Workplaces and employer attitudes Megathread

Goodigal

If you test positive, you isolate for 10 days from date of first symptom or if asymptomatic, date of positive test. So once you complete 10 days of isolation (last 5 days fever free) you should be ok to return to work. Hope this answers your question.

Goodigal

Speakerboxx wrote: »

After 14 days of isolation and being negative after test again would be safe bet.

Close contacts need to restrict their movements for 14 days. Positives 10 days isolation. Don't test again because you will most likely test positive from the original virus. Unless past 12 weeks positive and you have new symptoms

Speakerboxx

Goodigal wrote: »

Close contacts need to restrict their movements for 14 days. Positives 10 days isolation. Don't test again because you will most likely test positive from the original virus. Unless past 12 weeks positive and you have new symptoms

How are you automatically ok after 10 days if you have virus? Does not make sense to me. Also would you not test again after 10 days to make sure you are negative if you were positive in the first place ? Otherwise if you still had it you be infecting other people???

Goodigal

Speakerboxx wrote: »

How are you automatically ok after 10 days if you have virus? Does not make sense to me. Also woudl you not test again after 10 days to make sure you are negative?

That's the guidance at the moment. 10 days isolation and feeling well. You will almost definitely test positive again within a couple of weeks because the virus is still in your system. Hence why so many close contacts are getting it and being advised to restrict movements for 14 days in case it develops.

Speakerboxx

Goodigal wrote: »

That's the guidance at the moment. 10 days isolation and feeling well. You will almost definitely test positive again within a couple of weeks because the virus is still in your system. Hence why so many close contacts are getting it and being advised to restrict movements for 14 days in case it develops.

Thats what i cant understand. if its im your system you could potentially pass it on to other people after 10 days. You think people who have it would have to isolate longer??

Beasty

Threads merged

Goodigal

Speakerboxx wrote: »

Thats what i cant understand. if its im your system you could potentially pass it on to other people after 10 days. You think people who have it would have to isolate longer??

I think its because the infectious period has passed (first ten days). So while it's still in your system, you won't pass it on.

Working in contact tracing currently. I find it strange that positive case has more freedom than a close contact in terms of days! But that's how it is.

Speakerboxx

Goodigal wrote: »

Working in contact tracing currently. I find it strange that positive case has more freedom than a close contact in terms of days! But that's how it is.

I agree totally with you. I would be of the opinion that if someone has it they should be isolating for a period of time until its well out of their system.

the_pen_turner

10 days for this and 14 for that is very vague and up in the air. how do you know when you got it or when you stopped fever.
as self employed i could make up any company policy on it and go back after 4 days or 4 weeks. thats crazy

Mrs OBumble

Speakerboxx wrote: »

Employers decision to allow you back after this .

Eh?

Any employer i know says it's a doctors decision.

Goodigal

the_pen_turner wrote: »

10 days for this and 14 for that is very vague and up in the air. how do you know when you got it or when you stopped fever.
as self employed i could make up any company policy on it and go back after 4 days or 4 weeks. thats crazy

I suppose it would depend on how sick the person was with it. The 10 days isolation starts on the day you first felt symptoms or date of positive test if you've no symptoms but were a close contact. And subsequently tested positive.
Plenty of info on the HSE website. Just trying to answer your original question.

Kerry25x

Goodigal wrote: »

I think its because the infectious period has passed (first ten days). So while it's still in your system, you won't pass it on.

Thats exactly it. Working in the hospital we have staff who were positive back to work while we still have patients who were close contacts to them kept in isolation.

paul64

I was in work during the week and said I wasn’t feeling well so I was sent home and told I couldn’t come back until I got a back to work cert from the doctors. I have no covid symptoms so is this a simple get a cert from doctors or will I need a full appointment as now they are not testing for covid

Stephen93

I work for a small family run landscaping company where the employer is the only one with a truck licence.

He returned from England on January 2nd and intends to come back to work Jan 4th and told us to basically try or best to socially distance or else the company will be closed for 2 weeks while he isnt there. Any advice on what to do?

average_runner

paul64 wrote: »

I was in work during the week and said I wasn’t feeling well so I was sent home and told I couldn’t come back until I got a back to work cert from the doctors. I have no covid symptoms so is this a simple get a cert from doctors or will I need a full appointment as now they are not testing for covid

Doctors were never testing for covid. Ring up the doctor and he will make a decision on if you come to see him or not. If he says you need to isolate he will give u a cert

Away With The Fairies

I don't want to give away too much details in case somebody figures out where I work.

Management are basically happy that their procedures are ignored so putting workers at an increased risk. What do I do here?

Icantthinkof1

Away With The Fairies wrote: »

I don't want to give away too much details in case somebody figures out where I work.

Management are basically happy that their procedures are ignored so putting workers at an increased risk. What do I do here?

I’ve been down this road and have fought long and hard with management since wave 1 not only for my safety but for the safety of my colleagues and our clients
I explained my (ongoing) concerns to management, for eg one concern was that colleagues were not socially distancing but when the staff saw the manager coming they would socially distance so it looked like they were- I was basically told by management that staff were adhering to guidelines because the manager saw them doing so with his own eyes despite me explaining to them the reason why he was seeing this; so in a roundabout way I was being accused of lying
I explained that other certain procedures were not being followed as per our Covid policy by staff- again this was fobbed off
Eventually I realised I was fighting a losing battle. I went to my dr and explained the situation to them in floods of tears and I am now signed off on sick leave

ShineOn7

Well that's nice and all Maureen, but aren't you now breaking the law and putting your customers and staff at risk once you do this?

FrStone

Fair play to her.

I wouldn't be too worried about customers or staff being at risk, that are making a conscious decision to go there, so i would assume they are happy with the risk.

It's better than the rest of us having to sneak our barber into the house to get a haircut.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

FrStone wrote: »

Fair play to her.

I wouldn't be too worried about customers or staff being at risk, that are making a conscious decision to go there, so i would assume they are happy with the risk.

It's better than the rest of us having to sneak our barber into the house to get a haircut.

They might be happy with the risk but what about the other people they encounter. No wonder schools can't open with stupid behaviour like that.

Seve OB

While I agree with her sentiments.

She is not above the law that the majority are obeying. There are many laws which people don’t agree with but they are still the laws of the land and you can’t just make your own rules up because you don’t like them.

She should have the book thrown at her and given hefty fines.

Gloomtastic!

Talking to someone yesterday who cannot get a work permit here because the Department that issues them is shut down. Likewise my daughter cannot apply for a Driver's Learner Permit because the Theory Test centre is no longer operating.

What is happening to the civil servants manning these departments? Have they been seconded to other departments within the CS that are busy or are they just sitting at home?

If it is the latter, are they on PUP or are they still being paid their usual salaries?

Just curious. :rolleyes:

Beasty

Threads merged

nearzero

Has anyone had issues with their employer in getting time off to get vaccinated? I heard a solicitor on the radio saying it was an obligation under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 for an employer to protect the health of employees so they cannot make you take sick leave or dock your wages for the time needed to go get vaccinated?

I'm working from home and my employer has been difficult enough to deal with as it is - I'm nearly afraid to ask! I havent heard how other people have gotten on with it because I'm not in the office but we dont have a huge amount of older staff either.

Fann Linn

color_girl wrote: »

Has anyone had issues with their employer in getting time off to get vaccinated? I heard a solicitor on the radio saying it was an obligation under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 for an employer to protect the health of employees so they cannot make you take sick leave or dock your wages for the time needed to go get vaccinated?

I'm working from home and my employer has been difficult enough to deal with as it is - I'm nearly afraid to ask! I havent heard how other people have gotten on with it because I'm not in the office but we dont have a huge amount of older staff either.

I heard that solicitor also and he was fairly adamant in what he was saying so if it were me I would look through the relevant Act and email the boss a copy. Or else phone anonymously the HSA.

namloc1980

We get a half day to get the vaccine in our place. So for two shots we effectively get a full day off.

I wish I could say it's surprising that there are employers out there who are being difficult on this issue, but some employers just don't give a shiite about their staff.

tiredblondie

For ours we have to make up the time lost!

eviltwin

We got the day of the vaccine and the following day off. No requirement to make the time off up either.

Tiger Roll

Brother works in Tesco ,they gave him the time off to go for the vaccine but wouldn't pay him for the hour. Offered him to work in the hour or take it from his annual leave

Gael23

eviltwin wrote: »

We got the day of the vaccine and the following day off. No requirement to make the time off up either.

We get this too.
I’d say nothing and call in sick

Gregor Samsa

Our company (small US multinational) are giving 16 hours (effectively 2 days) paid vaccination leave, to be used for getting the vaccine or recovering from side effects. Obviously sick leave could be used for the latter too, but this special leave doesn't cut into sick leave allowances or require a cert.

I would have thought it was in employers' interests to encourage staff to get vaccinated, as this is the one action that will facilitate the opening up of the economy. Whatever about employee welfare (which is important in itself), there's a bigger picture related to the bottom line that they would do well to consider.

ClosedAccountFuzzy

Honestly there should be a very large fine and naming and shaming for this.

There’s a pandemic. The vaccines are our only way out of the pandemic.

It should be their legal duty to facilitate vaccination. I can’t see how this even even a discussion given what we’ve just been through and are continuing to go though.

Anything that prevents people getting vaccinated is also going to slow down their businesses and a return to normality.

You’d really wonder about some business people.

The same people and organisations will be moaning if they don’t get state (public) financial support to prop them up too.

Gregor Samsa

^^ here's the full article:



https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/should-work-give-day-time-24160167.amp

EDIT: there was a post above with a screenshot of comments from solicitor Richard Grogan as reported in the Mirror, relating to worker's rights and employer's responsibilities regarding facilitating the vaccine. Above is the full article, which is a transcript from an interview with Matt Cooper.

Here's the original interview from Today FM.

https://www.todayfm.com/podcasts/the-last-word-with-matt-cooper/should-workers-get-time-off-for-their-vaccinations

Fann Linn

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

^^ here's the full article:

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/should-work-give-day-time-24160167.amp

Thanks. Didn't know how to download link?

nearzero

Gael23 wrote: »

We get this too.
I’d say nothing and call in sick

We dont have a paid sick leave scheme, dont come in - dont get paid anyway!

ednwireland

we got 8 hours on our holiday system for covid vaccine you just book the time (paid sick leave as well)

i took 3 hours - 2hour round trip to vaccination centre plus the time for the vaccination

noplacehere

color_girl wrote: »

Has anyone had issues with their employer in getting time off to get vaccinated? I heard a solicitor on the radio saying it was an obligation under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 for an employer to protect the health of employees so they cannot make you take sick leave or dock your wages for the time needed to go get vaccinated?

I'm working from home and my employer has been difficult enough to deal with as it is - I'm nearly afraid to ask! I havent heard how other people have gotten on with it because I'm not in the office but we dont have a huge amount of older staff either.

Teachers have all been told they have to take a sick day as per Information Note TC00132021

Beasty

Threads merged

Fann Linn

noplacehere wrote: »

Teachers have all been told they have to take a sick day as per Information Note TC00132021

Not like the teachers unions to miss a trick. The IR solicitor is sure however that the employer has to provide the time off, if I was affected id be asking the question.

antimatterx

My employer has offered all the employees whichever working environment they want, once the government give the all clear to reopen the office.

You can choose remote FT, office FT it hybrid. They were already kinda remote / cross country working anyway before covid. Everyone was use to zoom etc

noplacehere

Fann Linn wrote: »

Not like the teachers unions to miss a trick. The IR solicitor is sure however that the employer has to provide the time off, if I was affected id be asking the question.

I’m not affected but the teachers unions let a lot slide tbh. Everyone has this perception they are powerful but they really aren’t

jrosen

Ima actually worried about this. Its going to cause huge problems in work. We have been closed for months and are booked solid for the next 10 weeks. I know we will be expected to work back the time to accommodate clients who had apps cancelled.

Seve OB

whats the story if you are given an appointment but can't make it because you have something important scheduled the you cannot miss?
im not talking about work now, i mean, really important... like a game of golf on a fancy course for example that will be a one time only opportunity

tiredblondie

tiredblondie wrote: »

For ours we have to make up the time lost!

So, actually turns out we have to take a half day holidays for this :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Potential-Monke

Howdy all. I don't want to turn this into another deabte thread, but I'm having difficulty finding the information I'm looking for, mainly because I'm probably not using the right buzz words. My work has just decided to send me an updated contract which turns my employment into 50/50 WFH/WFO. They spent the last 18 months telling us how our input was important, and everyone will be heard, yet they just send this on. We're slightly different to most of the employees due to our work hours, shifts and number of staff, which are basically the complete opposite of 99% of the work force (very small team, all unsocial work hours and shift work).

What I'm looking for is the current government advise re: WFH. I basically want to go permanent WFH for a number of reasons, main one being that before Covid I didn't really have a social life anyway, but I was still getting sick every month. I haven't even had so much as a sniffle since March last year, and it's the longest time in my life I haven't been sick, and it's down to, imo, shared office space.

I've been able to WFH successfully, without complaint and with excellent feedback (on reviews) so I can't see any reason to bring me back in. I would be using desks, chairs, computers and peripherals that other people use during the day. I've no doubt that the company are doing all they can* but at the end of the day, they can't control people, the same people who cough into their hands and rub it on the chairs, or use shared equipment with those same hands... When I google, with the way google likes to give results these days, I'm only getting articles from other people.

Any help much appreciated, and I would prefer to just get info rather than a back and forth about the pros/cons of WFH/WFO, please!

*I have doubts

.42.

If your employer is following the governments Work Safely Protocol then your office environment should be safe.

but I don’t think that’s the answer you are looking for.

In truth I think you have found the comforts of WFH and are looking for excuses to not go back into the Office.

If employers want to get people back into the office and meet the Work Safely Protocol then unfortunately your WFH has run out of road as a permanent benefit.

JTMan

The government advise is clear. You should work from home unless it is absolutely necessary to be in the office.

Simply quote this back to your employer.

It is not clear when this will be lifted. Perhaps September but more realistically later.

Right now any employer forcing employees back into the office is going against public health advise.

At a later stage the Right to Work From Home legislation will give the employee the legal right to request to work from home.

Potential-Monke

Cheers folks. Yeah, I understand companies saying to get back to work but I would have hoped it wouldn't be before the government gives a green light to everyone. I was also hoping the legislation would be done in time, but that's looking less likely. September is what they are saying, but I still think it's too soon. And I work by myself about 50% of the time now, so I'd be the only person in a 4 floor building for 12 hours overnight... Makes no sense like!

And rather than missing the comforts of WFH, I just don't want to share stuff with people again. They can't guarantee it, and WFH does work, at least for me/my/my teams role. Must give that protocol a look, see if there's something in it I can use.

hmmm

Even if the right to request to WFH is introduced, I expect it to be very employer-friendly. Ireland inc. has built its economic model on a reputation for being an easy place to do business, and the government might want to be seen as socially progressive but they also aren't going to kill off the golden goose.

So I suppose I personally think that waiting for a "right" or an instruction to WFH isn't going to be a winning strategy. You need to convince your employer to let you do it, and frankly it sounds like they don't particularly care about employee opinions on this, or you can try and move jobs.

fun loving criminal

If it's the sharing of things that has you bothered, can you ask your employer for alcohol wipes to have on your desk. They are great for wiping screens, computers, pens, seats, any object that is shared. I think people should clean their area before and after them if they're in shared spaces.