Tag: health and safety

Can your employer force you back into the office?

There have been reports of people being forced back to workplaces without proper consultation, even as Covid-19 cases remain high, or forced to stay at home due to money-saving office closures (writes TUC’s ALICE ARKWRIGHT). Employers should consult with unions to manage this period positively – rather than issuing directives.

So, what can you do if you feel like you’re being forced to stay at home or go back into the office?  

Talk to your colleagues

If your boss is asking you to return to the workplace or stay at home and you don’t feel comfortable, you should speak to other members and your union rep immediately – they may feel the same about the situation. 

If you raise the issue collectively with your employer, they’re much more likely to listen. Employers shouldn’t be imposing changes on anyone. You and your colleagues should clearly lay out what you want and why it’s beneficial for both you and your employer.  

There’s still limited access to childcare at the moment, so parents and carers may need specific arrangements. Your boss should be working with you and your workmates to understand this.  

And suggesting pay cuts for home workers, as we’ve heard in the media, is the last thing employers should be doing. People have shown huge flexibility during the pandemic and worked hard to keep the country going – now is not the time to be making threats.   

Brush up on health and safety 

There are lots of factors that your employer needs to think about at this time. Primarily, health and safety – is your workplace safe to be in and has your employer considered the mental health impact of returning to the workplace? 

This could include feelings of isolation with continued homeworking or anxiety about returning to the workplace. Our latest webinar provides all you need to know on health and safety at work since government restrictions were lifted.  

Know your rights 

You have certain rights when deciding where to work: 

  1. Employment contract 

Check your employment contract. You might have a “place of work” included and, it could be a breach of contact if your employer unilaterally imposes a change of location, without consent. This is important if your employer is saying you must work from home permanently.  

  1. Safety 

The virus hasn’t gone away, and workers will want to know what their employer is doing to keep them safe. It’s a legal requirement for bosses to carry out a workplace risk assessment. Employers must also carry out the actions that come from their risk assessment – this could include continuing with home working where possible.  

If you think there is a serious or imminent danger to you or your colleagues, you may have the right to leave work depending on the specific circumstances. The relevant law is Section 44 of the Employment Act 1996 and it covers all employees. More information on your health and safety rights on returning to work can be found here. 

And remember, your employer still has a duty to keep you safe when you’re working from home – see our guidance on risk assessments for homeworkers.

  1. Flexible working requests

Under current law, all employees have the right to request flexible working arrangements, this can include a request to change your location either permanently or for part of your working time. Any employee can make a request, you don’t have to be a parent or carer, but you must have been in the job for 26 weeks and you can only make one request per year.  

Employers have to review these requests fairly and respond within 3 months. They can turn down requests for ‘business reasons’ – but we’re campaigning for better flexible working rights for everyone. 

  1. Reasonable adjustments 

Employers have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to proactively make reasonable adjustments to remove, reduce or prevent any disadvantages that disabled workers face. The law recognises that to secure equality for disabled people, work may need to be structured differently, support given, and barriers removed. This can include working from home.  

If you’re a disabled worker and have been working from home successfully during the pandemic, continuing to work from home could be a reasonable adjustment that your employer can provide, should you want it – but bosses must also provide reasonable adjustments in the workplace.  

  1. Right to time off in emergencies to look after children 

There are huge gaps in childcare provision leaving parents without the support they need to juggle work and care. If your employer has given you short notice to return to the workplace, by law anyone classed as an employee has the right to take time off work to help someone who is dependent on them in an unexpected event.

A dependent includes children but also a partner, someone you live with or a person who relies on you to make care arrangements. If you’re looking at any of these options, talk to your union and they can support you.

Finally, if you’re not in a union, join one.

Unionised workplaces have negotiated for additional access to flexible work and support to manage care that goes way above what you get under the law.  

You’re better off in a union – joining a union today

We’re currently running a survey on flexible working – have your say

It’s time to Re-open/Re-mobilise

Join EVOC for a session focused on how to re-open / re-mobilise your organisation, projects and activities safely.

About this event

Aimed at organisations and managers who are making plans to re-open / re-mobilise, this event will focus on a selection of issues including community transport, workforce and volunteers.

1. National overview: Ian Brooke (Deputy Chief Executive, EVOC)

2. Volunteers: Marion Findlay (Director of Services, Volunteer Edinburgh)

3. Re-opening Guidelines: Angela Davis (Environmental Health Officer, City of Edinburgh Council)

4. WHALE Arts Re-opening Experiences: Laura Delahunt (Enterprise and Facilities Manager, WHALE Arts)

5. Panel Q&A

Breakout group discussions:

  • Buildings
  • Volunteers/workforce
  • Transport
  • Organising Group work
  • Guidance/paperwork/risk assessment discussion

Please note that this event is now taking place on Microsoft Teams.

EVENT LINK

Registration for this event closes on Tue 17 Aug at 6pm.

You will receive an email through Eventbrite by 9am on Wed 18 Aug that includes the Teams link for this event.

If you don’t receive an email please check your email junk folder or get in touch with us: esther.currie@evoc.org.uk

Teaching union welcomes school re-opening plans

Following the announcement from the First Minister on the reopening of Scotland’s schools, EIS Assistant Secretary David Belsey said: “The EIS welcomes the Scottish Government plans for schools to reopen with broadly the same mitigations in place as when they closed earlier this year.

“We agree the continued wearing of facemasks, physical distancing measures, effective ventilation of classrooms and good hygiene regimes need to remain in full force.

“The Scottish Government’s acknowledgement of the importance of  strengthening the guidance around ventilation and the additional funding to close any gaps in this provision is extremely welcome and a significant improvement to the current mitigations.

“The completion of vaccination programmes for all school staff is vital and the EIS believes that voluntary vaccination of 12 – 17 year-olds would be sensible and may go some way towards making schools safer places and help to address the anxieties of some young people.

“The six week period of no changes to mitigations will provide a degree of reassurance to school staff and some certainty as to what to expect when returning to classrooms.

“This will also allow for meaningful consultation between Scottish Government, Local Authorities and teachers’ unions before any further changes. The EIS will study the new guidance and seek to address any emerging issues with the Scottish Government and employers.”

Capital casino to celebrate hitting the jackpot as curfew restrictions are lifted on all venues

Casino staff at Grosvenor Casino Edinburgh Maybury will finally be able to celebrate hitting the jackpot at the stroke of midnight tonight when all curfew restrictions are lifted by the Scottish Government.

Grosvenor Casinos which operate five venues across Scotland in Aberdeen, Dundee Edinburgh and Glasgow, will return to normal trading hours and capacity for the first time since March 2020. More than 700 people are employed by the casino industry in Scotland which contributed £30m in tax to the UK economy last year.

The confirmation from First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that Scotland will move beyond level 0 from midnight on Monday 9th August, with all physical distancing and limits on gatherings removed, means the team at Grosvenor Casinos can continue to welcome back guests old and new to enjoy their favourite games, such as blackjack, poker and roulette, whilst raising a glass to the easing of restrictions.

Tony Reilly, General Manager at Grosvenor Casino Edinburgh, said: “It’s been a really difficult 18 months for the hospitality industry. Despite reopening most of our venues in May, the lifting of the final restrictions by Scottish Government is a huge relief for all our team members.

“It means we can start trading normally again and at full capacity which will enable us to create the thrilling atmosphere for guests to have fun, play their favourite casino games and enjoy quality time together again.

“Whilst we must remain vigilant and will continue to have robust health and safety measures in place in line with government guidance, we can’t wait to welcome customers old and new through our doors to enjoy the great gaming and entertainment experience they know and love with Grosvenor.”

Grosvenor Casino venues which opened from May 17th in line with Scottish Government guidance include:

·         Grosvenor Casino Aberdeen

·         Grosvenor Casino Dundee

·         Grosvenor Casino Edinburgh Maybury

·         Grosvenor Casino Glasgow Merchant City

·         Grosvenor Casino Glasgow Riverboat

As well as gaming, guests can savour the delicious food and drink options with a range of dishes available that will cater to every taste. Fans of sport will also be pleased to hear that live sporting events will be available to watch when they visit the casino – just in time for the start of the new football season.

Casino businesses have invested millions of pounds to ensure venues are safe for its team and customers to play. Arriving at the casino, all customers will be registered at reception before using the hand sanitiser which will be readily available, whilst regular cleaning will take place each day, including tables, chips and machines.

Every casino will continue to make screens available for customers to use on gaming tables and electronic machines, should they wish.

Grosvenor Casinos will continue to accept cash and will encourage customers to use contactless payment, where possible. There will be safety shields at all tills to protect both team members and customers, and face masks will be worn throughout.

Guests will be able to enjoy food and drink with dining seating appropriately spaced. Pre-orders can be made at their table or from their machine, either using the online app, or by placing an order with the valet service.

To find out more information visit www.grosvenorcasinos.com and please gamble responsibly: www.begambleaware.org

Three quarters of Scottish paramedics have feared for their safety or felt threatened at work

Three quarters (75%) of Scotland-based paramedics who took part in a major UK-wide survey by their professional body, the College of Paramedics, said they had feared for their safety or felt threatened while carrying out their duties.

This is higher than the UK-wide figure of 70% which has been revealed by the College of Paramedics today. The survey, which was completed by 2,345 UK paramedics including 148 based in the Scotland, also revealed that almost half (49%) of all respondents had suffered physical abuse while 80% said they had been verbally abused during the course of their work.

These findings come one month after new NHS England figures revealed that paramedics have suffered a 32 per cent rise in assaults over the past five years, with 3,569 incidents taking place in 2020-21 alone.

Tracy Nicholls, Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics, said: “We have long been aware of the physical and verbal abuse that paramedics suffer and the toll it takes on their health and wellbeing – but this is the first time that a large-scale survey of this kind has revealed the extent of the problem.

“It’s absolutely outrageous to think that so many paramedics have been abused whilst carrying out their duties, going above and beyond to help people when they are at their most vulnerable, and often in the most challenging of circumstances. Worryingly, the abuse appears to have increased during the pandemic when paramedics are already exposing themselves to greater personal risk.

“Enough is enough! It is time for us all to take a stand and find new ways of working together to prevent abuse from happening, as well as  demanding zero-tolerance  when it does occur.

“We welcome the steps that the Government has taken to mitigate some of the risks by announcing that funding will be made available for body worn cameras and by introducing harsher custodial sentences for perpetrators of violence against paramedics – but more needs to be done.

“After years of lobbying, the legislation is now in place to ensure that the worst offenders are severely and appropriately dealt with. The problem is that the law is not being used to full effect and sentences are still far too lenient. We are calling today on the courts to step up and impose the harshest penalties available to them.”

The College of Paramedics has warned that the abuse paramedics are experiencing is having a direct impact on their health and wellbeing. Most paramedics surveyed (89%) said their jobs were taking a toll on their mental health and 69% said this had intensified since the start of the covid pandemic.

Tracy Nicholls continued: “One of the most worrying aspects is that paramedics are continuing to soldier on, despite in some cases being pushed to breaking point.

“It’s a disgrace that paramedics are having to work under these conditions – whether they are part of our NHS ambulance service, in a military or prison environment, working in private practice or wherever they are. These issues deserve much greater attention and we will be working hard to bring about change.”

The College of Paramedics will form part of the NHS Health & Wellbeing team and will focus dedicated resources on the prevention of abuse and the provision of support to paramedics who have been affected.

As part of its five-year strategy, the College of Paramedics will engage with national initiatives which promote the health and wellbeing of its members and will include it within its Continuous Professional Development programmes so that members can access up-to-date information and guidance on how to keep themselves safe.

Tracy Nicholls added: “With the results of this survey, we are well placed to push forward collaboratively to make a difference in this area which is vital for the safeguarding of paramedics and the patients they are trying to assist.”

TUC calls on employers to keep their staff safe as temperatures set to soar

  • Met Office issues extreme heat weather warning for the first time 
  • Forecasters warn temperatures will continue to climb and could reach 33 degrees C (91.4F) in some parts of the country 
  • TUC calls on employers to make sure staff are protected from the sun and heat 

The TUC has urged employers to make sure their staff are protected from the sun and heat, as the Met Office issues one of its new-style extreme amber heat weather warnings for the first time. 

The amber warning covers parts of Wales, all of south-west England and parts of southern and central England and will be in place until Thursday (22 July), when temperatures are expected to peak. 

Health warning 

Working in hot weather can lead to dehydration, tiredness, muscle cramps, rashes, fainting, and – in the most extreme cases – loss of consciousness. 

The TUC says employers can help their workers by:  

  • Allowing flexible working: Giving staff the chance to come in earlier or stay later will let them avoid the stifling and unpleasant conditions of the rush hour commute. Bosses should also consider enabling staff to work from home while it is hot.  
  • Keeping workplace buildings cool: Workplaces can be kept cooler and more bearable by taking simple steps such as opening windows, using fans, moving staff away from windows or sources of heat, or installing ventilation or air-cooling.  
  • Temporarily relaxing their workplace dress codes: Encouraging staff to work in more casual clothing than normal – leaving the jackets and ties at home – will help them keep cool.   
  • Keeping staff comfortable: Allowing staff to take frequent breaks and providing a supply of cold drinks will all help keep workers cool.  
  • Talking and listening to staff and their union: Staff will have their own ideas about how best to cope with the excessive heat. 
  • Sensible hours and shaded areas for outdoor workers: Outside tasks should be scheduled for early morning and late afternoon, not between 11am-3pm when temperatures are highest. Bosses should provide canopies/shades where possible. 
  • Sun protection: Prolonged sun exposure can be dangerous for outdoor workers, so employers should make sun protection available. 

The law 

There’s no law for minimum or maximum working temperatures. However, during working hours the temperature in all indoor workplaces must be ‘reasonable’. 

Guidance suggests a minimum of 16degC, or 13degC if employees are doing physical work. And employers have a duty to keep the temperature at a comfortable level and provide clean and fresh air. 

The TUC would like to see a change in the law so that employers must attempt to reduce temperatures if they get above 24degC and workers feel uncomfortable. And employers should also be obliged to provide sun protection and water for outdoor workers. 

The TUC would also like ministers to introduce a new maximum indoor temperature, set at 30degC – or 27degC for those doing strenuous jobs. 

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We all love the summer sun. But working in sweltering conditions in a baking shop or stifling office can be unbearable and dangerous. 

“Indoor workplaces should be kept cool, with relaxed dress codes and flexible working to make use of the coolest hours of the day. 

“And bosses must make sure outdoor workers are protected with regular breaks, lots of fluids, plenty of sunscreen and the right protective clothing.” 

The TUC is also asking employers to consider additional needs that may arise in hot weather from coronavirus health and safety requirements. Frances O’Grady added: 

“It’s even more important to use PPE safely in this hot weather. Staff will need extra breaks to cool down if their equipment reduces ventilation. 

“And while many offices have air conditioning, few people have it in their homes. Lots of staff are still working from home, so they may struggle to work during the hottest parts of the day. Employers should allow flexible hours so people can work when it’s cooler.” 

Ten FREE defibrillators up for grabs for Scottish Men’s Sheds

The Scottish Men’s Sheds Association (SMSA) is working in partnership with St Andrew’s First Aid to offer FREE Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to ten Scottish Men’s Sheds on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sudden cardiac arrest strikes 7 million people a year worldwide with no warning and no pattern. There’s little time to react and even less time to think, this means an AED must be close at hand, easy-to-use and ready to shock.

St Andrew’s First Aid is Scotland’s dedicated first aid charity and leading first aid training provider and the Association is delighted to be teaming up to provide this life-saving kit to Sheds to not only protect Shedders but also the wider community. 

The HeartSine Samaritan PAD 500P Fully Automatic Defibrillator (RRP: £1,557.60 inc. VAT)

  • Ready to Shock: Small, portable and lightweight (2.4 lbs) and offers the highest level of protection against dust and water.
  • Easy-to-Follow Instructions: Easy-to-understand visual and voice prompts guide the rescuer through the entire resuscitation process, including CPR—a key link in the chain of survival. 
  • Simple, two-button operation – an ON/OFF button and SHOCK.
  • After analyzing heart rhythm, the unit will automatically deliver a shock (if needed), eliminating the need for the rescuer to push a shock button.
  • Always Ready: A System Status Ready Indicator flashes to show that the complete system is operational and ready for use.
  • Self-check: The device automatically runs a self-check each week.
  • View full product info here

Conditions

  • The AED’s are being offered FREE OF CHARGE to ten Scottish Men’s Sheds however, as they are not new, they will require new pads/electrode batteries (which will last for four years) at a cost to each individual Shed of £117.60.  
  • St Andrews First Aid advise that these defibrillators are accessible to the public 24/7 outdoors and are placed in cabinets (available at a discounted cost of £540 inc.VAT for Sheds through St Andrew’s First Aid), however, if this is not possible, they are still happy to donate them to Scottish Sheds.
  • Interested Sheds will pay a delivery charge for the equipment.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

Please register your Men’s Shed’s interest by submitting your details online at the link below.  Defibrillators will be issued to ten SMSA Shed members on a first-come, first-served basis.

Activists concern over positive Covid test at Leith Jobcentre

A staff member at Leith Jobcentre has tested positive for Covid, raising yet more questions about the DWP drive to force claimants and workers back into the jobcentres, say Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty (ECAP) campaigners.

On 29 June the Jobcentre worker learnt that they were a close contact of someone who was Covid positive. They were rightly sent home to isolate.

However, the DWP went ahead with a Jobs Fair in the Jobcentre the next day, 30 June, on the first floor where this staff member had worked. And when it was learnt on 30 June that the staff member had indeed tested positive, the DWP still kept the Jobcentre open to the public for the rest of the week.

ECAP have raised the issue with MP Deidre Brock, MSP Ben Macpherson and local councillors.

The Jobcentre workers union the PCS have voted for possible industrial action in a Britain-wide consultative ballot on their concerns over covid safety in Jobcentres, following Covid outbreatks closing jobcentres in Glasgow and Wigan.

Read article with photo and links at http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/?p=3113

TUC calls for long Covid to be recognised as a disability to prevent “massive” discrimination

The TUC has called for long Covid to be urgently recognised as a disability and Covid-19 as an occupational disease, to give workers access to legal protections and compensation.

The call comes as the TUC publishes an in-depth report on workers’ experiences of long Covid during the pandemic.

More than 3,500 workers responded to a TUC survey on the impact of long Covid on people’s daily working lives.

The survey reveals that, of those surveyed:

  • Nearly 3 in 10 (29 per cent) have experienced symptoms lasting longer than a year.
  • More than 9 in 10 (95 per cent) have been left with ongoing symptoms.
  • A clear majority had experienced side effects including brain fog (72 per cent), shortness of breath (70 per cent), difficulty concentrating (62 per cent) and memory problems (54 per cent).
  • Over half (52 per cent) had experienced some form of discrimination or disadvantage due to their condition.

The report highlights how frontline workers have been disproportionately affected by long Covid.

Over three-quarters (79 per cent) of those who responded to the TUC’s survey identify themselves as key workers, with the majority working in either education or health and social care.

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of respondents were women. 

Long Covid in the workplace

The report reveals the extent of discrimination in the workplace towards those with long Covid.

Over half (52 per cent) of respondents said they had experienced some form of discrimination or disadvantage due to their condition.

Workers told the TUC how they were faced with disbelief and suspicion when they disclosed their symptoms:

  • Around a fifth (19 per cent) said their employer had questioned the impact of their symptoms.
  • One in eight (13 per cent) faced questions from their employer about whether they had long Covid at all.
  • One in 20 respondents (5 per cent) said they had been forced out of their jobs altogether because they had long Covid. 

Respondents described the difficulties that they faced trying to work while experiencing a range of long Covid symptoms.

One person – who contracted Covid-19 at work – said that when their employer went ahead with an international event in the first wave of the pandemic: “I was still expected to work long hours, handle stressful situations in impossible timeframes, find and fill in forms (which I struggled to do because of cognitive issues), and spend hours on Zoom calls when I struggled to talk and breathe, resulting in extreme chest pain, shortness of breath, exhaustion and severe symptom relapses.”

Respondents were also concerned about what the future might hold for them at work given the amount of sick leave they had been forced to take due to their long Covid symptoms.

Around one in six respondents (18 per cent) said the amount of sick leave they had taken had triggered absence management or HR processes.

New rights and protections for those with long Covid

The TUC is calling for the government to urgently recognise long Covid as a disability under the Equality Act.

The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as a “physical or mental impairment…[that] has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on [their] ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”. Government guidance makes clear that ‘long-term’ means 12 months or more.

The TUC says that many who have long Covid already meet this criteria and should therefore be protected under the law rather than forced to go through the stress of employment tribunals.

Extending Equality Act 2010 protections so they cover workers with long Covid would ensure employers cannot legally discriminate against them. It would also put a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments that remove, reduce or prevent any disadvantages workers with long Covid face, as for any other enduring condition or disability.  

In addition, the union body is calling on ministers to recognise Covid-19 as an occupational disease – entitling employees and their dependents to protection and compensation if they contracted the virus while working.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Many of the workers who have carried us through the pandemic are now living with debilitating symptoms of long Covid. And we’re beginning to hear troubling stories of a massive wave of discrimination against people with long Covid.  

“It’s time to recognise this condition properly – and make sure workers who are living with long Covid get the support they need to do their jobs.

“Long Covid must be recognised as a disability. That would mean workers are protected by the Equality Act, and would have a right to get reasonable adjustments at work.

“And Covid-19 should be designated as an occupational disease. That would allow workers who contracted Covid-19 at work and are living with the consequences to claim the compensation they are due.  

“Employers must also act. They should make sure they make reasonable adjustments for workers with long Covid, and complete specific risk assessments to make sure workers with long Covid are safe at work.” 

Lesley Macniven, Chair of the Long Covid Support Group, who worked with the TUC on its report, said: “Even those with ‘mild’ Covid can suffer daily with fluctuating symptoms, exhausted and alone. Promises we’ll ‘just get better’ have been proved otherwise.

“A year on we need legally enforceable guidance for employers and government – informed by unions, occupational health and patient groups with significant lived experience managing long Covid.

“Patients need time to convalesce, then recuperate through a very gradual, flexible phased return to work, over months, to achieve a sustainable return.

“Long Covid is disabling young, previously healthy workers. This key step is needed to take the effects of long Covid seriously, enable rehabilitation and protect dedicated workers from discrimination due to poor understanding of the condition.”

Formatted-version-of-Long-Covid-report-v1.3-1Download

One in two workers would consider quitting their job if forced back to the office full time

 New research by SpareRoom reveals strength of feeling on future of working

  • Almost half (46%) of 18-40 year olds would consider quitting their current job if their employer doesn’t allow remote working post-pandemic
  • One of the least important features of a job now is office parties and regular socialising with colleagues
  • Conversely, the most desirable job features are pay, a good work-life balance and a job that has a sense of purpose
  • The majority of 18-40 year olds (60%) have changed the features they look for in a job after a year living in a pandemic

The great return to the office is on the horizon and getting closer, with all social restrictions set to end on 21st June (in England, anyway … maybe? – Ed). However, while a reunion with colleagues might be welcome, a full time return to the physical workplace is enough to actually put people off their jobs.

According to new research by flatsharing site SpareRoom, one in two (46%) 18-40 year olds will consider quitting their job if their employer doesn’t allow remote working post-pandemic.

Where a swanky office with a lively work social scene was once a major pull for young people and saw them move in their droves to big cities like London, the research from SpareRoom with over 2,000 18-40 year olds reveals the opposite to now be true for many. 

In fact, a clear majority (60%) have changed the job attributes they now find important and almost two thirds (63%) have a new attitude towards work. Of those that are employed and have had the option to ‘WFH’ (81%), there is a clear preference going forward for a continuation of home working or for a hybrid of working partially at home and from the office (72% combined). This compares to 28% that prefer working exclusively from the office.

Notwithstanding the possible resignation-inducing prospect of five days a week in the office, the most undesirable feature of a job now happens to be the office party. As part of the research, SpareRoom asked young people to rank features of a job based on how important they are.

The loser was a job with regular social events, suggesting that many are not yet ready to reembrace the old socially intimate culture of afterwork drinks and the annual Christmas knees-up.

On the other hand, the features of a job that 18-40 year olds now covet more than anything else are pay, a good work-life balance and the knowledge that their work has a purpose. 

Most important features of a job Least important features of a job
1. Pay and compensation1. Regular social events and office parties
2. Good work-life balance2. Regular appraisals/reviews and opportunity to grow
3. A job that has a sense of purpose3. Additional benefits e.g. gym, healthcare
4. Job security 4. Being able to pursue a passion / ‘side hustle’ outside of work
5. Feeling safe at work5. Reduced or flexible working hours

Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom Director comments: “Work is one of the cornerstones of our lives and COVID has forced people to question their relationship with their job.

“That means, for many, the most desirable job is now one that offers security, a good work-life balance and of course the ability to work from home – even if not all of the time. Spending five days a week in the office, however, is particularly unattractive – to the extent that half would consider moving jobs if faced with this situation.

“Work is also one of the biggest drivers in the rental market. Pre-pandemic people moved for work or study. Now people are starting to think about what their lives will look like in future and the prospect of remote working opens up all sorts of possibilities. We’ve already seen a downward shift in demand for rooms in London, while other regions of the UK are seeing a rise.”