Covid & Work

kazzyd_2

lisyloo said:

Andy_L said:

binao said:

kazzyd_2 said:

Thanks for all the replies. So basically, once I feel better, go back whether positive or not. Colleagues were already unhappy yesterday because we had a positive case in at work.
Again, this is obviously why numbers are going up again.

Thanks again.

If you test positive, para 3, Stay at home, clearly says, isolate for 5 days, (6 days including the test day.)

Good luck, hope you're feeling better.

I have a friend with long covid which is really limiting in what he can do, the actual covid period was quite mild.

Guidance not law though. What are people supposed to do if they aren't going to get paid if the self-isolate?

Ideally use their emergency fund savings (I appreciate the issue is that not everyone has this).

It's not about the money, I work for a big company and will still get payed full wages as I'm rarely off sick. I'm just worried about passing it on to colleagues and customers. Of course numbers are going to rise when people are being told they still need to go work.

lisyloo

kazzyd_2 said:

lisyloo said:

Andy_L said:

binao said:

kazzyd_2 said:

Thanks for all the replies. So basically, once I feel better, go back whether positive or not. Colleagues were already unhappy yesterday because we had a positive case in at work.
Again, this is obviously why numbers are going up again.

Thanks again.

If you test positive, para 3, Stay at home, clearly says, isolate for 5 days, (6 days including the test day.)

Good luck, hope you're feeling better.

I have a friend with long covid which is really limiting in what he can do, the actual covid period was quite mild.

Guidance not law though. What are people supposed to do if they aren't going to get paid if the self-isolate?

Ideally use their emergency fund savings (I appreciate the issue is that not everyone has this).

It's not about the money, I work for a big company and will still get payed full wages as I'm rarely off sick. I'm just worried about passing it on to colleagues and customers. Of course numbers are going to rise when people are being told they still need to go work.

One option if you think the risk cannot be mitigated is just to tell a little white lie and say you’re not well enough. Job done.

another option is to mitigate the risk.
obviosuly we don’t know where you work, but presumably you could wear a mask?
can you open a window, distance from others, be assigned away from front line duties.
for the majority this isn’t a serious disease and we do need to get on with life and have people go to work when they are past the peak of infection.
im assuming you cannot WFH at all even for any mandatory online training?

another option is for you to take personal holiday - yes not ideal but if you feel strongly about it then why should your employer suffer, why it should be 100% their responsibility to pay?

the government and your employer have made their stances clear, now it’s over to you but you have several options as above and I don’t claim that is an exhaustive list.

The government stance is that we cant afford to have everyone off for 10 days each time and I don’t just mean financially.

if you disagree you have options - some of which will cost you personally.

kazzyd_2

I work in a Food Hall so don't have the option of wfh. There are also no windows but yes I can wear a mask.
I'm just worried about my colleagues and customers, I'm customer facing all day and we have a lot of old people in our store.
Today is day 4 for me and it's my day off, I'm due back on Thursday so hoping I'll be negative by then.

jon81uk

kazzyd_2 said:

I work in a Food Hall so don't have the option of wfh. There are also no windows but yes I can wear a mask.
I'm just worried about my colleagues and customers, I'm customer facing all day and we have a lot of old people in our store.
Today is day 4 for me and it's my day off, I'm due back on Thursday so hoping I'll be negative by then.

What would you do if you broke your leg, got flu, had food poisoning (I hope you'd be off work if working with food!) or any other illness?

Unfortunately as the government removed free testing and the need to isolate they don't expect you to think of others and if you are not ill then go to work and if you are ill then stay at home and receive whatever sick pay you are entitled to.

lisyloo

kazzyd_2 said:

I work in a Food Hall so don't have the option of wfh. There are also no windows but yes I can wear a mask.
I'm just worried about my colleagues and customers, I'm customer facing all day and we have a lot of old people in our store.
Today is day 4 for me and it's my day off, I'm due back on Thursday so hoping I'll be negative by then.

I understand, but the old people who come into the store also have to take some responsibility as well especially if they choose to frequent enclosed indoor spaces - there are multiple things they could do as well, which we all know about ad-nauseum.
They have chosen to take that risk despite being "old", so whilst it's nice of you to think of others it not all on you.
some of them/us would prefer to just get on with life and take the risk.

It's now a shared responsibility.

There has to be a balance.
We can't have everyone who can't WFH taking 10 days off every time they have an infection.
We have to find ways of living with it now.

I take the precautions I can around vulnerable people such as mask wearing (when well) and proactive testing, but I don't put mine (and their) life on hold.

lisyloo

jon81uk said:

kazzyd_2 said:

I work in a Food Hall so don't have the option of wfh. There are also no windows but yes I can wear a mask.
I'm just worried about my colleagues and customers, I'm customer facing all day and we have a lot of old people in our store.
Today is day 4 for me and it's my day off, I'm due back on Thursday so hoping I'll be negative by then.

What would you do if you broke your leg, got flu, had food poisoning (I hope you'd be off work if working with food!) or any other illness?

There is a difference between being ill vs being well but infectious.
One of the difference is wrt employment which has provision for sickness,
We've never as a society had the situation pre-covid (or it's been rare) where people have had to consider isolating when they are well.

kazzyd_2

jon81uk said:

kazzyd_2 said:

I work in a Food Hall so don't have the option of wfh. There are also no windows but yes I can wear a mask.
I'm just worried about my colleagues and customers, I'm customer facing all day and we have a lot of old people in our store.
Today is day 4 for me and it's my day off, I'm due back on Thursday so hoping I'll be negative by then.

What would you do if you broke your leg, got flu, had food poisoning (I hope you'd be off work if working with food!) or any other illness?

Unfortunately as the government removed free testing and the need to isolate they don't expect you to think of others and if you are not ill then go to work and if you are ill then stay at home and receive whatever sick pay you are entitled to.

Any other illnesses I wouldn't be putting the elderly & vulnerable at risk. I'm rarely off sick so it's not like I'm looking for reasons not to go in. 

SingleSue

I tested positive today, my wages for this week will be 28.50 (I worked for three hours yesterday - my normal evening shift),  I'd always been more concerned about getting Covid because of the loss of wages than the health side, despite formerly being CEV.

It's also completely ruined my perfect attendance since I've worked there (5 years), through pneumonia x 2, colds plus various other joint and nerves related issues and receiving but not using fit notes several times. I think I'm more peed off about that than anything else to be honest.

My savings (meagre as they were, you can't really build up a massive buffer on what/am I was earning), were wiped out in the lockdowns as furlough, as much as it was very much appreciated, didn't take into account the new shifts or the holiday cover I rely on to get through the year for bills.

Normally I would go in with a cold, we do have elderly customers but interaction is sparse and is easily avoided and we work alone, however, I feel not great at all right now due to my high  temperature and my peak flows and oxygen levels are struggling a little (not dangerously, just a little reduced)

jon81uk

kazzyd_2 said:

jon81uk said:

kazzyd_2 said:

I work in a Food Hall so don't have the option of wfh. There are also no windows but yes I can wear a mask.
I'm just worried about my colleagues and customers, I'm customer facing all day and we have a lot of old people in our store.
Today is day 4 for me and it's my day off, I'm due back on Thursday so hoping I'll be negative by then.

What would you do if you broke your leg, got flu, had food poisoning (I hope you'd be off work if working with food!) or any other illness?

Unfortunately as the government removed free testing and the need to isolate they don't expect you to think of others and if you are not ill then go to work and if you are ill then stay at home and receive whatever sick pay you are entitled to.

Any other illnesses I wouldn't be putting the elderly & vulnerable at risk. I'm rarely off sick so it's not like I'm looking for reasons not to go in. 

I would hope in an industry where you are directly working with the vulnerable an employer has a decent plan as part of their risk assessment on how to keep the vulnerable safe from catching illnesses carried by their staff.
it’s then up to the employer to provide relevant paid time off or alternatives such as working from home to protect the vulnerable people in their care.

lisyloo

kazzyd_2 said:

jon81uk said:

kazzyd_2 said:

I work in a Food Hall so don't have the option of wfh. There are also no windows but yes I can wear a mask.
I'm just worried about my colleagues and customers, I'm customer facing all day and we have a lot of old people in our store.
Today is day 4 for me and it's my day off, I'm due back on Thursday so hoping I'll be negative by then.

What would you do if you broke your leg, got flu, had food poisoning (I hope you'd be off work if working with food!) or any other illness?

Unfortunately as the government removed free testing and the need to isolate they don't expect you to think of others and if you are not ill then go to work and if you are ill then stay at home and receive whatever sick pay you are entitled to.

Any other illnesses I wouldn't be putting the elderly & vulnerable at risk. I'm rarely off sick so it's not like I'm looking for reasons not to go in. 

Isn't is the choice of elderly and vulnerable people (and everyone else)  to go into enclosed and possibly poorly ventilated spaces?
we all have choices - it's not like this is a setting (like a hospital) where they have to attend.
As a society we want to get back to living life - not just for the economy (which includes your job) but for mental health as well.
Some of those old people might have survived wars or cancer and take a different view to you (which they are entitled to do).
Are we not allowed to have the choice and get on with our lives which most of us desperately want? 
You are being very considerate but others (your employer, the government, the exchequer and your customers) may not want that.
Your customers can shop on-line if they want, or an outdoor market, avoid manned stations, wear a mask or they choose could run the gauntlet.
presumably these people are spending minutes with you not hours.

jon81uk makes a good point.
What are your employer doing to keep the public (and yourself) safe?
Do they have perspex screens for example?
Have they discussed it with you? or have you asked them?
it's hard to tell whether they are acting responsibly but letting people make their own choices or whether they are not fulfilling their responsibilities for customers and staff.
perhaps they have excellent ventilation or consider the time people are spending with you.
The places I've worked have had policies ad nauseum about stairs lifts, toilets, kitchens, ventilation, canteens, cash etc.

As I've said before you do also have the choice of unilateral action which may cost you.
holiday, unpaid leave or white lie
This is a common risk now and it doesn't all now fall at the feet or government and businesses.
Individuals have to now take some financial responsibility for this new risk.
The governments strategy has been known about for quite some time now.

I have found a more flexible job from 5 days a week in the office, to 1 day (that I can swap). In fact I've had to move my main residence.