Home › What support is available for my return to work if I have tested positive for Covid-19/had symptoms?
Frequently asked questions for Trust staff
Type in your question using the search bar or use the filters to view all FAQ’s from a single theme.
Search questions
Coronavirus
Coronavirus affects people in many different ways. Some people will have very mild symptoms and can return to work as normal whilst others will have complications and may require further medical support including a stay in hospital. In cases where a staff member has had complications it would be advisable to seek advice from occupational health to ensure a return to work is planned well appropriately and managed well. Your manager may make a management referral to occupational health.
We also advise regular discussions between a manager and a colleague to check on their progress, this can be done through supervision. The Trust’s sickness absence policy and procedure provide further information on managing a return to work following illness.
Bank workers are an essential part of the NHS workforce.
The Trust is encouraging bank workers to book shifts in advance where possible.
If you need to isolate because you or one of your family has symptoms, you should contact the bank office who will go through the information with you. You will be paid your normal full pay including enhancements for any shifts that you have already pre-booked with the Trust. You must also get a PCR test.
Please refer to the flow chart to check with the member of staff if they have the correct symptoms and need to isolate.
Discuss with the member of staff if they are able to undertake their role or any other role from home during this period. Even if they are working at home you must report this on SharePoint under the ‘working at home’ category
If they cannot work from home follow the SharePoint guidance to report the member of staff on the SharePoint absence monitoring tool. If the member of staff is on E-rostering, report this as special leave.
Managers should ensure they record staff absence on SharePoint immediately. This is to make sure that the member of staff and/or their family member are registered for testing purposes. Please also remember to put the correct absence end date.
If you can work from home, your manager will try to arrange the appropriate equipment to enable you to do so. In this case you will be classed as working but you will be paid your full normal pay.
If you are unable to work from home you will be placed on special leave for the period of isolation and paid your full normal pay.
This will include a 3 month average of any enhancements/bank shifts and overtime.
Please note that you will only be paid the above if you have a confirmed PCR test that is positive for Covid-19.
You should contact your manager and confirm that you are self-isolating for 10 days.
You and your family should book a test and remain isolating until you have the test results. Should your family members test be negative you will be able to return to work prior to the expiry of the 10 day isolation.
You should contact your manager and confirm that a member of your household has Covid symptoms and you are isolating for 10 days.
You and your household should book a PCR test and remain isolating until you have the test results.
You cannot come into to work if a member of your household tests positive for Covid-19.
If a member of your household tests positive for Covid you should work at home. If your role is one that cannot be undertaken at home the Trust will try to find meaningful work for the duration that you are unable to attend the workplace.
There is different advice from the Government for employees not employed by the NHS. As an NHS employee you cannot come into the workplace, you may socialise and are not required to isolate as per the advice below:
From 16 August, you will not be required to self-isolate if you live in the same household as someone with Covid-19 and any of the following apply:
• you are fully vaccinated
• you are below the age of 18 years 6 months
• you have taken part in or are currently part of an approved Covid-19 vaccine trial
• you are not able to get vaccinated for medical reasons
Fully vaccinated means that you have been vaccinated with an MHRA approved Covid-19 vaccine in the UK, and at least 14 days have passed since you received the recommended doses of that vaccine.
If you are isolating in line with the recommendations it is important that you do not suffer any detriment for doing the right thing.
You will therefore receive an average of your last 3 months salary for the period. This will include any enhancements/bank shifts and overtime worked in that period.
We will continue to recruit clinical and essential staff during this period.
If you would like to volunteer to provide cover for a clinical role this will be managed by the bank office so you should contact them. Cover for non-clinical roles will be managed by HR through the talent pool.
For the talent pool we are working through a process with managers to identify whether staff are working in critical or non-critical roles. We are also asking managers to identify any non-clinical critical roles they have which require covering. We will look to redeploy staff where their work has either ceased or significantly reduced into critical roles to keep services operating.
This work is ongoing. If you are needed to work in another area, you will be contacted.