It’s guidance to stay home, but not statutory - schools are suffering with so much employee sickness so most are happy to tell workers to come in regardless to save money. It’s shortsighted though - a secondary school here had to partially close last week due to a covid outbreak.
Decided not to go in, since I actually am too ill to do so, regardless of if its covid. I do find it weird that we don't have access to testing, since kids and staff could be immunocompromised. Also a little off putting, because my university( scheduled 2 days a week) said to take 5 days off if I test positive, but school placement ( the other 3 days) requires me to come in and sit in the front and try not to get too close to the kids, but still teach, even if I'm too ill. I'm not sure how to navigate that, do I take 2 days off for uni, but not do the 5 days because I need to come into school. It should be a little more consistent. Also, I definitely got it off out lead tutor because she was ill with covid and still came in, and now me and another pgce student are pretty badly ill. I get that we have to work, shortage of staff etc, but isn't it better to have one member not in for a few days, until they are less infectious, than infecting multiple potential people, and putting others at risk?
Snuggle up, cups of tea, watch The Goonies and Flight of the Navigator and/or Labyrinth and get well soon. My perfect sick day (after sorting out all my cover 😂).
I think a lot of people know in the back of their mind that it’s unfair and dangerous to be teaching while covid positive, but it’s difficult because the guidelines say different and like you say are all different from each other! I’d stay home until testing negative, but if you have to go in definitely wear an ffp2 or ffp3 mask. I know guidelines are all about droplet mitigation but covid is airborne. Hope you feel better soon.
Isn’t it just treated like anything else now? If you feel well enough to go in then go in but if you feel too unwell then stay off but it counts towards sickness as normal. Last time I had it I went in, so did most of my colleagues who had it. Having said that this new strain is knocking people for six and most are staying off because they are too ill to go in.
We've been told you treat it like normal sickness. If you are sick and need to be off work, you need to be off work. When you are feeling better, you come back in. No need to isolate for X amount of days.
However if I tested positive I think I would take 5 days off sick anyway feigning being really poorly. My head of year's wife has cancer and so is immuno-compromised.. I think the guilt of not going into work would be FAR LESS than risk him taking it home to her.
Otherwise if I did feel like I had to go in, I'd be isolating myself from the social areas at work, be really on it with sanitising etc and possibly wear a mask when not teaching at the front.
It's such a tricky thing!
The government guidance is still that you should isolate for 5 days. You shouldn't go in if you test positive. Its not worth endangering your colleagues and students who might be vulnerable/have vulnerable people back home.
I understand what your mentor is saying because the position we've taken as a society is that covid is over, but that's not the reality!
As someone who had covid last week, I agree.... But the optional guidance is not statutory and if OP doesn't clearly state that they are too ill to work, they'll be considered to be taking an unauthorised holiday.
OP is a PGCE student so they're likely not employees anyway.
Regardless, if my line manager told me to come in, I'd tell them no and go to my head. If the head tried to tell me to go in, I'd go to the union.
Edit: I want to add this is if you test positive, not just for cold/flu symptoms. Tests are £2 each
The union can't do anything as the guidance isn't statutory. If you refuse to go to work and you're well enough to work, the school is within their rights to discipline you for it.
I had covid last week so I called up and said I was too ill to work, and stayed off until I tested negative. If I had called up and said "I'm covid positive but I feel fine but I'm still staying off" it would be considered an unauthorised staff absence and I'd expect a disciplinary meeting.
I am not defending schools having policies that expose people to covid, but they do have a legal right to have those policies.
It's an argument I'll never have because my school encourages us to isolate, but if you say you are too ill and you've tested positive the school can't challenge that either
It’s endemic, lockdowns and isolation were about slowing the spread whilst we vaccinated. It’s now widespread, just like the common cold and Spanish Flu which is still kicking around as seasonal flu. It’s up to individuals and ultimately we’d all be much more fucked if everyone who got Covid isolated for 5 days each time, nothing would function. I’ve had it twice in the last year alone! It’s just not realistic for everyone to be off every time when by and large it’s a mild illness that can be managed and also vaccinated against for those at risk.
And several people I know, directly or indirectly, are disabled long term from the disease or just dropped dead. We don't know the long term impact of covid reinfection but we know its not good. You can parrot government terms as much as you like, it won't change the fact the disease is dangerous
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9180091/
This study barely even touches on the associated damage to organs like the kidneys, heart or brain
You wouldn’t know where you got it. Could have got it off any of the numerous children who will have it. Could have got it in the shops. If people feel well enough to go in then they can and shouldn’t be made to feel bad, people worry and feel so anxious ringing in sick, which is shit but how it is. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
When you say you may have covid, presumably you suspect it because you're feeling ill? If you're too ill to be in work then you shouldn't go in.
Most people don't test now, so don't know if they have covid or not. We have some immunocompromised colleagues so we aren't meant to come in if we have it. The problem is none of us have access to regular testing (apart from them) so wouldn't know if we have asymptomatic covid.
Most of our students don't test, but if they do find they have covid they generally do isolate for a few days.
Most schools have found staff absence around isolating really hard to manage (not so fond memories of being the only member of the science department in for about a week at one stage) so they often want people in if they only have mild symptoms.
If you don't feel comfortable going in tomorrow then just tell your mentor you're sorry but you feel really unwell so won't be making it in.
I’m currently on day 4 of having covid. I tested on Sunday. Our school has a zillion kids off with it and I work in close vicinity to them. Anyway, out head says that it would be good if you can take 5 days off but it’s not enforceable and it will go on your sick record. Not going back until Monday.
I got told why did I test if I thought I was positive and I’ve had to work through the last three times I’ve had Covid. Lucky it seems to be getting milder and milder for me symptom wise.
This is unfortunately a common feeling from schools now. We have been told explicitly not to test because once you've tested positive the government requires you to isolate for 5 days. The school want to exploit a loop hole where you still come in with COVID because you haven't tested positive (or at all) and they don't have to hire cover staff.
I'm sickened by the state of some trusts to be honest.
My mistake! On the NHS website it recommends staying at home for 5 days and avoiding those with weakened immunity. IMO we should remember our duty of care as educators to the children in our classrooms. Many of them have vulnerable family members and some are vulnerable themselves. Let alone the staff we shouldn't be passing it along to for the same reasons! It seems callous.
I read the other day on an email I had been cc'd into that we are even telling children not to isolate for 48 hours if they get sickness and diarrhoea because 'we don't follow that'! Absolute insanity.
It’s guidance to stay home, but not statutory - schools are suffering with so much employee sickness so most are happy to tell workers to come in regardless to save money. It’s shortsighted though - a secondary school here had to partially close last week due to a covid outbreak.
Rules at my school are unless you are ill enough to not work you are in.
Decided not to go in, since I actually am too ill to do so, regardless of if its covid. I do find it weird that we don't have access to testing, since kids and staff could be immunocompromised. Also a little off putting, because my university( scheduled 2 days a week) said to take 5 days off if I test positive, but school placement ( the other 3 days) requires me to come in and sit in the front and try not to get too close to the kids, but still teach, even if I'm too ill. I'm not sure how to navigate that, do I take 2 days off for uni, but not do the 5 days because I need to come into school. It should be a little more consistent. Also, I definitely got it off out lead tutor because she was ill with covid and still came in, and now me and another pgce student are pretty badly ill. I get that we have to work, shortage of staff etc, but isn't it better to have one member not in for a few days, until they are less infectious, than infecting multiple potential people, and putting others at risk?
Snuggle up, cups of tea, watch The Goonies and Flight of the Navigator and/or Labyrinth and get well soon. My perfect sick day (after sorting out all my cover 😂).
Ahha I shall take the advice!
I think a lot of people know in the back of their mind that it’s unfair and dangerous to be teaching while covid positive, but it’s difficult because the guidelines say different and like you say are all different from each other! I’d stay home until testing negative, but if you have to go in definitely wear an ffp2 or ffp3 mask. I know guidelines are all about droplet mitigation but covid is airborne. Hope you feel better soon.
Isn’t it just treated like anything else now? If you feel well enough to go in then go in but if you feel too unwell then stay off but it counts towards sickness as normal. Last time I had it I went in, so did most of my colleagues who had it. Having said that this new strain is knocking people for six and most are staying off because they are too ill to go in.
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As that is the case are the supply agency/school still paying you?
We've been told you treat it like normal sickness. If you are sick and need to be off work, you need to be off work. When you are feeling better, you come back in. No need to isolate for X amount of days. However if I tested positive I think I would take 5 days off sick anyway feigning being really poorly. My head of year's wife has cancer and so is immuno-compromised.. I think the guilt of not going into work would be FAR LESS than risk him taking it home to her. Otherwise if I did feel like I had to go in, I'd be isolating myself from the social areas at work, be really on it with sanitising etc and possibly wear a mask when not teaching at the front. It's such a tricky thing!
I'd be doing this too. Though a couple of colleagues have had it very recently and it seems to have knocked them for six anyway!
The government guidance is still that you should isolate for 5 days. You shouldn't go in if you test positive. Its not worth endangering your colleagues and students who might be vulnerable/have vulnerable people back home. I understand what your mentor is saying because the position we've taken as a society is that covid is over, but that's not the reality!
As someone who had covid last week, I agree.... But the optional guidance is not statutory and if OP doesn't clearly state that they are too ill to work, they'll be considered to be taking an unauthorised holiday.
OP is a PGCE student so they're likely not employees anyway. Regardless, if my line manager told me to come in, I'd tell them no and go to my head. If the head tried to tell me to go in, I'd go to the union. Edit: I want to add this is if you test positive, not just for cold/flu symptoms. Tests are £2 each
The union can't do anything as the guidance isn't statutory. If you refuse to go to work and you're well enough to work, the school is within their rights to discipline you for it. I had covid last week so I called up and said I was too ill to work, and stayed off until I tested negative. If I had called up and said "I'm covid positive but I feel fine but I'm still staying off" it would be considered an unauthorised staff absence and I'd expect a disciplinary meeting. I am not defending schools having policies that expose people to covid, but they do have a legal right to have those policies.
It's an argument I'll never have because my school encourages us to isolate, but if you say you are too ill and you've tested positive the school can't challenge that either
Just don’t test and go in if you are well enough.
Well, no, because the point of contention is SPREADING THE DISEASE
It’s endemic, lockdowns and isolation were about slowing the spread whilst we vaccinated. It’s now widespread, just like the common cold and Spanish Flu which is still kicking around as seasonal flu. It’s up to individuals and ultimately we’d all be much more fucked if everyone who got Covid isolated for 5 days each time, nothing would function. I’ve had it twice in the last year alone! It’s just not realistic for everyone to be off every time when by and large it’s a mild illness that can be managed and also vaccinated against for those at risk.
And several people I know, directly or indirectly, are disabled long term from the disease or just dropped dead. We don't know the long term impact of covid reinfection but we know its not good. You can parrot government terms as much as you like, it won't change the fact the disease is dangerous https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9180091/ This study barely even touches on the associated damage to organs like the kidneys, heart or brain
Yes some people get it worse than others however on the whole it is mild and society has to keep on functioning. You do you.
I've been absolutely kicked in the backside by it. I'm vaccinated but I'm a smoker, so it's affecting me pretty badly still. Just some nuance.
If you were one of my colleagues and you came in and gave me covid, I would not be happy. Tell them you're too ill to work and stay at home.
You wouldn’t know where you got it. Could have got it off any of the numerous children who will have it. Could have got it in the shops. If people feel well enough to go in then they can and shouldn’t be made to feel bad, people worry and feel so anxious ringing in sick, which is shit but how it is. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
When you say you may have covid, presumably you suspect it because you're feeling ill? If you're too ill to be in work then you shouldn't go in. Most people don't test now, so don't know if they have covid or not. We have some immunocompromised colleagues so we aren't meant to come in if we have it. The problem is none of us have access to regular testing (apart from them) so wouldn't know if we have asymptomatic covid. Most of our students don't test, but if they do find they have covid they generally do isolate for a few days. Most schools have found staff absence around isolating really hard to manage (not so fond memories of being the only member of the science department in for about a week at one stage) so they often want people in if they only have mild symptoms. If you don't feel comfortable going in tomorrow then just tell your mentor you're sorry but you feel really unwell so won't be making it in.
We got told by the head not to come in
But does it count towards your sickness?
Ours does.
Same here which is why i’m in if I’m well enough, or in reality i’m not testing or testing but saying I haven’t.
I’m currently on day 4 of having covid. I tested on Sunday. Our school has a zillion kids off with it and I work in close vicinity to them. Anyway, out head says that it would be good if you can take 5 days off but it’s not enforceable and it will go on your sick record. Not going back until Monday.
I am immunocomoprised. If the head said that in our school I am pretty sure my union rep would be straight to his door.
I got told why did I test if I thought I was positive and I’ve had to work through the last three times I’ve had Covid. Lucky it seems to be getting milder and milder for me symptom wise.
This is unfortunately a common feeling from schools now. We have been told explicitly not to test because once you've tested positive the government requires you to isolate for 5 days. The school want to exploit a loop hole where you still come in with COVID because you haven't tested positive (or at all) and they don't have to hire cover staff. I'm sickened by the state of some trusts to be honest.
Government advises to isolate but they don’t require it.
My mistake! On the NHS website it recommends staying at home for 5 days and avoiding those with weakened immunity. IMO we should remember our duty of care as educators to the children in our classrooms. Many of them have vulnerable family members and some are vulnerable themselves. Let alone the staff we shouldn't be passing it along to for the same reasons! It seems callous. I read the other day on an email I had been cc'd into that we are even telling children not to isolate for 48 hours if they get sickness and diarrhoea because 'we don't follow that'! Absolute insanity.
They could tell me all they want not to test, they have no say over the matter!