Ikea in the UK has decided to reduce the sick pay for employees who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 who need to do prophylactic isolation after direct contact with a positive case. The measure does not apply to Portugal, where those who are in prophylactic isolation are paid 100 percent of their wages according to a report by Pessoas.

“The situation at Ikea UK does not apply to Portugal. Although Ikea Portugal defends vaccination as a measure so that, together, everyone's health is protected, it does not have any restrictive measure in relation to colleagues who chose not to vaccinate, thus following the law of our country", a company official told Pessoas.

In the United Kingdom, where Ikea has more than 10,000 employees, sickness benefit paid to the group of people in these circumstances is now reduced to the minimum amount imposed by the State, £96.35 per week, equivalent to around €115, representing a 75 percent cut. On average, an Ikea UK employee receives £1,600 a month (€1,900) or £400 a week (€480 weekly).

“Unvaccinated co-workers with no extenuating circumstances who have been identified as close contacts of a positive case will be paid minimum sick pay,” announced Ikea UK, quoted by The Mail.

The company joins a growing list of organisations that are taking a tougher approach to people who refuse vaccinations. This is the case with Wessex Water and Wm Morrison, which have already submitted a similar change in their sick pay policy, also reducing the amount paid to unvaccinated staff.