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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Lottie Gibbons

Morrisons, Ikea and Next policies as they cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff

Next, Ikea, Morrisons and other retail stores have cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who must self-isolate because of covid exposure.

In England, unvaccinated people must isolate for 10 days if they are a close contact of someone with covid.

High street retailer Next confirmed it has cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who are self-isolating due to covid exposure.

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The company, which employs around 44,000 people, said all employees who test positive for Covid-19 - regardless of whether they are vaccinated - will be paid in full.

However, unvaccinated staff who are required to isolate because they have been identified as a close contact of someone with the virus will only receive statutory sick pay unless there are mitigating circumstances.

Morrisons also confirmed it has cut sick pay for unvaccinated workers who are forced to isolate after being exposed to covid.

Ikea also cut its sick pay under a similar policy for unvaccinated staff who need to self-isolate because of covid exposure and in some cases for workers who test positive.

They said in a statement: "Unvaccinated co-workers without mitigating circumstances that test positive with covid will be paid full company sick pay in line with our company absence policy.

"Unvaccinated co-workers without mitigating circumstances who have been identified as close contacts of a positive case will be paid Statutory Sick Pay."

Online grocer Ocado also adopted the same policy as Next.

Unvaccinated staff who have not tested positive but are self-isolating could receive as little as £96.35 per week, the national minimum for statutory sick pay.

It comes as new rules come into force saying people in England can end their coronavirus isolation after five full days as long as they test negative on days five and six.

Ministers had been under pressure to reduce the isolation period - which was previously seven days - to help address staff shortages across the economy and public services by allowing people to return to work earlier.

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