Working ethically in aged care and being financially penalised for it

This morning I woke up unwell and immediately knew I had Covid like symptons. I tested my myself with a RAT Test, and it showed the ever so faintest positive line, almost invisible to see.

I immediately contacted work and as a result, am officially on Day Zero of a mandatory 9 day stand down.

The nature of my role too means I am not able to work from home.

I totally agree with the do not come onsite to work policy as it's all about protecting the residents because quite simply, they can die from it very quickly.

In a previous role, I taught the Unit of Competency HLTINF001 Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures (which has now been superseded with the updated version HLTINF006, as part of the Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) qualification.

I also have years of hands-on experience in implementing the principles of effective infection control in health care settings.

Over the last couple of days at work, I even went further than the procedural requirements we were following, and washed and sanitised my hands much more often, wore a full-face shield during the entire shift and didn't take off my PPE during breaks until I was outside of the actual building in the fresh air.

I understand the chain of transmission with Covid and I did my absolute best to protect myself (and ultimately the residents) from it.

On Wednesday (2 days ago) however, as part of my role, I spent approximately 90 minutes in constant, very close contact with a Covid positive person. I also have a short, groomed beard. Facial hair does also break the seal of an N95 face mask.

Today, I could have done what some people do, and not told anyone, and gone to work as usual.

But that's not my style.

I am employed full time and do accumulate sick leave and annual leave, however I have only been working where I am since mid-January this year and have already taken a couple of sick leave days, as well as a couple of annual leave days.

I also have planned annual leave for 10 days commencing June 7, which is just 2 weeks away.

There are no more Covid payments for health care workers in Australia in 2024, and I even confirmed this with the United Workers Union.

So in my previous pay cycle, paid today, I only got paid 7 out of my 10 days in the fortnight because I didn't have enough sick leave to cover my absence last week from work where I did supply a medical certificate.

As a result of my ethical behaviour today, the current pay cycle will see me only being paid 5 out of my 10 days in the fortnight which will be deposited in my bank account on Friday June 7.

To top all of this off, I am not cancelling my planned holiday for 10 days commencing Friday June 7 simply because I should not have to go without holidays simply because I contract a workplace illness and I want my holiday. So in the holiday pay cycle where I will be paid on Friday, June 21, I will only receive around 6 out of 10 days of pay because I don't have enough annual leave for that either.

In other words, I work ethically and lose a lot of income, or my holidays or a combination of both.

Alternatively, I could have not said anything and gone to work to protect my income.

Totally wrong of course, but totally understandable for people who live from pay to pay, especially in this current cost of living crisis.

And I am one of the lucky ones because I actually get sick leave and holiday leave, otherwise my situation would be even more dire if I was employed casually, like most aged care workers.

They wonder why they can't get aged care workers.

Well here's just one example of why.

This experience is actually making me consider my role, because Covid isn't going away, nor are the other illnesses in residential aged care settings that are classed as 'outbreaks' and I simply can't afford to live if I keep being exposed to and potentially contracting workplace illnesses and have to constantly survive on no pay.

PPE is not 100% effective, plus we are all human too. No one is perfect 100% of the time, and with constant understaffing, mistakes are more likely to happen.

Dedication and ethical behaviour simply doesn't pay the bills!

I have been through much worse in my life and am very thankful for the resilience that has taught me. Besides, I will still have a roof over my head and food to eat.

If there is anything fortunate about contracting Covid at the moment, it is that I contracted it now, and will still have time to recover and not be forced to cancel my holiday in 2 weeks due to illness.

But others wouldn't be so lucky!

At 2pm today, 6 hours after my initial test this morning, and at what would have been my start time today, a much stronger positive result, and what proves my point on ethical behaviour.

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