Long COVID/chronic illness

This policy, developed for Edge, sets out four core adjustments that go beyond typical sick leave: reduced working hours at full pay (2 weeks to 3 months), activity pacing within the working day, phased return to full hours, and proactive redistribution or delay of work plans. It includes a worked example of a step-by-step phased return, a process for producing an individual Long COVID/chronic illness support plan with a Staff Support person, and guidance on cost implications — including maintaining a team of at least three staff on equal wages and holding three months' wage reserves for freelance cover. The policy is explicitly grounded in disability justice principles and acknowledges the broader social and political context facing disabled and chronically ill workers.