// Ikea has cut sick pay for unvaccinated UK staff who are forced to self-isolate because of close contact with someone with Covid-19
// Unvaccinated workers at Ikea are only eligible for statutory sick pay of £96.35 a week during 10 days of isolation
Furniture giant Ikea has slashed sick pay entitlement for some unvaccinated staff forced to self-isolate after close contact with someone infected with Covid.
The move means unvaccinated workers, who are required by the Government to isolate for 10 days after close contact, could receive as little as £96.35 a week under Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) obligations, a legal minimum.
That compares with the average pay for Ikea shopfloor staff of £10.10 an hour outside London and £11.30 in the capital – the equivalent of £404 and £452 for an average working week.
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In an effort to tackle the impact of the ‘pingdemic’ hitting businesses, from last August people in England who were double jabbed were no longer legally required to self-isolate if they were identified as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case – but unvaccinated workers contacted by NHS Test and Trace are required to isolate.
Ikea, which has 21 large stores and more than 10,000 staff in the UK, said ‘mitigating circumstances’ would be taken into consideration.
‘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,’ said a spokeswoman.
Employment experts have suggested that “no jab, no job” policies would be difficult for companies in the UK to enforce because of stronger worker protections and rules against discrimination. However, UK care workers have been obliged to be vaccinated since November.
The retailer is among a string of companies such as Santander and Asda which encouraged employees to receive a coronavirus jab, offering paid time off for vaccinations.
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