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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Abigail Nicholson

Ikea cuts sick pay for unvaccinated workers who need to isolate

Ikea has cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who need to self-isolate because of Covid exposure or a positive test.

Ikea, who employs around 10,000 people in the UK, has cut how much pay it's unvaccinated employees will receive if they have to isolate due to coronavirus.

The firm said its policy had to evolve with changing circumstances.

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Unvaccinated workers required to isolate could now receive as little as £96.35 a week - the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) minimum.

If a worker is unvaccinated and tested positive for Covid, but had a medical exemption, such as being unable to have a jab, the company said it would consider individual cases as to whether people would be paid full sick pay.

However, Ikea said if there were no mitigating circumstances, bosses would look at the infected worker's absence record and make a decision over sick pay - which might result in some being placed on SSP.

Average wages at Ikea are between about £400 and £450 a week, depending on location and, as is the case at many companies, staff get enhanced sick pay.

Ikea said in a statement to the BBC: "Fully vaccinated co-workers or those with mitigating circumstances will receive full pay for self-isolations.

"Unvaccinated co-workers will be paid in line with our company absence policy for self-isolation, with close-contact isolation being paid at Statutory Sick Pay.

"We appreciate that this is an emotive topic and all circumstances will be considered on a case by case basis, therefore anyone in doubt or concerned about their situation is encouraged to speak to their manager."

In England, people who are vaccinated with at least two doses need not self-isolate if they have been in close contact with someone infected with Covid. Unvaccinated people contacted through the government's test-and-trace system must still isolate by law.

Many companies complained of labour shortages throughout 2021, and now are seeing mass absences due to the more infectious Omicron Covid strain.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeated on Monday that the data continued to show those people most seriously affected by Omicron remained the unvaccinated.

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