57pc LOSE INCOME AFTER POSITIVE TEST

Poll finds 39pc forced to take unpaid leave during isolation, while a quarter say employers would not accept results without confirmation from clinic

More than half of workers have had their income slashed after testing positive for Covid-19, with many forced to take unpaid leave while undergoing isolation, according to a survey.

In a poll conducted by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) from Saturday to Monday, 1,022 respondents reported being employed at the time they tested positive for the coronavirus, with 278 receiving the result via government screening services and 744 via rapid antigen tests.

Fifty-seven per cent of respondents reported losing income as a result of their diagnosis, with 39 per cent saying they had been made to take unpaid time off for their period of compulsory isolation.

Of those who used rapid antigen tests, a quarter said their employer did not accept the results as proof that they had actually contracted Covid-19 without documentary confirmation from a government-designated clinic.

The government has launched a platform for residents to obtain an isolation order after uploading their positive rapid antigen test result.

Users must provide their personal details as well as those of their household members, their symptoms, the conditions of those living with them and the general living environment.

They can download the isolation order after uploading a picture of their positive RAT result and their identity card via an SMS link.

Household members will also receive an SMS message to upload their details and download a quarantine order.

Frankie Ngan Man-yu, a DAB lawmaker for Kowloon East, said he had handled a case in which a security guard who tested positive via a rapid antigen test on February 27 was told that he would not be paid for the days he missed while recovering at home.

“I think this case merely points to the tip of the iceberg. I believe there are countless cases of employees being made to take unpaid leave or having their salary deducted because they could not secure a sick leave certificate for Covid-19,” Ngan said.

Derek Tsang Wing-fai, a member of the DAB’s Kwun Tong branch, said the government and employers were not providing enough test kits for workers, adding that it was difficult for employees to obtain official proof of their condition after a positive result.

Respondents overwhelmingly reported feeling a lack of support from the government. Some three-quarters said they had been unable to reach relevant departments since testing positive.

Ngan called on the government to do a better job of publicising a coming amendment to the Employment Ordinance designed to protect workers by officially classifying days taken off to observe quarantine requirements as sick leave.

He also urged the government to open up more communication channels to answer questions from concerned residents.

I believe there are countless cases of employees being made to take unpaid leave

FRANKIE NGAN, D.A.B. LAWMAKER