Self isolation - sick pay

matticus7

My wife has just been informed that her workplace is to shut for 2 weeks as the owner/manager of the (small) business has tested positive for covid.

They run 2 small businesses in different parts of the area and caught it from someone at the 2nd business that my wife has no involvement with. Due to the owner going back and forth between the businesses they have decided to close both which is of course the right thing to do.

My question relates to my wife being told that the staff will only be paid SSP for the 2 week period. Is this correct? I really don't see how it's fair that they are all having to live off SSP as a result of an individual at a different business.

Apologies if the answer is obvious. I know a lot of people are suffering with stuff like this but it seems really dodgy from my perspective.

Jeremy535897

If your wife has to self isolate as a result of being in contact with the owner, SSP is payable. Even if the shop remained open, she would not be at work.

If she does not need to self isolate, then SSP is not appropriate. Her contract of employment should set out what she should be paid. Length of service will also influence what rights she has. If the owner could furlough her, I would have thought that was the obviious solution, but it may be she is not eligible (the owner does not have to furlough her or anyone else).

ToxicWomble

She could take it as holiday 

sheramber

https://www.lewissilkin.com/en/insights/coronavirus-absences-from-work-and--entitlement-to-pay Temporary workplace closure at employer request Entitled to usual pay Unless express contractual provisions for unpaid or reduced pay lay-off, or consent of employees to lay-off  – rare in practice Employees can agree to be placed on furlough under government’s job retention scheme S147-154 Employment Rights Act 1996 Pay full pay or agree furlough (or make redundancies if furlough is not appropriate or employees do not agree)

matticus7

See thats the train of thought I was taking Sheramber. 2 small businesses are being completely shut down for 2 weeks with approx 20 staff being made to accept SSP during that time. 

Obviously there's a lot of anxiety for them all at the minute and tempers are flared but my understanding of furlough was that if the business had to close due to covid they could furlough staff. This just seems to me like a way to cut costs on wages while they're not making any money from their businesses.

68ComebackSpecial

As the owner/ manager has tested positive presumably he/she will be informing Track and Trace of all their contacts - including the staff at both their businesses - who in turn will be contacted and instructed to isolate and test. 

Aranyani

68ComebackSpecial said:

As the owner/ manager has tested positive presumably he/she will be informing Track and Trace of all their contacts - including the staff at both their businesses - who in turn will be contacted and instructed to isolate and test. 

They’ll only need a test if they have symptoms

Mrsn

Aranyani said:

68ComebackSpecial said:

As the owner/ manager has tested positive presumably he/she will be informing Track and Trace of all their contacts - including the staff at both their businesses - who in turn will be contacted and instructed to isolate and test. 

They’ll only need a test if they have symptoms

Perhaps the route they were thinking is that if test and trace do make contact then that will trigger the special code given to be able to apply for the £500 payment if they are eligible.

sammyjammy

Mrsn said:

Aranyani said:

68ComebackSpecial said:

As the owner/ manager has tested positive presumably he/she will be informing Track and Trace of all their contacts - including the staff at both their businesses - who in turn will be contacted and instructed to isolate and test. 

They’ll only need a test if they have symptoms

Perhaps the route they were thinking is that if test and trace do make contact then that will trigger the special code given to be able to apply for the £500 payment if they are eligible.

Which is only available to those on income based benefits, many of who don't work anyway!

GrumpyDil

The app is separate from track and trace. If the owner has given your wife's details to track and trace they should contact her directly if the believe she needs to isolate as a close contact.

sheramber

It is not clear whether the wife has been in contact with the owner/manager and therefore needs to self isolate , in which case she can get SSP
https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay/what-youll-get

If you’re self-isolating because of contact with someone with coronavirus

You should self-isolate if you’ve been notified by the NHS or public health authorities that you’ve come into contact with someone with coronavirus.

You must self-isolate for at least 4 days to be eligible for SSP.

You can get SSP for every day you were self-isolating from 28 May.

or   if the manager has decided to close the business as a precaution because he is ill. In which case she should get full pay.