Furnishings large Ikea has slashed sick pay entitlement for some unvaccinated employees pressured to self-isolate after shut contact with somebody contaminated with Covid, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The transfer means unvaccinated staff, who’re required by the Authorities to isolate for 10 days after shut contact, might obtain as little as £96.35 per week beneath Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) obligations, a authorized minimal.
That compares with the common pay for Ikea shopfloor employees of £10.10 an hour outdoors London and £11.30 within the capital – the equal of £404 and £452 for a median working week.
Ikea slashed sick pay entitlement for some unvaccinated employees pressured to self-isolate after Covid shut contact
In an effort to sort out the influence of the ‘pingdemic’ hitting companies, from final August individuals in England who had been double jabbed had been not legally required to self-isolate in the event that they had been recognized as an in depth contact of a optimistic Covid-19 case – however unvaccinated staff contacted by NHS Check and Hint are required to isolate.
Ikea, which has 21 giant shops and greater than 10,000 employees within the UK, stated ‘mitigating circumstances’ could be considered.
‘We respect that that is an emotive subject and all circumstances might be thought of on a case by case foundation, due to this fact anybody doubtful or involved about their scenario is inspired to talk to their supervisor,’ stated a spokeswoman.
Ikea later clarified that the coverage solely impacts unvaccinated staff with ‘excessive ranges of absence’.
The retailer is amongst a string of firms akin to Santander and Asda which inspired staff to obtain a coronavirus jab, providing paid time without work for vaccinations.
From tomorrow, employees at utilities agency Wessex Water who haven’t acquired a minimum of one Covid vaccination or haven’t any appointment to be vaccinated will solely obtain SSP if they’re required to self-isolate as an in depth contact of a Covid case.
Common pay for Ikea shopfloor employees £404 for a median working week outdoors London and £452 for one within the capital
Absences had doubled prior to now week, it stated.
‘We want everybody to be accessible so we are able to proceed to offer uninterrupted important water and sewerage providers.’
The authorized place of employers treating vaccinated and unvaccinated employees in another way is untested.
Richard Fox, of regulation agency Kingsley Napley, stated: ‘With the Authorities telling everyone to get the vaccine and care staff pressured to get it, it could possibly be troublesome for an worker to mount a declare.’