Greggs workers will be paid for their full contracted hours if they self-isolate themselves due to the coronavirus, the bakery chain’s chief executive has said.
The stance sets Greggs apart from some other companies that have said they will pay £94.25 per week statutory sick pay.
Greggs boss Roger Whiteside told BBC Radio 4: “Our default position is that we pay contract hours. We don’t have any zero contract hours.”
His comments came as Greggs warned of the impact of coronavirus on sales and revealed its growth had been battered by storms in February.
“We made a very strong start to 2020 in January, but in February saw a significant slowdown in sales growth as a result of the storms that have affected the UK,” Mr Whiteside said.
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Gondoliers wait for customers in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country’s economy into recession.
AP
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Gondoliers wait for customers in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country’s economy into recession.
AP
3/16
A man wearing a protective mask walks past the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country’s economy into recession.
AP
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A gondolier on the Grand Canal as the sun sets in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country’s economy into recession.
AP
5/16
A local pulls a trolley as she leaves a street food market in Venice, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. A U.S. government advisory urging Americans to reconsider travel to Italy due to the spread of a new virus is the “final blow” to the nation’s tourism industry, the head of Italy’s hotel federation said Saturday. Venice, which was nearing recovery in the Carnival season following a tourist lull after record flooding in November, saw bookings drop immediately after regional officials canceled the final two days of celebrations this week, unprecedented in modern times.
AP
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Locals wait for a mass at the barely empty San Salvador church in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. A coughing Pope Francis told Italy, pilgrims gathered for the traditional Sunday blessing that he is canceling his participation at a week-long spiritual retreat in the Roman countryside because of a cold. It is the first time in his seven-year papacy that he has missed the spiritual exercises that he initiated early in his pontificate to mark the start of each Lenten season.
AP
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Tourists wearing protective masks take photographs in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks as the country’s confirmed cases surpassed 1,000.
AP
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Tourists wearing protective masks look at their smartphones as they have a break at the St. Mark’s square in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks as the country’s confirmed cases surpassed 1,000.
AP
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A couple stand at the Rialto bridge during a rainy day in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks as the country’s confirmed cases surpassed 1,000.
AP
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An empty canal is seen after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline in the number of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
REUTERS
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An empty canal is seen after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline in the number of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
Reuters
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An empty canal is seen after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline in the number of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
REUTERS
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An empty canal is seen after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
REUTERS
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An empty water bus after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline in the number of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
REUTERS
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Tourists shelter against the rain with umbrellas as they walk in the empty St. Mark’s Square during a rainy day in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
AP
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Gondolas are parked on a rainy day in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
AP
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Gondoliers wait for customers in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country’s economy into recession.
AP
2/16
Gondoliers wait for customers in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country’s economy into recession.
AP
3/16
A man wearing a protective mask walks past the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country’s economy into recession.
AP
4/16
A gondolier on the Grand Canal as the sun sets in Venice, Italy, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. Authorities in Italy decided to re-open schools and museums in some of the areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has the most cases outside of Asia, as Italians on Friday yearned for a return to normal life even amid fears that the outbreak could plunge the country’s economy into recession.
AP
5/16
A local pulls a trolley as she leaves a street food market in Venice, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. A U.S. government advisory urging Americans to reconsider travel to Italy due to the spread of a new virus is the “final blow” to the nation’s tourism industry, the head of Italy’s hotel federation said Saturday. Venice, which was nearing recovery in the Carnival season following a tourist lull after record flooding in November, saw bookings drop immediately after regional officials canceled the final two days of celebrations this week, unprecedented in modern times.
AP
6/16
Locals wait for a mass at the barely empty San Salvador church in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. A coughing Pope Francis told Italy, pilgrims gathered for the traditional Sunday blessing that he is canceling his participation at a week-long spiritual retreat in the Roman countryside because of a cold. It is the first time in his seven-year papacy that he has missed the spiritual exercises that he initiated early in his pontificate to mark the start of each Lenten season.
AP
7/16
Tourists wearing protective masks take photographs in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks as the country’s confirmed cases surpassed 1,000.
AP
8/16
Tourists wearing protective masks look at their smartphones as they have a break at the St. Mark’s square in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks as the country’s confirmed cases surpassed 1,000.
AP
9/16
A couple stand at the Rialto bridge during a rainy day in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks as the country’s confirmed cases surpassed 1,000.
AP
10/16
An empty canal is seen after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline in the number of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
REUTERS
11/16
An empty canal is seen after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline in the number of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
Reuters
12/16
An empty canal is seen after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline in the number of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
REUTERS
13/16
An empty canal is seen after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
REUTERS
14/16
An empty water bus after the spread of coronavirus has caused a decline in the number of tourists in Venice, Italy, March 1, 2020.
REUTERS
15/16
Tourists shelter against the rain with umbrellas as they walk in the empty St. Mark’s Square during a rainy day in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
AP
16/16
Gondolas are parked on a rainy day in Venice, Sunday, March 1, 2020. Italian tourism officials are worrying a new virus could do more damage to their industry than the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
AP
Greggs enjoyed record annual saleslast year of £1.2bn, up 13.5 per cent on 2018. Pre-tax profits jumped 31 per cent to £108.3m, buoyed by positive publicity around the popular vegan sausage roll which was introduced in January last year.
Greggs has gained a reputation for treating its staff well, announcing a £300 annual bonus in January. Staff who were unable to work because of recent floods were still paid, in contrast to the approach of some retailers which rely on zero-hour or flexible contracts.
The policy of full pay for staff who isolate themselves from coronavirus is also likely to be popular, although Mr Whiteside said it may be reviewed if the outbreak becomes a “major problem”.
There is no legal right to pay if a worker is not sick but cannot work because they have been told by a medical expert to self-isolate, according to guidance from employment dispute resolution service Acas.
People who have had to go into quarantine or are abroad in an affected area and not allowed to travel back to the UK, also have no right to sick pay.
If an employee is not sick but their employer tells them not to come to work, they should get their usual pay, Acas advised.
Last week Wetherspoons said its 45,000 staff would receive statutory sick pay if they self-isolate, in line with legal requirements.
Tom Neil, Acas Senior Adviser, said: “If you are off sick with coronavirus, your entitlements depend on your type of employment and what is in your contract.
“Employees and workers such as agency workers, casual worker and workers on zero hours contracts are likely to be entitled to receive at least statutory sick pay so long as they have already started working for their employer, are sick for 4 full days or more in a row and earn on average at least £118 per week before tax.
“The statutory minimum sick pay is £94.25. However, many organisations offer their staff sick pay which goes beyond this and so employees should look at their contract or speak with your employer or HR department.
“If you are genuinely self-employed, you will not be eligible for statutory sick pay.”
