Currently off sick with covid. There's no restrictions in the UK now and my company policy is you can come to work with it if you feel well enough…I think this is a disgusting policy especially considering the majority of our customers are elderly.
I was very ill with it the first few days but started feeling better yesterday which (perhaps somewhat naively) I told my manager.
First call I explained that I am still unwell but even if I weren't, I wouldn't be coming in until negative. Manager tried to scare me by saying if it's a case of me waiting on a negative result then that would have to be unpaid as according to them I wouldn't be sick and might take a while…
Second call later same day, asked how I felt and if I was coming in next shift to which I said no…then went on to say that because I'm feeling better they couldn't sign off on the absence as I am apparently able to work, and so would be marked as unauthorised absence and will contact acas for guidance on what to do next
I understand the company policy I just strongly disagree with it and think it is wrong. They said they're treating it as the common cold so if I'm well enough I should be working…but last I checked the common cold doesn't kill people. I even said I would be fine with it being unpaid – I know not everyone is in a position to do that but I currently am as I'm still living with parents and especially if its only for a few shifts. Currently only missed 3 shifts and only 1 of those shifts was when I felt a bit better, the other days have been days off anyway.
Do I have any rights here? I don't want an unauthorised absence on my work record when I personally feel I haven't done anything wrong. I feel like I am being punished purely for not wanting to infect elderly/vulnerable people, and also my colleagues, which if i did come into work and infected them that would just create more staff sickness anyway.
I should add that prior to this I had handed in my notice and will be leaving in a few weeks anyway which is a very lucky lifeline, so I don't think they could just sack me when I'm already leaving. But I think if it weren't for that then I would've been forced to compromise my morals and come into work. Not to mention that even if I am feeling a bit better, I still have covid and therefore I am still sick. Are they allowed to not authorise it? It seems extremely wrong to me
Any thoughts on advice or external uk sources I could contact for advice? I'm not at all a confrontational person so I'm very worried about being back at work and dealing with my manager lol