Wilko U-turns on guidance for staff to work with Covid

High street retail chain Wilko has apologised after it shared guidance to staff in its England-based stores to come into work even if they have tested positive for Covid-19.

It comes after the government recently scrapped its legal requirement for those with Covid to isolate at home.

However, a memo was leaked on social media that informed shop workers and warehouse staff at the business they could come into work if they had the virus but had no symptoms.

It read: “If you test positive for Covid-19 and feel well you can continue to come to work, if you feel too unwell you can follow the absence policy,” reported the Financial Times (FT).

Since the leak, Jerome Saint-Marc, chief executive of Wilko, said in a statement that the FT report had “highlighted some miscommunication within our Covid-19 policies”.

He added: “When we get something wrong, we hold our hands up, admit it, and work to correct the situation.”

Saint-Marc explained that while workers are no longer required by law to self-isolate, advice issued by Wilko is to “still stay at home and avoid contact with others”.

“This will help reduce the chance of spreading Covid-19,” he continued.

Similarly, a spokesperson for the home retailer emphasised that its guidance is “in line with government guidelines”.

Commenting on self-isolation, the firm’s boss said that enhanced sick pay was also available to those with Covid, to support employees who need to stay home.

He added: “As throughout our 92 years on the high street, the safety and wellbeing of our shoppers and teams is at the heart of our business and we’re truly sorry for any understandable concerns our communications may have raised.”

The leaked memo emerged on Twitter, which was shared by user Clara Phipps whose daughter is a Wilko employee.

@mrjamesob I know we are all talking about Ukraine and horror of war right now...but I’ve listened to your radio show throughout the Covid catastrophe and your take on our utterly inept Government and the mixed messages. Now my daughter has came home from @LoveWilko with this... pic.twitter.com/JVxRSV1oFg

— Clara (@Claraphipps007)

@mrjamesob I know we are all talking about Ukraine and horror of war right now...but I've listened to your radio show throughout the Covid catastrophe and your take on our utterly inept Government and the mixed messages. Now my daughter has came home from @LoveWilko with this... pic.twitter.com/JVxRSV1oFg

— Clara (@Claraphipps007) March 13, 2022

Criticising the advice shared by Wilko, she wrote: “We have clinically vulnerable family members in our household, as do many of her co-workers. We are utterly dismayed by this callous interpretation of the current guidelines.”

Frances O’Grady, general secretary at the Trades Union Congress (TUC), recently slammed safety measures regards Covid-19 at work in a letter to business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.

She warned that “ministers are sowing dangerous confusion on Covid safety at work”.

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