Morrisons has become the first supermarket to cut sick pay for unvaccinated staff who are forced to isolate because they've been in close contact with Covid19.

The supermarket, which has almost 500 stores across the country, will no longer pay its workers their full pay if they test negative for Covid19 but have to isolate anyway because they are a deemed to be a close contact and haven't had the coronavirus jab.

The policy reportedly relates only to employees who have chosen not to accept a coronavirus injection and not those that can't have the vaccine for medical reasons.

In England, fully vaccinated adults, who are identified as close contacts of someone who has tested positive for the virus, no longer have to isolate and can instead take daily lateral flow tests for seven days to ensure they are remaining clear of infection.

The policy was amended last August after the so-called pingdemic kept so many staff, who were testing negative for the virus, stuck at home for more than a week under strict isolation rules in place at the time.

However the change in rules does not apply to over 18s who are not fully vaccinated with two Covid19 jabs - instead they are required to isolate at home for 10 days if contacted by NHS Track and Trace, regardless of whether a PCR or lateral flow gives them a negative test result.

Morrisons joins other big name companies including Ikea, Next and Ocado in altering its sick pay arrangements for those who are unvaccinated.

In the wake of Omicron's sweeping wave, which has affected staff numbers across public services and private companies, firms have been looking at how they can manage large numbers of missing workers.

Employees working for the supermarket who choose against taking the Covid jab will now get statutory sick pay of £96.35 a week if they are told to isolate by an NHS official but test negative.

Any Morrisons employee who tests positive will continue to be paid full sick pay while they isolate, regardless of their vaccination status.