have to pay for them if you were going to.

And "If you are fit, come to work, if not stay home" seems perfectly reasonable and normal.

 

[Alex321]

66 here - 3rd jab booked for 14 October.

My 4th is booked for 27th October - my wife has hers on the 1st. I am 63, my wife is 72. Both in South Wales.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

And "If you are fit, come to work, if not stay home" seems perfectly reasonable and normal.

That’s not what the employer said in my interpretation but clearly you have a different interpretation. We will just have to agree that we have different interpretations of how shoot or not the employer is being.