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Ikea cuts sick pay for self-isolating, unvaccinated workers in the UK

Date: January 10, 2022 Sunil Jha Sunil Jha
Ikea cuts sick pay for self-isolating, unvaccinated workers in the UK 
Ikea, the renowned Swedish furniture manufacturer, has reportedly announced that it would be cutting sick pay for its UK staff, specifically those who are not vaccinated yet and are self-isolating themselves because of coming into close contact with people infected with the Coronavirus.



According to reports, unvaccinated Ikea staff are only entitled to get £96.35 statutory sick pay per week for ten days of self-isolation, in contrast to the weekly wage of around £400 before tax for a typical shop floor employee.



Managers at the company, which retains 10,000 employees in Britain, will, however, consider extenuating the circumstances.



Some firms have tried offering incentives to employees to get vaccinated, such as paid time off during the shift time, but utility provider Wessex Water and Ikea have followed in the footsteps of grocer Morrisons in imposing a financial penalty on anyone without an exemption who refuses to be vaccinated.



If they have had close contact with somebody infected with Covid-19, people residing in England who are vaccinated, having at least two doses of the authorized vaccines, are not obligated to self-isolate. Unvaccinated individuals identified by the government's test-and-trace process, on the other hand, are required by law to self-isolate. Similar restrictions have been enacted in other UK countries.



Wessex Water will apply the cut from today, while Ikea's policy was originally announced in September.



Ikea stated that it recognizes that this is a sensitive matter, and all instances will be assessed case-by-case. The company has advised people who are concerned or unsure about their situation to speak with their respective supervisors.



Likewise, Wessex Water stated that an overwhelming majority of its personnel has been vaccinated and it is critical, as a firm delivering crucial services with valuable staff, that the remaining get jabbed to protect the customers, coworkers, and themselves.



The company further added that vaccine appointments can also be scheduled during work hours to make things easier for the employees.



Source credit: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/09/ikea-cuts-sick-pay-for-unvaccinated-uk-staff-isolating-due-to-close-covid-contact

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Sunil Jha

Sunil Jha has been a part of the content industry for close to two years. Having previously worked as a voice over artist and sportswriter, he now focuses on writing articles for newsorigins.com, across a slew of topics, ranging from technology to trade and finance. With a business-oriented educational background, Sunil brings forth the expertise of deep-dive research and a strategic approach in his write ups.