Shielding Advice

rcahannac

Dear Team 
I am hoping you can provide me with some advice to help with a situation my Mother finds herself in.

During the lockdown, my Father who is over 70 and has diabetes, contracted coronavirus on 31st March 2020 and was admitted to hospital on 1st April 2020. He thankfully made a recovery and was back home on 7th April 2020. Whilst being discharged he was told to shield for 12 weeks and adhere to social distancing within the household.  

My Mother who is my Father's main carer during this time and also holds a part-time job with Boots. Due to the shielding conditions placed on my Father, she was unable to attend work during this period. 

Is my Mother eligible for furlough in this scenario? She has had many conversations with Boots and everything in terms of NHS and GP letters has provided to them, but they aren't accepting any of these. As the main carer for my Father, if she is forced back into work, not only would she be negligent in caring for my father, but she would also provide a risk to the people she comes in contact with.

sharpe106

Furlough is up to the employer. The furlough scheme is to protect jobs as your mothers is not at risk how can boots claim it is? 

Icequeen1

Yes, boots can furlough her. The scheme was expanded to cover those with caring responsiblities like this. But it is an option, and is not mandatory so if Boots decide not to there isn't much she can do about it unfortunately. 

sharpe106

They can but a lot are not as how can the expect other to work when they are furloughing staff for caring issue.

poppy12345

rcahannac said:

but she would also provide a risk to the people she comes in contact with.

Why would this be a risk?

Mrsn

Your father presumably is now free from the virus and if she was likely to by symptomatic herself I would have expected that to have resolved by now too given the timelines you’ve given so I’m not sure why you think she would be a risk to those she comes in contact with.

Boots clearly don’t want to use the furlough scheme, that is absolutely their right to refuse to do so. Some employees who are shielding for themselves have been refused furlough it’s not uncommon I’m afraid.

They want her at work so the choices are she can ask for unpaid leave until such time your father is no longer required to shield or she goes to work (as many many others who have shielding family members have done so throughout this time) and practices strict hygiene routines alongside changes of clothing as soon as she is home from work. 

I’m not sure what role she holds with boots but local pharmacies near me are wearing PPE, I haven’t been in boots since before lockdown are they not also offering this?

Galloglass

SSP may be an alternative 
https://www.markellaw.co.uk/insights/the-extension-of-statutory-sick-pay-to-the-most-vulnerable-employees-who-are-shielding-during-the-coronavirus-epidemic/

The SSP Regulations do not currently provide for the right to SSP for individuals who cannot attend work because they are ‘social-distancing’ as a result of Public Health advice during the coronavirus epidemic, but have not received notification to shield due to being extremely vulnerable.  However, employers may choose to pay SSP to employees in those circumstances where they are unable to work for this reason, although would not be entitled to reclaim up to 14 days’ SSP in this circumstance.

By way of recap and as previously reported, employees are also eligible for SSP (subject to meeting other eligibility criteria) where they are self-isolating for 7 days due to having coronavirus symptoms, or self-isolating for 14 days due to sharing a household with someone who has coronavirus symptoms.

hb2

Wouldn't SSP apply only to the person who was being shielded, not household contacts of that person?

I'm surprised that the OP's husband was advised to shield for 12 weeks. Having had a conformed case of COVID19 I would have expected him to have immunity for a few weeks, at the very least.

Thrugelmir

hb2 said:

 Having had a conformed case of COVID19 I would have expected him to have immunity for a few weeks, at the very least.

"Expected" is not the same as has.  A week's recovery suggests it was mild. Many people have spent weeks in hospital. 

[Deleted User]

sharpe106 said:

Furlough is up to the employer. The furlough scheme is to protect jobs as your mothers is not at risk how can boots claim it is? 

If you’re not working then in normal times you would be made redundant, could that be an argument for boots?

sharpe106

The scheme is meant to protect the job not the person, they just happen to be the person benefiting from it.