A union has warned unscrupulous employers could take advantage of newly-introduced covid isolation exemptions and pressure social care staff to keep working, despite the scheme being voluntary.

New government guidance stresses that the exemption only applies in limited circumstances where a worker is identified as having had contact with a positive case but has been double vaccinated and volunteers to keep working after testing negative.

But John Mooney, UNISON’s Head of Social Care in Scotland, said he had already dealt with cases where managers incorrectly told care workers they were exempt from self-isolation even before the new rules came in.

He said: “We are worried that some employers may seek to take advantage of the situation irrespective of the guidance.”

The relaxation of the isolation rules can only be used where staff absences pose a “significant” threat to service users.

A provider must have exhausted all usual avenues and approached the local health and social care partnership for assistance before staff can volunteer to keep working, according to new guidance published earlier this month.

The changes had been called for by the BMA and Scottish Care, which represents the bulk of social care providers, but were opposed by a string of staff representative groups, including the Royal College of Nursing and the GMB union, which told Nicola Sturgeon “don’t go there”.

Now UNISON is concerned that employers could withhold sick pay as a way of forcing staff to return to work.

Concerns about care workers not receiving full sick pay when self-isolating – which could push staff to keep working despite being unwell – prompted the Scottish government to introduce a dedicated fund to cover the costs itself in July 2020.

UNISON’s John Mooney said he had seen “countless” cases of workers still not getting the money they were entitled to.

“Now there is a risk employers could use this as a weapon to make workers “volunteer” to attend work when self-isolating, even when these workers are following government advice.

“We want assurances that the Social Care Support Fund will continue and that workers will not lose out financially because of the actions of their employers.”

Read more: Staff isolation changes to be used “in extremis”; 111 delays risk A&E call-ahead plan; Backlash as FM considers staff isolation exemption

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