Lock Down.......Shielding Again.....Sick Pay All Used Up

[jimmy1976]

So, going by the news tonight with the National Lockdown and what Boris has said, it looks like quite a few of us who are considered 'Clinically Vulnerable' will be having to shield again for the near future or until the least of February.

The majority of us will have already used up around six months of sick leave, just last year alone by shielding. And maybe another six months in the last few years with our underlying conditions.

Where do we stand now, financially, considering we will be required to shield for at least another 6 weeks or until we are vaccinated?

Any time I go sick now it is already classed as nil pay due to the amount of time off I have totalled in the last 4 years.

I feel pretty stuck......My health or paying the mortgage?

It's not easy.

Jim

[geordieboy123]

My understanding is that it’s the clinically extremely vulnerable group that have to shield

[scoobydo79]

I would think You have a case for an early vaccination.

[midegarelu]

jimmy1976
I feel your pain. I'm sure there is help out there somewhere, hopefully someone who knows will see this and forward help.
In the meantime I'm afraid it will be SSP for the near future.
Have you contacted your Building Society? I'm pretty certain they will have thousands in your circumstances and will help all they can.
Going into work is a no-brainer - most offices seem to be cess-pits swimming with the virus and nobody giving a f@*k about anyone else.

Good luck!

[jimmy1976]

My understanding is that it’s the clinically extremely vulnerable group that have to shield

Sorry, mild Typo.

Let's just say anyone that has or is Shielding again for arguments sake.

[jimmy1976]

I would think You have a case for an early vaccination.

Could be weeks.....

There are about 3 other categories placed above Clinically Vulnerable.....

Care Workers, Over 70's etc

[jimmy1976]

jimmy1976
I feel your pain. I'm sure there is help out there somewhere, hopefully someone who knows will see this and forward help.
In the meantime I'm afraid it will be SSP for the near future.
Have you contacted your Building Society? I'm pretty certain they will have thousands in your circumstances and will help all they can.
Going into work is a no-brainer - most offices seem to be cess-pits swimming with the virus and nobody giving a f@*k about anyone else.

Good luck!

Thanks Midge,

That helped a little reading that.

I think it is a point that has to be taken note of, especially as Royal Mail never wanted to Furlough any of it's staff.

It's now just a case of weighing everything up, but life should always be the main priority......

[solar_plexus]

"We will also offer full sick pay to support CEV [Clinically Extremely Vulnerable] colleagues who are due to move on to half pay/nil pay or Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)."

From page 16 of the coronavirus Questions & Answers document at https://www.myroyalmail.com/Coronavirus.

[rosmor]

I have shielded every previous time but worked today , I have spoken to hr and been told they are continuing to pay full pay til further notice, I have now been told by both hr and my Dom that I’m not allowed to attend work as I’m on the critically extremely vulnerable list, feels a bit strange being told not to go in but ok! See you in a couple of months!!

[barcajr]

Sounds like you should start looking at medical retirement

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Sounds like you should start looking at medical retirement

Why, some of the clinically vulnerable groups include where there immune system is compromised. In other words they are physically capable of doing the job, but medically vulnerable to COVID.

You don't get Ill Health retirement for being unwell or having a condition, you get it when you can no longer physically do the work.

[NWpostie]

I have shielded every previous time but worked today , I have spoken to hr and been told they are continuing to pay full pay til further notice, I have now been told by both hr and my Dom that I’m not allowed to attend work as I’m on the critically extremely vulnerable list, feels a bit strange being told not to go in but ok! See you in a couple of months!!

That's interesting as friend of mine is being pestered to come in to work when he has shielded previously and now shielding again as per Boris Johnson's directive as he hasn't recieved a letter yet, it's only 2 days since the announcement and the letter won't be through the post system yet, you're talking 2 million+ letters.

[Woody Guthrie]

As a condition of extending sick pay colleagues must:


· Live in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland or England


· Provide their manager with the letter they received from the Government/NHS advising them to shield and not come to work, if they cannot work from home


· Agree to book and take all their full annual leave entitlement this holiday year (ending 31 March 2021) even if it overlaps with shielding


· Agree to take any pre-booked annual leave, even if that overlaps with shielding


Employees will receive their usual pay when taking holiday.



Managers should record any shielding self absence on PSP using, ‘Sick Coronavirus’ from the absence type drop-down box then ‘SDU070 – Shielding Self’.


This absence code should only be used for CEV “shielding-self” employees

[rosmor]

Sounds like you should start looking at medical retirement

Thanks for your advice, however ,I am more than capable of doing my job, I’m on the extremely critically vulnerable list due to the medication I take for my asthma, not because of how bad my asthma is, when you are asthmatic some of the preventative inhalers have steroids in them which in turn affect your immune system, so even though I am 100% ok at the moment, if I were to contract COVID my immune system would struggle to fight it off

[iHateD2Ds]

Jim ,I sympathise with your predicament.

The question “Why doesn’t Royal Mail offer furlough to employees who are clinically vulnerable” is beggars belief.
I think the CWU needs to address the situation ,because until everyone is vaccinated COVID is going to be around.

In the meantime ,I would take the financial hit and stay safe, but I realise not everyone has savings to cushion the blow.