Swedish retailer Ikea is to pay its 11,700 UK employees full pay if they need to self-isolate due to the health risks of Covid-19 (Coronavirus), effective immediately.
Its employees were previously only entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) currently set at £95.85 a week. However, Ikea is now committed to paying their full basic wage.
Employees will be eligible for the sick pay if they need to self-isolate due to a family member, a household member, or a person in their social bubble displaying symptoms of the virus. However, if they travel abroad on holiday and are subject to quarantine on their return, they will not be covered under this new sick pay benefit and will only be entitled to the basic statutory payment.
In June 2020, the organisation topped up the salaries of any employees that were on furlough, giving them an additional 20% to bring them up to full pay. Ikea has also created a Covid-19 emergency fund to help any of its employees that have been adversely impacted by the pandemic.
A spokesperson at Ikea said: “Any co-worker required to isolate as a result of Covid-19 will be paid in full, other than where a co-worker travels abroad and quarantine may be imposed while they are away.
“Ikea is committed to playing a strong role in society and to supporting our co-workers through these times. In June, Ikea took the decision to minimise the financial impact on those co-workers that were placed on furlough by retrospectively topping up pay to 100% and globally, Ikea has offered to return government support in those countries where it was taken. On 1 September, a Covid-19 emergency fund was launched, together with the RetailTrust, which will be made available to those co-workers experiencing additional hardship as a result of the crisis.”