Police union says officers are not being given quarantine leave

The Police Officers Union has complained that officers are not being given quarantine leave like other public service employees, forcing them to use their sick leave when testing positive for COVID-19.

Posting to Facebook, the union said it had once again emailed the Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri to ask that officers who tested positive for COVID-19 are given quarantine leave, like other government workers.

According to information sourced from the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations website quarantine leave is a special leave entitlement which applies to employees who have been ordered to quarantine by the Superintendent of Public Health or other authorities.

"The quarantine leave is to be given in addition to any other leave entitlement, as it is not related to paid vacation leave. In the case of part-time work and reduced hours of work, quarantine leave is to be calculated at a pro-rata basis," the website said. 

“It is unfair that other government workers who test positive for COVID-19 are given quarantine leave while police officers have to use their sick leave. We are also considered front liners. Are we second class workers?” the union asked.