Going to work with COVID.

One week of statutory sick pay wouldn’t pay a weeks rent for my step daughter, that’s why she had to go to work with covid.

lilyMae There is a statutory entitlement to sick pay.

I never understand the thinking around going into work sick. Firstly you give the bug to other people so that more get sick. if there is a culture of someone staying home a couple of days, being slightly under the weather a couple of days then back to full form, you end up with three or four people, ill and under the weather for several weeks and may be more, leading to to far greater loss of productivity over a much longer period.

My friend has covid, she called work to let them know, they’ve asked her to go into working if she’s ok to do so as they’re really busy. She works in hospitality so there is going to be a lot of sick people missing from the dinner table Christmas Day.

My husband and I went down with Covid 3 days before going on a flight , I called the official Covid line to be told , there are no rules just get on the plane!! I couldn’t believe it . We decided not to fly till we were clear. Can you imagine how easy it would be to pass Covid around in a plane .

You can’t catch shingles from a child with chickenpox!

I was always the sort of person to go to work when unwell as long as I could drag my self out of bed. Covid has taught us a hard lesson as the severity of symptoms is so variable and someone can be asymptomatic or so ill they end up in hospital!
Unfortunately regular testing has stopped for most people and we only test if we feel quite ill. I had it recently and caught it from family members who had been ill but hadn't tested so didn't realise they were putting me at risk. It is the 4th time I've had it this year despite being fully vaccinated!
After testing I stayed home mostly until 10 days after I first felt ill. I did go shopping for essentials wearing a mask at a very quiet time, hopefully not putting anyone at risk.
I feel sorry for people who don't get decent sick pay as they can be stuck between a rock and a hard place, especially due to the cost of living crisis. That is not an issue for me as I'm retired and when I was working I never lost pay. The last time I went to work ill was because I worked in a school and we had OFSTED! I was told if I took time off I would need a doctor's certificate, so I went in coughing and sneezing over everyone, including the inspectors! At the end of the inspection my boss told me I was 'A Trooper'. It was obvious to her I shouldn't have been there! It was pre Covid but I'd think twice now.

I still haven’t had covid but I’m getting tired of not living anything like a normal life. I’m so scared of being someone that suffers from it for a long time.

I have Covid at the moment and it’s nothing like last time. I’ve been really poorly and still have a temperature and feel light headed after four days. I definitely wouldn’t be going to a work party and my DS cancelled our visit tomorrow

My son’s company say you have to go into work.
There’s no sick pay if you stay at home!!!!

was allowed to not attend

allowed !!

I have never come across a compulsion to attend a party before. How weird!

Man or mouse?

That is an entirely different discussion point.

After feeling gammy for a few days and the dry cough I've for some time had got worse, I did a Covid test today. It's positive and so at least I know why I don't feel well. It's so annoying because during the height of Covid and its aftermath I was never positive even though I cast off my mask as soon as was legal to do to. But I shall be avoiding people for the next five days and hope it clears up quickly.

I have an autoimmune condition. I had a mild dose of Covid in January 2021 and then Long Covid hit me like a truck. I still get fatigue and am breathless if I walk for more than 12 to 18 minutes so it's had a detrimental impact on my day to day life. I caught Covid again earlier this year (from my husband) and it was mild, but I really don't want it for a 3rd time in case it sets me back again.
I love going to our church but they keep the windows shut because heating is so expensive, so I listen to the service from the foyer.

I have never gone to work or to a party with any infectious illness.

If like OPs son I had a boss who couldn't respect and understand that, I would have changed my job. Even working at home, if that had existed while I worked, I would have stayed in my bed after reporting in sick.

Even a bad cold, could be dangerous to a vulnerable person, and I could not possibly know the state of health of the grandparents of all the children I taught in an average school day.

My daughter, civil servant, has just had a very nasty bout of covid like illness (did not test positive) arranged to work from home, wrapped up well and didn’t travel to London for her Christmas Party last night. She’s 23 and was very sad to miss it BUT did not wish to pass her hugs onto any of her team and risk spoiling their Christmas.

We need to treat COVID much as we would a heavy cold, flu or any other contagious disease. We simply have to be pragmatic and responsible.

It’s also hard for ANYONE who works as many organisations have very strict sickness guidance and you can find your on a warning very easily (I speak as an ex civil servant and prior to this financial services, where all staff were penalised for sick leave)

icanhandthemback

Your son has employment rights if he is in this country and you have to be allowed time off for illness!

Of course your allowed time of for sickness. But when statutory sick pay is £109 per week and that only kicks in after 4 days you’re stuffed.

Like a bad cold if you feel rubbish don't go to work, you can self certificate up to 5 working days.

I'm still working in the NHS, you can go in with Covid just wear a mask, but you can also have Covid feel perfectly fine, so no idea you have it.

bear1

We will have another lock down if people and employers have the attitude that you can work shop go to the pub etc with covid even if wearing a mask does not prevent others getting it and they they spread it to their family's and so it goes on until thousands of us have it again and guess what a lockdown

Very very unlikely we have mostly been vacinnated Covid now produces far less very sick people.
The general public probably would not conform anymore

Your son has employment rights if he is in this country and you have to be allowed time off for illness!

Totally agree.

bear1

We will have another lock down if people and employers have the attitude that you can work shop go to the pub etc with covid even if wearing a mask does not prevent others getting it and they they spread it to their family's and so it goes on until thousands of us have it again and guess what a lockdown

Yes. It's not all about the vulnerable or immune suppressed.

Some 'normal' healthy individuals suffer greatly when they have the virus - others don't fare so badly.

If you feel really ill, it's completely irresponsible and unfair to expect people to go into work. My son - something of a stoic as far as illness is concerned - attempted to carry on as normal when he was struck with COVID but it completely defeated him and weakened him to the point where he simply had to go to bed for a few days. Fortunately he is self employed so was able to re-arrange his commitments.

But if too many working-age people contract the virus and are unable to work, it is going to have a devastating effect on the economy.

I know the present 'culture' is that we have to live with the virus like we do with all other viruses, and the 'mood' in government appears to be that COVID is "done" and sorted. But if it gets out of hand, there is going to have to be a re-think. Expecting the low-paid who are not covered by any sickness benefit to just stay off work and lose much needed income is neither fair nor ultimately practical. If they are very ill, drag themselves into work, under-perform whilst spreading around the virus - how will that not damage the economy (apart from any lasting impact on the sufferer's health)?

Laissez-Faire will not work.

I worked in a care him for the disabled and we were told last year we were allowed to come in if we had Covid

We will have another lock down if people and employers have the attitude that you can work shop go to the pub etc with covid even if wearing a mask does not prevent others getting it and they they spread it to their family's and so it goes on until thousands of us have it again and guess what a lockdown

that is also true