UK-BASED FIRMS GET TOUGH ON UNVACCINATED STAFF

Wed 19 January 2022:

As companies strive to cut expenses from the long-running pandemic, an increasing number of UK-based retailers are toughening their stance against unvaccinated employees who come into touch with infected people.

Morrisons and its online rival Ocado, as well as apparel store Next and Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA, have all lowered sick pay for unvaccinated UK employees who are compelled to isolate following exposure with Covid.

In a statement on its virus absence policy, IKEA stated that it provides full company sick pay to both vaccinated and unvaccinated employees who have unusual circumstances.

Unvaccinated staff without mitigating circumstances — such as pregnancy or medical reasons — will however be paid statutory sick pay which is the legal minimum.

Following that, Ocado and Morrisons both acknowledged in separate statements to AFP that they have a policy that is substantially identical.

However, unvaccinated staff with no mitigating reason will only receive standard company sick pay if they test positive for Covid-19.

Under current rules, fully vaccinated individuals in Britain are not legally required to isolate after coming into contact with a person who tests positive — but unvaccinated individuals must self-isolate for 10 days.

All people who have Covid-19 must self-isolate for five days, after which they can stop if they test negative on days five and six and do not have a fever.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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