'Truly sorry' | Wilko drops plan to make staff with COVID come to work

Wilko has issued an apology after issuing guidance to staff which informed them that they should attend work even if they’d tested positive for COVID-19.

The FT reports that the policy issued by the homeware retailer at the start of the month said: “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.”

The policy meant that staff from England and Wales who were asymptomatic but had tested positive for the virus would have to come into work if they wanted to get paid. It came into force in Wilko stores on 24th Feb, and 28th Feb in Wales, and is in line with Government guidance that states that people are no longer legally required to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID. The Government guidance does recommend that people with COVID do not attend work; however, there is no legal obligation to stay at home, and technically, Wilko’s policy was not breaking any rules.

However, Wilko, which has around 400 stores and 16,000 employees across the UK, was forced to U-turn after facing a huge backlash from its workers – not to mentioned concerned shoppers, who were worried that visiting Wilko stores would put their health at risk.