Fórsa has raised concerns over sick leave arrangements for staff who suffer from ‘long Covid.’

In recent engagements with senior officials of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER), the union said changes to DPER’s approach to Covid-related sick leave risked leaving long Covid sufferers with reduced incomes. It said some such cases had already emerged.

In general, 28 days’ worth of special leave with full pay is available for staff who contract the virus. This doesn’t count towards their normal paid sick leave ceiling.

The most recent DPER circular on the subject says this can be extended in circumstances where a worker has been attending their work premises during the 14 days prior to a positive Covid test.

Most people who contract the virus, and don’t need intensive care treatment, recover within three weeks. But some experience debilitating symptoms for months after the infection has gone.

These commonly include profound fatigue, but long Covid sufferers can also experience coughs, breathlessness, muscle and body aches, chest heaviness, skin rashes, palpitations, fever, headaches, diarrhoea, or pins and needles.

In a letter to DPER, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the situation in relation to long Covid continues to evolve, with greater awareness and evidence emerging about the significance for those who suffer from it.

And he said provisions for extending the leave in cases where employees had been in the workplace prior to contracting the virus are not sufficiently understood by managers.

The union is continuing to engage with senior management on the issue.

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