Coronavirus: Greggs will pay workers who self-isolate, chief executive says

Baker will pay staff if they are at home because of the coronavirus outbreak, even if they are not infected – but policy may be reviewed if outbreak becomes ‘major problem’

Greggs workers will be paid for their full contracted hours if they self-isolate themselves due to the coronavirus, the bakery chain’s chief executive has said.

The stance sets Greggs apart from some other companies that have said they will pay £94.25 per week statutory sick pay.

Greggs boss Roger Whiteside told BBC Radio 4: “Our default position is that we pay contract hours. We don’t have any zero contract hours.”

His comments came as the baking chain warned of the impact of coronavirus on sales and revealed its growth had been battered by storms in February.

“We made a very strong start to 2020 in January, but in February saw a significant slowdown in sales growth as a result of the storms that have affected the UK,” Mr Whiteside said.

Greggs enjoyed record annual sales last year of £1.2bn, up 13.5 per cent on 2018. Pre-tax profits jumped 31 per cent to £108.3m, buoyed by positive publicity around the popular vegan sausage roll which was introduced in January last year.

The company has gained a reputation for treating its staff well, announcing a £300 annual bonus in January. Staff who were unable to work because of recent floods were still paid, in contrast to the approach of some retailers which rely on zero-hour or flexible contracts.

The policy of full pay for staff who isolate themselves from coronavirus is also likely to be popular, although Mr Whiteside said it may be reviewed if the outbreak becomes a “major problem”.

There is no legal right to pay if a worker is not sick but cannot work because they have been told by a medical expert to self-isolate, according to guidance from employment dispute resolution service Acas.

People who have had to go into quarantine or are abroad in an affected area and not allowed to travel back to the UK, also have no right to sick pay.

If an employee is not sick but their employer tells them not to come to work, they should get their usual pay, Acas advised.

Last week Wetherspoons said its 45,000 staff would receive statutory sick pay if they self-isolate, in line with legal requirements.

Tom Neil, a senior adviser at Acas, said: “If you are off sick with coronavirus, your entitlements depend on your type of employment and what is in your contract.

“Employees and workers such as agency workers, casual worker and workers on zero hours contracts are likely to be entitled to receive at least statutory sick pay so long as they have already started working for their employer, are sick for four full days or more in a row and earn on average at least £118 per week before tax.

“The statutory minimum sick pay is £94.25. However, many organisations offer their staff sick pay which goes beyond this and so employees should look at their contract or speak with your employer or HR department.

“If you are genuinely self-employed, you will not be eligible for statutory sick pay.”