Paid sickness during covid

lee667

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Afternoon all,

Looking to get some feedback/information on people's experiences who have been either off with covid or had to self isolate with regards to their employers sickness policy.

Basically my wife is a key worker who works for a health partnership, twice last year she had to get tested due to displaying symptoms and had to self isolate. Her employer has deducted these days from the amount of full pay sick days she can have, which has now pushed her over and onto SSP.

My employer however, is the opposite and any time off for covid doesn't go against us and is fully paid.

I would be grateful to hear other people's experiences as in my mind any time off due to this should not go against you given the circumstances.

Cheers!
 
My Mrs is a key worker, but for a private sector company. She gets zero paid sick days, so any Covid self isolating would be costly to us.
 
I believe they can do that, it's just treated as an illness day regardless of what the illness is.

Just depends on the employer and if you're lucky enough to get one that is understanding and actually care a bit about you.

Just make sure she remembers.

Lot of companies only pay SSP.
 
I believe they can do that, it's just treated as an illness day regardless of what the illness is.

Just depends on the employer and if you're lucky enough to get one that is understanding and actually care a bit about you.

Just make sure she remembers.

Lot of companies only pay SSP.

Yeah, I did say that to her. My employer, for example, have a very strict sickness policy and I'm surprised even they are not holding it against us.

Told her to speak to her work on Monday and just query it and say other employers aren't using it against absence and see what they say. If you don't ask you don't get at the end of the day.
 
Yeah, I did say that to her. My employer, for example, have a very strict sickness policy and I'm surprised even they are not holding it against us.

Told her to speak to her work on Monday and just query it and say other employers aren't using it against absence and see what they say. If you don't ask you don't get at the end of the day.

No harm in pushing it a bit

I'd use email and cc in as many important people as possible personally.
 
No harm in pushing it a bit

I'd use email and cc in as many important people as possible personally.

Yeah she's going to email. My argument was that you don't have the option to go into work unlike if you had a cold for example.

Obviously there are some people who would seek to exploit the current situation for extra time off but as long as you provide a test result then personally I think it should be waived.
 
Yeah she's going to email. My argument was that you don't have the option to go into work unlike if you had a cold for example.

Obviously there are some people who would seek to exploit the current situation for extra time off but as long as you provide a test result then personally I think it should be waived.

I agree

They could even be claiming back for her SSP so it might not even be costing them anything too, which is worse really.

 
Our workplace only ever pays SSP starting from the fourth day you are off sick, but if it's covid related, you get SSP from the first day you're off :). One small caveat, you need to arrange a covid sick note from a virtual GP though, a normal self cert will not cover you. Generous eh ;)
 
I was full pay for three months, half pay for three months and no pay since December.
 
I had written a really long post describing our company's policy - but have decided against it, as I don't want to find myself in hot water.

While they pay us for up to 6 months when sick, the pressure to come into work due to an ill-thought out policy can be immense - it's a constant source of frustration, and the union has been battling against it for years.

Enough said!
 
Now the benefits have been withdrawn becasue the Dr did not sign my fit note, my Drs surgery have said we don't have to and again seem not to care that I am now without income for two weeks, I explained that the DWP advised me they allowed surgeries not to sign them in the first lockdown but had written to all surgeries to advise that they did now need to sign them once more, granted it will be backdated but not a lot of help right now.
 
Now the benefits have been withdrawn becasue the Dr did not sign my fit note, my Drs surgery have said we don't have to and again seem not to care that I am now without income for two weeks, I explained that the DWP advised me they allowed surgeries not to sign them in the first lockdown but had written to all surgeries to advise that they did now need to sign them once more, granted it will be backdated but not a lot of help right now.
If possible change GP practice. Your one sounds dreadfull.
 
Now the benefits have been withdrawn becasue the Dr did not sign my fit note, my Drs surgery have said we don't have to and again seem not to care that I am now without income for two weeks, I explained that the DWP advised me they allowed surgeries not to sign them in the first lockdown but had written to all surgeries to advise that they did now need to sign them once more, granted it will be backdated but not a lot of help right now.
If you can change practices (so have a fallback) drop the GP practice manager a note mentioning that no income for two weeks means no food for two weeks...:eek:

If you really want to emphasise this point include the following
'Judge me fairly': man who starved to death's plea to welfare officials

David Clapson’s awful death was the result of grotesque government policies | Frances Ryan
 
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if it’s covid related we get two weeks and it doesn’t come out of our sickness allowance. Anything over and above it comes out as normal. I get 6 months full then 6 months half pay.
 
Now without UC for over two months thanks to my work accidentally paying me and nobody from the DWP seem even remotely bothered by this fact, but at least my ESA claim is ringfenced for two years now, be nice if these departments talked to each other.
 
As others have said, I'm afraid the only requirement for self isolation is sick pay. There isn't any legal requirement for anything above that.
 

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