Some carers working for Bristol City Council can face sanctions and the threat of dismissal for self-isolating with coronavirus. Trade union representatives have now raised concerns that the council’s sickness absence policy is unfair and needs changing to protect care staff.
Reablement staff visit people at their homes to provide personal care, to help people recover from injuries, hospital stays or illness. But if they catch Covid-19 and are forced to stay at home, they could face disciplinary procedures for taking too many days off sick.
Concerns about the punitive sickness policy were raised at the human resources committee on Thursday, February 16. Human resources bosses did not comment on the policy during the meeting, but appeared to agree the concerns needed to be urgently looked at.
