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People defend Morrisons following boycott calls over vaccine mandate

A bundle of shopping trolleys outside a Morrisons supermarket, with the front of the store in the background.

Morrisons have confirmed unvaccinated staff will not get full sick pay if they have to self-isolate following close contact with a Covid case.

Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

Thanks to the ludicrous position of anti-vaxxers and those opposed to getting vaccinated against a deadly virus, there’s now a handful of shops which jabbed individuals can visit without having to worry about Covid sceptics.

Morrisons is one of them.

The supermarket giant, who joins companies like Ikea, Next and Ocado in implementing similar policies, will only pay unvaccinated staff members £96.35 a week – the minimum level for Statutory Sick Pay – if they are told to isolate after a Covid exposure.

Under current UK Government guidance, those in England aged 18 or over who are unvaccinated and have come into close contact with a Covid case are required by law to self-isolate for 10 days – unless they cannot get the jab for medical reasons.

If someone has two doses of an approved coronavirus vaccine, then they do not need to self-isolate.

Meanwhile staff who test positive for Covid will be receive full sick pay regardless of whether they’re vaccinated or not.

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The news was previously announced in September, with Morrisons telling CityAM at the time: “From 1 October, following government confirmation that all adults have had the opportunity to get double-vaccinated, we will no longer be paying full sick pay for pinged colleagues who have chosen not to be vaccinated.”

Yet the policy hasn’t pleased some people this week, with the hashtag #BoycottMorrisons later trending on Twitter.

Those who have received the vaccine, however, are delighted, and have rushed to the company’s defence:













We’re looking forward to our next grocery shop being a lot quieter following this news.

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