After the controversy, sickness benefits may soon return for those forced to remain in quarantine after coming into contact with a positive person. This was announced by the Minister of Labor himself, Andrea Orlando, who explained that the resources are there. “If all the government agrees, we have an absolutely favorable evaluation to allow quarantine to be considered as a disease and, therefore, not to affect companies and workers,” he said.
Contrary to last year, in 2021 the forty after a Covid contact will not be considered at work as illness and therefore it will not be covered by the INPS. A circumstance that had sparked the controversy of both workers and companies, worried about having to bear the costs. But that could change, and sickness benefits could soon return for those forced to remain in quarantine after coming into contact with a positive person. This was announced by the Minister of Labor himself, Andrea Orlando.
Speaking at the Feast of Unity in Modena, the minister explained: “Before, unfortunately, there were not all the necessary resources but I believe that the conditions have matured for the use of resources that were stationed elsewhere. We are certainly in favor of quarantine being considered a disease“. Orlando also assured that the topic will be dealt with at the next Council of Ministers:”We had reported the issue in the last deviation. If all the government agrees, we have an absolutely favorable assessment to allow quarantine to be considered as a disease and, therefore, not burdensome on companies and workers. We can address the issue and resolve it“.
It was not long to wait for the comment of A company. “On the Covid quarantine, which could go back to being considered an illness and therefore regularly paid by INPS, the Minister of Labor, Andrea Orlando, agrees with Unimpresa, the only business association to have raised the problem. Without the recognition of the planned sickness allowance, including for the quarantine linked to Covid, workers risk losing between 700 euros and 1,000 euros per month in paychecks, depending on the duration of the absence, from 5 to 15 days. This amount would in fact be discharged to the coffers of companies and would be an unacceptable penalty“, declared the national director of Unimpresa, Giovanni Assi, asking for a”immediate regulatory action that makes the minister’s announcement concrete“.