Tobago CMO: Have a heart for quarantined staff

Acting county medical officer Dr Tiffany Hoyte is calling on Tobago employers to be reasonable and give quarantined workers the time to complete quarantine for covid19.

She made the plea on Tuesday, after reports of employers refusing to pay workers or taking away time from their vacation leave for the period they were ordered to quarantine.

Hoyte was speaking at the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development virtual health press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

She said, “It has come to my attention that some employers are being harsh and unreasonable to some workers by not paying them for the period or taking away from their vacation leave to cover the time they were away.

“I’m pleading with these employers to please have a heart at this time and to exhibit a level of understanding to remember that given the situation, once persons need to be separated from the public and they need to be observed, they are placed under quarantine. And we would not want those people in the workplace with your workers. Keep this in mind and honour the quarantine orders people would have been served.”

She said workers would be given a document ordering them to be quarantined and another document when it is safe to return to work.

She advised workers to consult with their HR departments or seek further redress from the Ministry of Labour.

“We are appealing to employers...knowing the employees not being at work at the time is what is best for everyone. They should keep that in mind.”