I caught covid whilst supporting a service user who tested positive last week. I spent every working moment with her (because I was told to), I took her to a&e and stayed with her all night, had no sleep and I have spent around 50 hours with her over the course of the week. Masked up, and all PPE intact, of course. And now I have tested positive and have been told I have to take time off and isolate until I'm testing negative again.
The company I work for don't pay sick pay, so I will get UK statuatory. I'll be losing £350 in wages, and with the rise in the cost of living, I probably won't be able to pay my bills this month! I get paid the minimum 'living' wage so I don't get paid enough for the job I do as it is! I'm not even slightly surprised that there is a care worker shortage, so many people I know who have worked in care have left over the past 18 months.
So pissed off. And I have no rights, I can't even complain because there's no law saying that they have to pay me!