By Wilko apologises after ‘work if you have covid’ message leaked
Wilko has issued an apology after a leaked memo asked its staff to go to work even if they had tested positive for Covid.
The memo, which was leaked via social media on Monday, said that shop and warehouse staff should go to work if they have no symptoms.
On Tuesday morning, CEO Jerome Saint-Marc put out a statement: “When we get something wrong, we hold our hands up, admit it, and work to correct the situation.
“Today’s news has highlighted some miscommunication within our Covid-19 policies, and I wanted to reassure all our customers and staff of that.
“Our advice to team members that have Covid symptoms/test positive is that while they’re no longer required by law to self-isolate, they should still stay at home and avoid contact with others. This will help reduce the chance of spreading Covid-19.”
It added: “We operate an enhanced company sick pay policy and support those team members most in need, including those with Covid-19. We’ll continue to look after our team members to the best of our ability.”
The Mirror reported that the chain’s 200,000 shop and warehouse employees were issued a memo stating that they should be in stores if they contract the virus but have no symptoms.
The policy means if they do not attend work because they do not want to risk spreading the virus to staff and customers, they will not get paid.
The memo stated: “If you test positive for Covid-19 and feel well you can continue to come to work, if you feel too unwell to work, you should follow the absence policy.”
The retailer’s rules came into force on February 24 in England, and four days later in Wales.
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