Sick pay ‘scandal’ for front line care home workers hit by coronavirus

Unison regional secretary Patricia McKeown said statutory sick pay — just under £96 per week before tax — is the “order of the day” in Northern Ireland’s care homes.

This comes after it was revealed last week that more people are now dying from coronavirus in care homes than in hospitals.

Figures published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency on Friday showed that, in the most recent week for which data is available, 58% of coronavirus deaths occurred in care homes compared to 37% for hospitals.

The figures cover the period up to April 24.

Since the beginning of the pandemic until that date, care homes have accounted for 40% of all coronavirus deaths.

The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Older People, Eddie Lynch, has described care homes as the “front line” in the battle against the virus.

The trade union Unison, which represents a range of frontline health workers including care home staff and nursing staff, has said it is a “scandal” that staff at private care homes are being offered only statutory sick pay if they test positive for coronavirus.

There a total of 484 care homes registered with the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland, the overwhelming majority of which are in the private sector.

Patricia McKeown, the Union’s regional secretary, told the BBC it was a widespread issue across the private care home sector that staff were not being supported if they contracted Covid-19 while at work.

Unison wrote to Northern Ireland’s care home providers on 6 March 2020 asking that anyone who had to shield or had tested positive would be offered full sick pay.

Ms McKeown said “very few” have responded to date.

“Most of the homes do not engage with unions and do not have negotiated sick pay,” she added.

“Statutory sick pay seems to be the order of the day despite the fact staff are catching this virus while supporting elderly residents.”

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