No symptoms, financially hurt!

aimee_d

My partner tested positive on Friday, he has no symptoms and feels fine enough to go to work. Doing the right thing he told his manager that he'd tested positive but was well enough to go to work with precautions in place (open doors of the workshop, working in a different area to everyone else, taking breaks at different times, mask and glove wearing etc)
He was told on Sunday night not to come to work and that he would only get SSP til he has 2 negative tests. With no legal obligation to isolate anymore and with the government view of letting Covid run its course along with no grants or support in place as of 24th Feb 2022, can we fight this decision? We are now £500 worse off this month, potentially more.

Andy_L

As the employer has told him not to come into work then, unless there is a lay-off clause in his contract (or he's on a zero-hours contract), the employer has to pay him in full

RogerPensionGuy

https://www.lewissilkin.com/en/insights/coronavirus-absences-from-work-and-entitlement-to-pay

RogerPensionGuy

It's a minefield for so many reasons. 

My understanding was/is, if an employee informs employer they tested positive for covid and feels okay to work.

Employer takes sensible actions, if the employer tells employee not to attend work, then employee gets full pay including supplements like shift pay etc etc.

So the good employee communicating this good information to employer can chill out and save on travel costs.

sheramber

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus?utm_campaign=coronavirus_grants&utm_medium=paid_searchl&utm_source=google&utm_content=keyword&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqty44crF9gIVWoFQBh1LrQ31EAAYASAAEgLtU_D_BwE

You will not be legally required to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. 

Stay at home if you can and avoid contact with other people.

Sea_Shell

Out of interest why did he do a test?

katejo

Sea_Shell said:

Out of interest why did he do a test?

Perhaps because he was due to go to a big event  or meet someone who was vulnerable?   It seems the rules will change again on April 1st but, at the moment, those with a positive test do still need to isolate. Covid self-isolation rules and guidance to change again on April 1 (msn.com)

sheramber

Not much point in taking a test if your not going to acknowledge it and take sensible precautions to avoid infecting others.

kaMelo

katejo said:

Sea_Shell said:

Out of interest why did he do a test?

Perhaps because he was due to go to a big event  or meet someone who was vulnerable?   It seems the rules will change again on April 1st but, at the moment, those with a positive test do still need to isolate. Covid self-isolation rules and guidance to change again on April 1 (msn.com)

Depending upon where you live, if England then there is no legal requirement to isolate, that ended on 24th February. Testing positive for Covid is no more restrictive than testing positive for chicken pox. That doesn't mean there isn't a wider health issue, just that there is no legal requirement to do anything.

As others have said, if the employer is insisting they don't come into work then they should be paid as normal rather than just SSP.  Trying to have that conversation with an employer may be challenging however.

missile

Maybe some will use this to get time off work on full pay?

Sea_Shell

missile said:

Maybe some will use this to get time off work on full pay?

Well, yes!!   Hasn't this already been happening throughout the whole pandemic!!?   

Anyone could've submitted a positive LFT test....even when it wasn't!    

Yes, they were legally obligated to self-isolate, but I'd bet some weren't bothered about that either!