Dear Transport for London, Please could you answer the following questions related to enhanced and agreed covid sick payments for staff You have in place a tripartite agreement with all London bus operators that was signed in March / April 2020. It states that all employees regardless of length of service will be paid an enhanced rate of pay above that of statutory sick pay. To which TFL have paid out in 2020 over £1.6 million to operators. 1) - It states up to 14 days if affected by or asked to isolate from covid - does this include rest days calculated within the 14 days or just contracted work days? 2) have you allowed companies that have signed up to this agreement to the change to implement their own policy - ie implement 10 days instead of agreed 14.? 3) can you confirm that this policy is not arbitrary on behalf of individual operators

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TfL Ref 2330-2021 

 

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 15 February 2021 asking for information about enhanced sick pay payments made in respect of Covid-19. 

 

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold the information you require.  Your questions and our replies are as follows: 

 

 

1. It [the tripartite agreement with bus operators] states up to 14 days if affected by or asked to isolate from Covid - does this include rest days calculated within the 14 days or just contracted work days? 

 

• Any paid days, up to 14 in total 

 

1. have you allowed companies that have signed up to this agreement to the change to implement their own policy - ie implement 10 days instead of agreed 14.? 

 

• 14 days was originally the limit with this policy as that was the maximum number of days the government advised in the event of isolating. It is ultimately up to operators to apply their own policies for self-isolation but this would stem from Government advice. We expect operators to use fair and reasonable HR processes. 

 

3) can you confirm that this policy is not arbitrary on behalf of individual operators  

 

• The scheme is being applied by TfL in the same way across the bus operators. As Company Sick Pay (CSP) varies across London, the scheme’s aim is to provide consistency and discourage anyone who might show the first symptoms of Covid-19 from attending work and not staying in quarantine.  

 

 

If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.  

 

 

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

 

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.  

 

Yours sincerely  

 

 

Sara Thomas 

FOI Case Management Team 

General Counsel 

Transport for London 

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