Next cuts sick pay for unvaccinated staff

Next has become the latest big name to slash sick pay for staff who haven’t received a jab to protect them from becoming seriously ill from Covid.

The retail giant said that unvaccinated staff forced to isolate will only receive statutory sick pay of £96.35 a week

A Next spokesperson said: “It’s highly emotive but we have to balance the needs of the business with those of workers and shareholders.”

The Leicester firm follows a similar move by Ikea.

Yesterday, the Government announced that it was cutting the isolation period for those with Covid from seven days to five days after it emerged that 3% of UK workers were self-isolating.