Greencore U-turn: Now all self-isolating Northampton colleagues will receive 80 percent and back-dated pay

The company in charge of a food production factory at the centre of a Northampton Covid-19 outbreak has announced a pay U-turn.

Greencore, which has a warehouse in Moulton Park where nearly 300 people have tested positive for coronavirus, came under fire earlier this week for pay basic Statuary Sick Pay (SSP) - as little as £95 a week - to those colleagues who are self-isolating.Today (August 21), more than a week after the outbreak was announced, the factory has shut so all staff can self-isolate and a deep clean can take place. It is not yet known how long the factory will be shut for but local authority leaders have stated it will be "short-term".

As all of the members of staff who work there - more than 2,100 - will now be at home, the company has reassessed its pay policy.

All employees will receive 80 percent of their usual wages and those who have had to self-isolate from August 1 onwards will receive back-dated pay.

The company will be making use of the Government's furlough scheme to pay the 80 percent.

A spokesman for Greencore said: “We can confirm that all colleagues who have been required to self-isolate during the months of August and September at our Northampton site and are contractually on Statutory Sick Pay will now receive 80percent of their basic pay.

"We have implemented this in recognition of the financial impact that those on SSP are facing, and we will also be making use of the government’s furlough scheme for those colleagues who are eligible to participate.

"In addition, all weekly paid colleagues at the site will receive an additional payment of £400. This is a bonus that would normally be paid based on attendance at the end of the year, but we have decided to waive the usual criteria and give it to all weekly paid colleagues now regardless of their attendance record.

"This follows on from a recent bonus which averaged £260 per colleague and was paid to all weekly paid front-line staff in order to recognise their huge contribution while lockdown was in place.”

Retesting of employees who tested negative is underway.

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