A third of key workers (33%) say they do not get full sick pay
A quarter of key workers (24%) say they get only £96pw statutory sick pay
Extending sick pay protection to all workers would cost the same as just 1% of the test and trace budget
New analysis published by the TUC shows that one in 12 key workers (788,000 people) do not qualify for statutory sick pay (SSP) – despite many of them being at greater risk from Covid-19 due to the frontline nature of their job.
The analysis uses the same definition of key worker as government. It finds that those excluded from SSP include more than a quarter of cleaners (27%) and retail workers (26%); nearly one in 10 teaching assistants (9%); and over one in 20 care workers (6%).
Additional figures from polling for the TUC by BritainThinks show that, for those who self-identify as key workers in the context of the Covid pandemic, a third (33%) report getting less than full sick pay (below their usual rate of pay); and a quarter (24%) report getting only the minimal protection of SSP at just £96 per week.
The TUC is calling for sick pay to be reformed so that:
The lower earnings limit rule is removed, allowing the lowest paid workers to qualify for statutory sick pay for the first time
The rate of SSP is raised to at least the level of the real living wage (£330 per week).
Research commissioned by the TUC from the Fabian Society shows that the cost of raising SSP to the equivalent of the real Living Wage for employers without an occupational sick pay scheme would be around £110 per employee per year – or just over £2 a week.
The research also shows that removing the lower earnings limit, which prevents those on low earnings from accessing statutory sick pay, would cost employers a maximum of £150m a year. And it would cost the government less than one per cent of the test and trace scheme to support employers with this cost.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Nobody should have to choose between going into work if they’re sick or should be self-isolating, or doing the right thing by staying home, but facing hardship as a result. But that’s the choice facing many key workers who kept the country going during the pandemic.
“Our key workers deserve the dignity, security and safety of proper sick pay and a decent pay rise too. They have earned it, often in frontline jobs with much greater risk of infection than those who could work from home.
“The cost of fixing the UK’s broken sick pay system is small compared to other public health measures like test and trace. Ministers must urgently make every worker eligible for statutory sick pay. And it should be worth at least as much as the real Living Wage.”
The Fabian Society report Statutory Sick Pay: Options for reform is available here:
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.”
Employers claim just 2.5% of working-age Covid deaths are from exposure to Coronavirus at work
System for reporting workplace deaths and infections is “letting bad bosses off the hook”, says TUC
Under-reporting has badly undermined health and safety regulation and enforcement during the pandemic
The number of people who have died from exposure to Covid at work is being “massively under-reported” by employers, according to a new TUC report published yesterday (Sunday).
The report highlights a huge discrepancy between Covid work-related deaths reported by employers and data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Public Health England.
Between April 2020 and April 2021 the ONS reported that 15,263 people of working age died from Covid. But according to reports filed by employers just 387 (2.5 per cent) of these deaths came from workers contracting Covid at work.
The union body says this under-reporting has badly undermined health and safety regulation enforcement during the pandemic with employers less likely to face action from regulators for putting staff at risk.
Under-reporting in at-risk sectors
The TUC’s report shows that in sectors with high numbers of deaths during the pandemic – like food production and transport – only a small fraction of deaths have been reported as work-related by employers.
Figures from the ONS show that between March 2020 and December 2020 more than 600 people working in the transport sector died.
But according to reports filed by employers (over the longer period of April 2020 to April 2021) just 10 deaths in the transport sector were work-related.
And figures from the ONS show that 63 food production workers died between March 2020 and December 2020.
But according to data supplied by employers (over the longer period of April 2020 to April 2021) just three of these deaths were the result of work.
The TUC believes the true number of work-related deaths in these and other sectors are much higher, especially considering the high number of breaches of safety protocols we have seen during the pandemic and the high numbers of outbreaks.
Reporting system “letting bad bosses off the hook”
Employers are required by law to report deaths, injuries and illnesses that take place at work or in connection with work.
This is done through a mechanism called RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) which logs work-related deaths, illnesses and injuries for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
But under the current reporting system employers are given “free rein” to decide whether a Covid-19 diagnosis is the result of occupational exposure or from exposure outside of work premises.
The TUC says this loophole has led to employers not reporting the true scale of Covid work-related deaths and infections to the HSE, despite this information being vital to containing the spread of the virus.
Enforcement crisis
The TUC says that for the HSE to do its job effectively it must possess an accurate and up-to-date picture of where and when work-related deaths and infections are taking place.
But during the pandemic it has only been provided with very partial information from employers.
This has prevented the HSE from carrying out potentially urgent inspections and ensuring employers take the necessary action to keep workers and the public safe, says the report.
TUC analysis shows that just 1 in 218 workplaces has been inspected by the HSE (between March 2020 and April 2021) and not one single employer has been prosecuted for putting staff at risk.
The union body says this “crisis of regulation and enforcement” has allowed bad bosses to get away with flagrant labour rights abuses – adding that the pandemic has highlighted Britain’s enforcement system’s long-standing deficiencies.
New approach needed to health and safety
As well as calling for improvements in the way work-related delated deaths and infections are reported, the union body says government must reverse cuts to the HSE of the past decade, which it says left the country “under-prepared and vulnerable” to the pandemic.
The last ten years has seen real term cuts of 50 per cent to the HSE budget, on top of local authority budgets being slashed.
There has also been a dramatic decline in inspections. There were 27 per cent fewer HSE inspections carried out in the UK in 2019 than 2011, amounting to a fall of over 5,700 a year.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Everybody deserves to be safe at work. But this pandemic has exposed a crisis in health and safety regulation and enforcement.
“Employers have massively under-reported Covid work-related deaths and infections. This has made it much harder for regulators to track where outbreaks are happening and allowed bad bosses to get away with flagrant labour rights abuses.
“It’s staggering that not a single employer has been prosecuted for putting workers at risk of contracting Covid-19.
“The government must fix the deficiencies in how workplace deaths, illnesses and injuries are reported. The current system is letting bosses off the hook.
“And ministers must fund enforcement bodies properly so they can recruit and train qualified workplace inspectors, inspect more workplaces, and prosecute companies who don’t keep their workers safe.”
The planned eviction and forced displacement of Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem to make way for settler families – could amount to a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Cpnvention, according to the UN, and must not be allowed to go ahead.
We condemn the excessive use of force by Israeli security forces against Palestinians protesting against the evictions in Jerusalem, and the Israeli air strikes on the Gaza strip, which have reportedly killed over 20 Palestinians. The storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem and violence inflicted on worshippers is equally condemned.
Palestinians have the right to peaceful protest – to protest against being forcibly evicted from their homes, to protest against being under occupation, to protest for their rights.
It is time for the UK government and international community to take firm action and hold the Israeli government account – to stop the persistent violations of international law, to stop the excessive use of force against Palestinians, and to end the illegal occupation.
The TUC has long-standing policy in support of Palestinian rights and justice for Palestine. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah and all the victims of the violence of recent days.
The TUC is interested in the experiences of people with Long Covid in work, including people who have lost their jobs because of Long Covid.
Long Covid is the term used to describe COVID-19 symptoms that extending beyond the initial infection. Evidence on Long Covid points to symptoms of COVID-19 lasting for weeks, months and possibly years after the infection.
This survey asks questions to better understand how workers with Long Covid have been treated in the workplace.
This May Day we are reminded of our past struggles for dignity and justice, and the huge challenges we face in defending our members throughout this pandemic.
We have seen all those who delivered vital services during this trying year and have fought to ensure their rights.
Collectively we must address the economic impact of the pandemic, ever growing inequality, structural racism, the rise of far right populism and the climate crisis.
Our fundamental values of internationalism and solidarity endure and we send you and all the workers you represent our warm may day wishes. We know that when we work together across borders we can achieve true and lasting change.
We appreciate and value our continued friendship and look forward to working together over the coming months to achieve equality, social justice, peace, decent work and an end to exploitation.
In solidarity
Frances O’Grady
TUC May Day video
May Day is a moment to remind ourselves that when workers come together across borders, no-one can keep us down.
The TUC is calling for an immediate public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The call came as workers around the world marked International Workers’ Memorial Day yesterday, in memory of those who have died, been injured, suffered work-related ill-health or been infected at work.
Official figures show more than 11,000 working age people have died of Covid-19 since the pandemic began.
The TUC says that alongside scrutinising the quality of decision-making across the pandemic response in government, the public inquiry must specifically look at infection control and workplace safety, including the failure to provide adequate financial support to self-isolate, PPE availability for health and care staff and other frontline workers throughout the crisis, the effectiveness of test and trace, and the failure to enforce the law on workplace safety.
It adds it should examine the unequal impact of Covid-19 on different groups of workers, specifically Black and Minority Ethnic workers and insecure occupations among whom Covid mortality rates are disproportionately higher.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Any public inquiry must look at why workers were put at risk – be it through inadequate PPE or being unable to afford to self-isolate.
“This isn’t about settling scores. It’s about getting answers and learning the lessons to save lives in future. On International Workers’ Memorial Day, we remember those who have died, and pledge ourselves to fight for safe workplaces for everyone.”
Jo Goodman, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice said: “An independent, judge-led statutory public inquiry is vital to making sure we learn lessons and save lives during the pandemic and for any future waves.”
The families of Unite members who lost loved ones to Covid-19 walked the memorial wall in London ton International Workers’ Memorial Day.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey and the families also joined with TUC representatives to observe the minute’s silence at midday on 28 April.
Unite said it is throwing its weight behind calls for a statutory public inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic, recently rejected by ministers, and is backing the campaign for the National Covid Memorial Wall in Lambeth, south London, to be made permanent.
The memorial wall is made up of 150,000 individual painted hearts, one for every UK person who lost their life to the disease in the past year. The wall is around half a kilometre long and takes around 10 minutes to walk.
Len McCluskey joined Hannah Brady and Leshie Chandrapala, who both lost their fathers to the disease last year. Hannah’s father caught the virus while travelling to his work in a factory, while Leshie’s father was one of 27 London bus drivers who died of the disease between March and May last year.
Speaking ahead of his visit, Len McCluskey said: “Unite offers the bereaved families our full support in securing a permanent home for this incredible wall, and in the continued battle for the full and frank public inquiry the country needs.”
The TUC has warned the UK government and employers that “infections could rebound” if workplaces aren’t Covid-Secure – as hospitality and non-essential shops prepare to reopen this month.
The union body says the vaccine rollout and workplace testing must not be used as an excuse to relax safe working rules.
New guidance for “safe and responsible” return
Over 11,000 working age people have died during the pandemic, with thousands of outbreaks in workplaces.
A new TUC report published today sets out the steps ministers and employers should take to keep people safe at work and to prevent another spike in workplace infections.
These include:
1) Making workplaces Covid-Secure: The TUC says all employers must update their risk assessments to take account of what we now know about the importance of ventilation.
As the UK unlocked in summer 2020, more emphasis was placed on surface disinfection – but the guidance has since changed to make effective ventilation the priority.
The TUC says that any activity which can be conducted outside should be, and that employers should invest in ventilation systems, as well as continuing to enforce social distancing and the wearing of face coverings.
A TUC survey of more than 2,000 union safety representatives published this week revealed that one in four reps are unaware of a risk assessment taking place in their workplace in the last two years. This is despite it being a legal requirement for employers to have an up-to-date risk assessment and to consult safety reps and involve staff in writing it.
In addition, the TUC notes that the guidance on working from home has not changed. Everyone who can work from home should continue to do so until at least 21 June. Employers should assess the ability to work from home at the level of individual jobs, and should not require workers to travel to workplaces where they do desk-based jobs, even in sectors that are allowed to be open.
2) Decent sick pay for all:The TUC says decent sick pay remains critical to ensuring a safe return to work.
The union body says it “beggars belief” that a year into the crisis ministers still haven’t fixed the problem of workers not being able to afford to self-isolate – despite repeated warnings from the TUC and the government’s own head of Test and Trace Dido Harding.
A new TUC poll of private sector employers reveals that of those who intend to use workplace testing, 28 per cent pay only statutory sick pay. SSP is now £96.35 per week, which the TUC says is too low to live on and will cause hardship. Only 47 per cent of those employers surveyed who propose to use workplace testing provide full company sick pay.
The TUC says ministers should increase statutory sick pay to at least the rate of the real Living Wage, and extend eligibility to the two million low-paid workers who currently don’t qualify for it.
3) Supporting workers to get vaccinated:The TUC says employers must step up and help the national health effort by giving their staff paid time off to get vaccinated.
But recently published polling reveals less than half of firms surveyed (45%) give their workforces paid time off to get the jab.
The union body says companies should seek to persuade staff to get the vaccine, but not make it a condition of employment. The TUC says that making vaccinations compulsory will damage employer-staff relations and could result in legal cases on the grounds of discrimination.
The TUC says that there are still questions to be answered about Covid status passports, including how testing data will be collected, and how any scheme will maintain the confidentiality of workers’ personal health information.
The TUC believes any Covid status passport scheme must require employers to consult with recognised unions at sectoral and workplace level, and will only work where employers provide decent sick pay.
4) Cracking down on bosses who risk workers’ safety: As the UK reopens, the TUC says that the government must start cracking down on employers who break the rules on workplace safety.
Despite thousands of workplace outbreaks, not a single employer has been fined and prosecuted for putting their staff in danger. And the TUC notes that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has still not amended its much-criticised designation of coronavirus as a “significant” rather than a “serious” workplace risk, which limits the enforcement options open to inspectors.
The TUC says the government must take a much harder stance with companies who flout health and safety rules, and provide the HSE with a long-term funding boost.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:“We all want this lockdown to be the last. But if we get workplace safety wrong, the virus could rebound.
“Ministers must send out a strong message to employers: act now on workplace safety.
“The government has imposed big fines on individuals who break lockdown rules. But not a single employer has been prosecuted and fined for putting workers or the public at risk. It’s time for the Health and Safety Executive to crack down on bad bosses.
“Over a year into the pandemic, it beggars belief that ministers have not fixed sick pay. Sick pay is too little to live on. No wonder too many are not self-isolating when they need to.
“Ministers have the power to make self-isolation effective overnight – and cut transmission immediately. All they need to do is raise statutory sick pay to the level of the real Living Wage, and make sure everyone can get it.”
On the responsibilities of employers, Frances said:“Before reopening, every employer must run a new risk assessment, prioritising good ventilation – and act to make sure their workplace is Covid-Secure. They have to consult their workers and unions on their safety plans. And they have to publish their risk assessment to reassure their workers and customers.
“Even as some workplaces reopen, employers must still make sure that everyone who can work from home continues to do so.
“More people are getting vaccinated every day – but that does not mean that employers can skimp on safety measures at work.”
Garden centres and homeware stores reopen on the 5th of April in Scotland and all remaining stores on 26 April.
The Commission, chaired by education consultant and ex-charity boss Dr Tony Sewell, was set up last summer following the death of George Floyd and the subsequent rise of the Black Lives Matter campaign.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued the following statement: “The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities was launched to conduct a detailed, data-led examination of inequality across the entire population, and to set out a positive agenda for change.
“I want to thank Dr Tony Sewell and each of the commissioners for generously giving their time to lead this important piece of work. It is now right that the Government considers their recommendations in detail, and assesses the implications for future government policy.
“The entirety of government remains fully committed to building a fairer Britain and taking the action needed to address disparities wherever they exist.”
Commenting on the report published yesterday by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Gray said: “Institutional and structural racism exists in the UK, in both the labour market and wider society.
“Black and Minority Ethnic workers are far more likely than White workers to be in low-paid, insecure jobs – such as temporary and agency jobs or zero hours contracts. And Black and Minority Ethnic workers have been far more likely to be exposed to Covid infection and far more likely to die – because they are far more likely to be in frontline roles.
“This is institutional racism. And it traps too many Black and Minority Ethnic workers in poverty, insecurity and low pay.
“We hoped that the Commission would recommend action to stamp out insecure work and make employers act to close their ethnicity pay gaps.
“Instead, the Commission has chosen to deny the experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic workers and be complacent about the UK’s progress towards being an anti-racist society.
“The TUC calls on politicians of all parties to stand with Black and Minority Ethnic workers and commit to ending institutional racism in the UK labour market and society – starting with bringing in mandatory ethnicity pay gap action plans and banning zero hours contracts.”
Commenting on the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities: The Report, Dr Hodon Abdi, co-chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, said:“We are disappointed in the findings of this report in relation to health.
“Last month, the Workforce Race Equality Standard report was published and its stark findings demonstrated the difference of experience between ethnic minority staff and their white counterparts.
“The findings of the WRES, while shocking, revealed that NHS health workers from ethnic minority backgrounds find it harder to progress in their career, are less likely to be appointed in roles they are shortlisted for, and were more likely to suffer bullying, harassment and abuse from both patients and from other staff, than their white colleagues.
“The report presented the reality that many of our colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds face. The report was a positive starting point to begin a discussion and it presented an opportunity for health organisations to acknowledge the severity of the problem in the NHS and begin to actively tackle them with tangible solutions.
“Sadly, the CRED report seems to have ignored the findings of the WRES. We, however, are committed to addressing all equality, equity and race issues and will continue to provide proactive solutions to real problems our members and ED staff face.”
Dr David Chung, co-chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee, said:“The NHS staff survey 2020, published earlier this month, found that ethnic minority staff were more likely to be deployed onto covid wards and our own survey found that ethnic minority staff were less likely to be risk assessed, less likely to have access to appropriate PPE, and were less likely to have PPE fitted.
“The CRED report suggests a very different story and fails to recognise what is in plain sight. That, within the NHS systemic and structural racism is prevalent: across recruitment; pay; career progression and opportunity; and the experience of bullying, harassment, or abuse.
“We must be honest about racism and not gloss over the issues. We must take a proactive approach in tackling these issues and we must better support and protect staff from ethnic minority backgrounds and act to make the NHS a more equal and accepting workplace.
“If we fail to acknowledge racism within the NHS, we could fail to recognise any racism towards patients. There is a link between structural racism and health inequalities and we must admit that so we can begin to address it.
“In the College’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, we are fully committed to recognising and addressing all issues around equity, equality and race. Racism and disparities are unacceptable in our College, they are unacceptable in Emergency Medicine, and they are unacceptable in the NHS.”
Survey of more than 2,100 workplace safety representatives reveals employer failures on risk assessments, social distancing and PPE during the pandemic
More than a quarter of safety reps were not aware of a risk assessment in their workplace in the last two years – despite a legal requirement to consult them
University of Greenwich report uncovers lack of health and safety structures in UK workplaces
Government must improve enforcement to keep all workers safe as economy re-opens, says TUC
The TUC’s 2020/21 survey of more than 2,100 workplace safety representatives, published on Monday, reveals that many employers are failing to follow Covid-secure rules and keep workers safe.
Safety representatives are trained worker experts, with protected legal rights under the Health and Safety at Work Act. They are often on the frontline of safety enforcement in workplaces across the public and private sector. Employers must consult safety representatives on their risk assessments and Covid-secure action plans.
But the TUC’s biennial survey has found that, in many cases, employers are failing to follow Covid-secure rules – and this is putting workers at risk of infection and avoidable illness.
Survey findings on Covid-19 and health and safety at work
Risk assessments: Morethan a quarter of safety representatives said they were not aware of a formal risk assessment being carried out in their workplace in the last two years, covering the period of the pandemic. One in ten (9%) said their employer had not carried out a risk assessment, while 17% said they did not know whether a risk assessment had taken place. Of those who said their employers had carried out a risk assessment, more than a fifth (23%) said they felt the risk assessments were inadequate.
Workplace outbreaks: More than three-quarters of safety representatives (83%) said employees had tested positive for Covid-19 in their workplace, while more than half (57%) said their workplaces had seen a “significant” number of cases.
Enforcement by the Health and Safety Executive: Less than one quarter (24%) of respondents said their workplace had been contacted by a Health and Safety Executive inspector, or other relevant safety inspectorate in the last 12 months. More than a fifth (22%) said their workplace had never been visited by an HSE inspector, as far as they were aware.
Social distancing: A quarter (25%) of representatives said their employer did not always implement physical distancing between colleagues through social distancing or physical barriers. Just over a fifth (22%) said their employer did not always implement appropriate physical distancing between employees and customers, clients or patients.
Personal protective equipment: More than a third (35%) said adequate PPE was not always provided.
Mental health concerns and stress: Almost two-thirds of safety representatives (65%) said they are dealing with an increased number of mental health concerns since the pandemic began. Three-quarters (76%) cited stress as a workplace hazard.
Comments from health and safety reps
Rebecca, safety rep in social care: “Managers refused to do risk assessments back in March [2020], but by summer they started to do it. I am proud that I fought hard for that, and for better PPE.”
Tom, safety rep in transport: “My employers have been slow to react to the pandemic and have not followed through with legal guidelines.”
Kate, safety rep in central government: “The biggest problem in my workplace has been a lack of requirement for the workforce to self-isolate until positive cases were confirmed and tracing contacts identified – potentially adding to further spread of cases of infection. Trade union Health and Safety reps prompted improvements to desk spacing to ensure social distancing, and provision of hand sanitiser at all entrances and exits.”
James, safety rep in an NHS hospital: “Covid-19 has raised stress and anxiety levels. People are anxious, depressed and despondent. Stress levels are really high. Staff are at breaking point.”
University of Greenwich report
Alongside the reps survey, the TUC is also publishing today (Monday) a report commissioned from the University of Greenwich, which shows an absence of health and safety compliance in UK workplaces.
The research found 1 in 4 managers working in the food and drinks industry – a sector that’s had several covid outbreaks – were unaware of a Covid risk assessment in their workplace.
The report also shows those in workplaces with union health and safety reps were significantly more likely to have sufficient PPE (73% versus 53% of those with no health and safety representative).
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:“Britain’s safety representatives are sounding the alarm. Too many workplaces are not Covid-secure. This is a big worry for people expecting to return to their workplace soon. And it should be a big priority for ministers too. We must have robust health and safety in place to reduce the risk of infections rising again when workplaces reopen.
“Everyone has the right to be safe at work. The government must take safety representatives’ warnings seriously. Ministers must tell the Health and Safety Executive to crack down on bad bosses who risk workers’ safety. And they must provide funding to get more inspectors into workplaces to make sure employers follow the rules.
“Unionised workplaces are safer workplaces, and union safety representatives save lives. We send our thanks to the safety reps across the country for all they are doing to keep working people safe in the pandemic.”
Professor Sian Moore, the University of Greenwich report’s lead author, said:“Our research found a worrying lack of health and safety structures in British workplaces.
“But we also identified the very real contribution to workplace safety made by union reps during the pandemic.
“Workplaces with union health and safety representatives were significantly more likely to report sufficient PPE.
“Employers are more likely to share risk assessments in workplaces with union recognition and health and safety representatives.
“This shows the important role union representatives play in keeping workers safe. But we also saw a climate of risk and fear in workplaces where unions are excluded or side-lined from risk assessments.”
