By Morrisons confirms sick pay cut for unvaccinated staff
Supermarket Morrisons has confirmed it has cut sick pay for unvaccinated workers who are forced to isolate after being exposed to Covid.
It follows similar moves from big retailers including Ikea, Next and Ocado as staff absences rise.
Unjabbed Morrisons workers who are told to isolate but test negative now get statutory sick pay of £96.35 a week.
Covid-positive staff get full sick pay regardless of vaccination status.
The Guardian first reported the policy, with chief executive Dave Potts mentiong the policy in a conference call with investors as part of a plan to tackle the “biblical costs” of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
Under Morrisons’ policy, if NHS Test and Trace informs an unvaccinated worker that they have been exposed to Covid-19, they will only get statutory sick pay when they isolate.
In England, unvaccinated people must isolate if they are a close contact of someone with Covid, even if they do not test positive themselves.
People can leave isolation if they prove a negative lateral flow test on day five of their isolation and if they do not have a temperature.
Any Morrisons employee who tests positive themselves is paid full sick pay while they isolate, regardless of vaccination status.
Morrisons said its policy only applies to workers who are unvaccinated by choice, and each individual is treated on a case-by-case basis.
Workers who cannot receive Covid vaccines for medical reasons are not obliged to isolate in England.
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