Temporary sick leave scheme for health workers with long Covid extended for six months
After that, they will return to standard public service sick leave arrangements.
The move comes after Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill accepted a Labour Court recommendation yesterday to extend the temporary scheme to December 31.
However, the court rejected health unions' key demand that a special occupational sick pay scheme should be set up on a permanent basis for workers suffering from Long Covid.
There are around 159 employees on the temporary special scheme, which was due to end on June 30.
'The minister fully supports the decision and will now move to ensure the scheme is extended as per the Labour Court recommendation,' said the department in a statement.
A temporary 12-month special paid leave scheme was introduced in July 2022 for employees suffering from long Covid.
The scheme aimed to support staff working in environments where they could be exposed to Covid before PPE and vaccinations were readily available.
Albert Murphy, Chairperson of the Ictu Group of Healthcare Unions, said the workers get full basic pay under the temporary long Covid sick pay scheme.
If the court had recommended unions' demand for a special occupational scheme, the workers be entitled to two further extensions of paid leave, and possibly further extensions subject to medical assessments.
The court dismissed the creation of a special occupational scheme on the grounds that Covid-19 and long Covid are not considered occupational illnesses or an injury at work in this jurisdiction.
As a result, it said it could not decide otherwise.
'The court is saying its hands are tied because long Covid is not considered an occupational illness, but we are saying the ball is back with the government and it should remove that obstacle,' said Mr Murphy.
The court said there was a dispute over the scheme between the Department of Health, HSE and healthcare workers represented by Siptu, Fórsa, the IMO and INMO.
It said it arose in relation to the unions' claim for an Occupational Illness Scheme, similar to a Blood Borne Disease scheme, for sufferers of long Covid.
The court said the unions also want the establishment of a scheme for other long Covid sufferers who are excluded form a Special Leave with Pay Scheme.
'Any recommendation that the court makes has to be based on the fact, that at this point in time, Covid-19 and long Covid are not considered occupational illnesses or an injury at work in this jurisdiction,' it said.
'It is not within the gift of the Labour Court to determine otherwise.'
The unions said as of January this year, there are 159 employees receiving a temporary scheme of paid leave. This equals less than 0.01pc of health workers.
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