Big retailers have been accused of putting financial pressure on staff to come into work with Covid-19 after they cut the right to extra sick leave for workers affected by the virus.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco are taking away the right to additional sick pay for those with Covid from this weekend, while Next said it had reverted to its standard sick pay policy a few weeks ago.
Previously, the businesses offered additional sick leave to workers with coronavirus, to cover those who needed to isolate, as required under government rules.
The retailers said they were changing their sick pay rules in line with the government’s new “living with Covid” policy for England that came in on 24 February, under which those who test positive for Covid are no longer legally required to self-isolate.
In contrast, Asda said it offers up to 10 days’ extra sick pay for those with coronavirus.
Bev Clarkson, the national officer for the union Unite, said: “By scrapping their Covid absence policies, Sainsbury’s and Tesco are encouraging infected staff who are worried about being off to go into work, putting other workers and customers at risk.”
Daniel Adams, the national officer for the shopworkers’ union Usdaw, said it was “incredibly disappointed” that Tesco had made the changes. “Inevitably, with these changes, there is a risk that employees may have to make a decision based on affordability rather than their health or wellbeing. The fact that the government has withdrawn even the minimal support of statutory sick pay from day one further exacerbates the problem,” he said.
Sainsbury’s and Tesco both said they were asking or encouraging staff to stay at home if they were sick.
Nevertheless, the unions said some workers might feel compelled to come into work regardless, if they could not be sure of claiming sick pay.
Next said it was following government guidance in leaving the decision up to individuals on whether to come into work after testing positive with Covid, but said it was not aware of any member of staff wanting to do so.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We have reviewed our policies in line with the latest government guidance for England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. As part of this, we are approaching colleague sick leave relating to Covid-19 just as we would with another illness like flu.
“We’re continuing to ask colleagues who test positive or develop Covid-19 symptoms to stay at home and be considerate of others, and any colleagues who need to stay at home and are unable to carry out their roles can continue to receive pay.”
The retailer said it was unlikely that anyone with Covid would use up their company sick pay allowance for the year, which amounts to 3% of their annual contracted hours or an average of 10 days, according to the Unite union. The spokesperson said that any decision on further company sick pay beyond a worker’s usual allowance would now be “at their manager’s discretion”.
Next, which in January was one of the first major retailers to cut sick pay for its unvaccinated staff who have to isolate after coming into contact with someone who has Covid, said absence with the illness was now “treated in exactly the same way as any other illness absence, with the same sickness payment structure”.
Government guidelines currently ask, but don’t legally require those testing positive with Covid to “try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people” for five days after first testing positive. It advises those who do leave home within that period to wear a surgical face mask or other well-fitting face covering, avoid crowded places such as public transport, and to take other precautions such as covering their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze and washing their hands frequently with soap and water or using hand sanitiser.
