A petition calling for full sick pay to be guaranteed to private sector care workers affected by Covid-19 has gained about 1,000 signatures.

The petition asks for government to ’immediately introduce emergency legislation’ to get private care homes, nursery and childcare providers to ensure that they will pay their staff sick leave if affected during the pandemic.

In the UK all workers get £95.85 Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they have been sick for more than four consecutive days and earn more than £120 per week. The employer can choose to pay more.

Here, there is no SSP. Instead, an employee may be entitled to Incapacity Benefit (IB) and/ or Income Support (IS).

Behind the campaign is Joan Kelly Yardley of Ramsey, who has worked in private care for most of her life and ’loves’ her job, but believes the system needs to become fairer. Her petition reads: ’Currently we are expected to risk our lives and that of our families to look after the elderly, sick, disabled or vulnerable.

’All health care workers are undervalued and underpaid, but private and voluntary sector are even worse off. We are not paid overtime even after doing a 12-hour shift as standard. We do not receive sick pay. We do not receive pension contributions.’

It adds: ’For staff earning from as little as £8.25 an hour this is a scandalous affront to our so-called heroes.’

The mother of four said not being paid for at least two weeks would hit care workers and their families hard. It includes those who, like her, have a partner that works, as they could not claim IS.

She added: ’If one of my kids or my husband got Covid-19, I would have to go back to the start of the 14 days as we would have to isolate as a family. There will be an awful lot of people in the same situation.’

The big concern of hers is for private care workers who earn a lower wage with large families to support and covering rent or mortgage payments.

She said: ’The starting salary in the public sector is £12 an hour and the starting salary in the private sector is £8.25 an hour. Now is the time when people are appreciative of what care workers are doing - it’s time for some kind of balance.’

In the island, IB is payable at a rate of £86.10 per week for 26 weeks. Entitlement is based on National Insurance contributions.

Changes introduced for IB due to Covid-19 includes the removal of the three waiting days and the ability for people to self-certify their incapacity for up to 14 days.

An employer can choose whether or not they pay staff when they are sick and how much.

People who either do or do not qualify for IB and don’t have enough money to live on may be entitled to IS. The amount payable depends on factors such as the size of the household and any income for them or their partner.

A Treasury spokesman said: ’If a family with two working parents suddenly loses one income completely, they may qualify for Employed Person’s Allowance (EPA) providing the other adult is working at least 30 hours per week.

’If they are already receiving EPA and their income drops, they will be reassessed when their award period is up and, providing they continue to meet the other requirements for EPA, their award should increase to acknowledge the reduction in household income.’

A Coronavirus Sick Pay Compensation Scheme ensures employers who pay sick pay can claim compensation of £20 a day for up to 10 working days, for each employee.