Self-isolate rules leave workers out of pocket

A TASMANIAN aged-care worker forced to self-isolate for 14 days because she was a potential close contact of a Covid case had to dip into her sick leave to cover her absence from work, her union says.

Health and Community Services Union assistant secretary Robbie Moore said he was “very concerned” with the impact the recent lockdown had had on workers.

Mr Moore said the aged-care worker had to access her sick leave entitlement, while a disability worker had to take several hours in annual leave to cover him during the lockdown, which ended on Monday.

“The fact is there is no compensation in place for most workers,” Mr Moore said.

“The federal government package is only for specific workers who have no other entitlements they can access and the state government’s $250 assistance is inadequate and unavailable for most workers.”

The aged-care worker from the Derwent Valley said she was at Woolworths in the 30 minutes the recent Covid-positive man was at the supermarket, and cut short a holiday to St Helens to return home, be tested and isolate.

“I was told to take sick leave to cover my time off work but I’ve been accumulating that because I have to have surgery soon and will be off work for up to eight weeks then,” she said.

The disability worker said he lost 5.5 hours’ pay on Monday due to the lockdown but was not entitled to any compensation.

A letter from his employer stated that workers unable to work because of the lockdown should access annual or long-service leave.

Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday said governments needed to support workers who missed out on payments.

A government spokesman said affected employees may be eligible for one of the state or federal pandemic grant programs. “While last week’s lockdown was short and sharp, we know it has had an impact on Tasmanians and Tasmanian businesses,” she said.