UNISON’s legal guidance on the JRS, furlough and redundancies. You can still receive care at home from professional social care and medical professionals. The vaccine will be administered in two doses, as explained in this statement from the UK’s chief medical officers about the prioritisation of the first dose of the vaccine. Copied. If you have been working from home, you may have expenses you can claim a deduction for at tax time. Furlough letter templates. Every person who downloads the NHS COVID-19 app will be helping in the fight against coronavirus. See more information for the devolved nations: No, as the NHS’s website says here, your employer cannot force you to download and use the NHS track and tract app. Speak to your UNISON branch if you are concerned your employer is not following the guidance. The clinically extremely vulnerable will get priority access to vaccination against COVID-19 before the general population and in line with the priority ordering set by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Advice may also vary according to the sector you are working in. In any case, employers should take all reasonable steps to prevent infection by regular cleaning and by encouraging good hygiene practice. The formal shielding letter you receive will act as evidence for your employer and the Department of Work and Pensions that you are advised to shield and may be eligible for SSP or ESA. After all, many employees who now work from home due to the coronavirus pandemic didn’t choose to do so. You should continue to access support from local charities and organisations, as well as NHS Volunteer Responders. Or if you’re the relative of a UNISON member who has tragically died from contracting the disease at work. been in close recent contact with someone who has tested positive and received a notification to self-isolate from NHS Test and Trace. W orking from home during the COVID-19 crisis. And that is a small but heroic act. Using the government's furlough scheme to put staff on temporary leave during coronavirus. New guidance has been published on what restrictions are in place and they can be accessed here: Guidance on restrictions in the devolved nations can be found using the following links: Advice for our UNISON reps including model policies on COVID-19, furloughing, homeworking and more. Any carers or visitors who support you with your everyday needs can continue to visit. It is helpful if you register even if you do not have any support needs at this time. As our knowledge of COVID-19 has grown, we now know that very few children and young people are at highest risk of severe illness due to the virus. If you work in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland please refer to your own country’s advice pages. Everyone in England, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, is required to follow the new national lockdown guidance, which has been set out by the government and applies to the whole population. Support children and young people to learn remotely until February half term, except for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers who may still attend school. How Can I Treat Myself at Home If I Have the Coronavirus? If they're already at work, they should: If you cannot work from home, then you should not attend work. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced guidance for employers in the light of COVID-19. They can also be fined from £1,000 up to a maximum of £10,000 for not self-isolating. Home China World World Asia-Pacific Americas Europe Middle-East and Africa Politics Business Opinions Tech & Sci Culture Sports Travel ... Can I contract COVID-19 from touching a contaminated surface? As such, you can't claim your kids' playroom as a home office, even if that's where you do the bulk of your work lately while simultaneously trying to break up sibling fights. This has been agreed for NHS staff and the majority of local government staff (ie those covered by national joint council (NJC) terms and conditions and the Scottish Joint Council). Your employers must have carried out a risk assessment to ensure that your workplace meets government guidelines and do everything they reasonably can to make your workplace ‘COVID-secure’. The coronavirus pandemic is slashing jobs by the day. It identifies workplace hazards that are likely to cause harm to employees and visitors. Find out how your local council can help. You may want to speak to your employer about taking on an alternative role or change your working patterns temporarily to enable you to work from home where possible. While ‘Long Covid’ is not yet a formal diagnosis, it is likely that as more research is conducted it could be recognised as a long term health condition and may ultimately qualify as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. You can log in and update your needs if circumstances change at any time. They found that they can work together in the one office they have, but not if … Sometimes, keeping two metres apart is not practical, for example, when you are looking after children in schools or caring for vulnerable adults. From the UK to the US, Japan to South Korea, these are all global companies that have, in the last few days, rolled out mandatory work-from-home policies amid the spread of Covid-19. If there is more than one case of COVID-19 in a workplace, employers should contact their local health protection team to report the suspected outbreak who then will then undertake their own risk assessment, advise the employer on what further steps may be required. By continuing to use our website you are consenting to their use. The government announced on 20 March 2020 that Universal Credit will be increased by £20 per week (£1,000 a year). UNISON is working proactively with the UK governments and other bodies to keep you safe at work. You should have a conversation with your employer about whether this is possible. Unnecessary and incorrectly used PPE may put yourselves, colleagues, family and friends at additional risk. Brits are now being told to work from home if they can… If nothing else, COVID-19 has taught us people can work from home. You are advised to stay at home as much as possible and not to travel unless essential (for example, to attend health appointments). A. UNISON, UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AY. You can access a range of NHS services from home, including ordering repeat prescriptions or contacting your health professional through an online consultation. Up to date guidance on what employers need to do to make workplaces ‘COVID-secure’ can … This means you should continue to receive PIP (personal independence payments), ESA (employment support allowance) and industrial injuries disablement benefit without having to attend a face-to-face appointment but you may be contacted to complete a review or re-assessment form. Further advice on what employers should do, including the support they should provide for staff who are required to self-isolate is available on the government website. If you need support to work at home you can apply for Access to Work. Clinically extremely vulnerable people are expected to receive a vaccination against COVID-19 before the general population. You are strongly advised to work from home because the risk of exposure to the virus in your area may currently be higher. Some employers have specific arrangements to support parents during the current pandemic. 7+7 Strategies for Working from Home During COVID-19 How to successfully juggle work and kids without dropping any balls. Working from home as a public health measure in response to the pandemic has been a crucial factor in mitigating the transmission of the virus amongst the general population. They do not provide the protection against the risk of infection that PPE such as certified face masks do. Our PPE guide provides further advice on this. Registering on the site just gives you priority. request priority access to a supermarket delivery slot (if you have already got priority access that will continue – you do not need to do anything further), tell your council if you need support to follow shielding guidance, especially if you are unable to arrange this yourself or with the help of friends, family or other support networks, make sure your details, such as your address, are up to date, You have one or more of conditions listed below, or, people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy, people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy, people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment, people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer, people having other targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or, people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs, people with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (, people with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (, people on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection, problems with your spleen, for example splenectomy (having your spleen removed), adults on dialysis or with chronic kidney disease (stage 5), women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired. If you can't work from home. Whether you are paid or get sick pay will depend on your contract. If you can work from home, it will delay your getting the virus. Unfortunately, if you are working from home as a W-2 employee ― that is, your wages are paid through payroll and your employer withholds taxes ― there’s not much you can claim on your tax return, according to Christina Taylor, head of operations at Credit Karma Tax. Even if you and the people you work with have been vaccinated, you should continue to follow infection prevention control measures and wear appropriate PPE. If you need to stay at home to look after your children, you are legally entitled to unpaid dependant leave. Others living in a household with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable are not advised to follow this guidance. This will mean some form of PPE may be required. That is why we have campaigned to make employers comply with social distancing guidelines. People who are defined as clinically extremely vulnerable are at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus. Working from home during COVID-19. You can still meet with your support bubble, but you cannot meet others you do not live with unless they are part of your support bubble. National information on the vaccination programmes in: The UK government announced the extension of the ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ in a bid to avoid mass redundancies. Some people are still experiencing these ongoing symptoms as long as six months or more after contracting COVID-19. More detailed information about risk assessment, We need you to help us make workplaces safer: Find out how to become a Safety Rep. If you need more information please contact your branch. Try to stay 2 metres away from other people within your household , especially if they display symptoms of the virus or have been advised to self-isolate. Hot tip: If they're eating, sleeping and breathing, you're doing a good job. Go to the Every Mind Matters website for advice and practical steps that you can take to support your wellbeing and manage your mental health during this pandemic. Face coverings such as a scarf, bandana or mask must not be used as a replacement for PPE. Working from home during coronavirus. Family and medical leave insurance laws vary by state. Face-to-face health assessments for sickness and disability benefits remain suspended but some reviews or re-assessments are gradually restarting. People with the following conditions are automatically deemed clinically extremely vulnerable: Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. Putting you in that situation is potentially a breach of health and safety law and may spread coronavirus to people in high-risk groups. If you have an urgent medical need, call NHS 111 or, for a medical emergency, dial 999. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve government services. We are advising clinically extremely vulnerable people to stay at home as much as possible. If you can’t work while you are self-isolating because  of  COVID-19, statutory sick pay (SSP) is now available from the first day you are off sick. Testing is voluntary and your employer should not insist you request a test. UNISON’s There for You charity can also provide signposting to emotional support. A risk assessment is what an employer must do to keep their workers and anybody else who may use their workplaces, safe from harm and must be ‘adequate’, ‘suitable and sufficient’. Maira Wenzel and her husband both work for Microsoft and have been working from home for two weeks. The priority groups who will be vaccinated first include care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable. We have a page of PPE detailed advice here. We’ve put together a Q&A on coronavirus and pensions. You can still go outside for exercise or to attend health appointments, but try to keep all contact with others outside of your household to a minimum, and avoid busy areas. If you are paid less than £120 a week you will be able to access Universal Credit or Contributory Employment and Support Allowance more easily. If you are on a low income you may be entitled to Universal Credit. Your local NHS services are well prepared and will put in measures to keep you safe. Even if you have had both doses of the vaccine, you should continue to follow this shielding advice, until further notice as we continue to assess the impact of vaccination among all groups. Although this is very much a right of last resort, the context of a situation will be key on whether refusing to return to work or any other steps are appropriate. Read our guide for people with caring responsibilities. 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