A tent for performing antigen testing (illustrative image).

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AFP

The Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises said on Friday that they feared “uncontrolled absenteeism” after the government's decision to grant sick leave to people with symptoms of Covid-19.

But Matignon and the Health Insurance wanted to be reassuring, promising checks and arguing that a test would be mandatory.

"The CPME is worried about the possible consequences of this announcement which amounts to establishing the automatic nature of the work stoppage in the event of supposed symptoms and this, without any medical check-up or prior test", explained the employers' organization in a report. communicated.

A compulsory test

The organization asked the government to put in place "a framework to avoid abuses of all kinds", because according to it the measure, which Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the entry into force on January 10, "would be likely to lead to a very sharp increase in sick leaves and would open the door to uncontrolled absenteeism which could disrupt companies ”.

Faced with these concerns, the Prime Minister's services told AFP that any person showing symptoms or being in contact "would have the obligation, to extend their immediate work stoppage, to take a test".

In the event of a positive test, the sick leave will continue and in the event of a negative test, it will be immediately discontinued, they added.

Better respect for isolation

Concretely, people with symptoms of Covid-19 and who "are not able to continue working from their home" will be able to benefit from a compensated work stoppage "without waiting period", specified in a press release the ministries of Work and Health.

They will have to "commit" to being tested within two days.

"The elimination of the waiting day will encourage employees to isolate themselves more quickly", explained in a statement the Minister of Labor Elisabeth Borne.

Because "the fear of financial loss, especially for the most precarious people", constitutes one of the first obstacles to isolation, observes the "Sécu".

The employees concerned must declare themselves online, on declare.ameli.fr (or declare.msa.fr for agricultural workers).

They will then be able to download a supporting document to send to their employer.

"Regular" checks

"Doctors will no longer have to establish a work stoppage for these patients, at the risk if not that the latter are not subject to a waiting period", specified the Health Insurance, which "will ensure regular checks to prevent any misuse of this new teleservice ”.

As for the "contact cases", identified as such in the context of the "contact tracing" of the Health Insurance, they must continue to use the teleservice already in place for this situation (https://declare.ameli.fr/cas -contact / conditions).

If their test is positive and they cannot telework, "they will enter the new system" and "will benefit, from the day after the date of obtaining the result of the test", from sick leave without delay. deficiency, specified the "Sécu".

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  • Covid 19

  • Sick leave

  • Coronavirus