Should I say no to work?

[Pinkerbells]

I work in a garden centre cafe and so have been furloughed for several weeks. We have been told garden centres can reopen on Wednesday, so the company has decided to also open the cafe. It will be for take away drinks and snacks .
What is concerning me is my home situation. I have a 10 month old, and my partner is classed as vulnerable with a very low immune system. This has meant isolation for 7 weeks (so far), he has been advised to isolate for at least 12. I honestly don't know if I should risk going back to work, and if I say no, where would I stand being furloughed? I am really scared that one of them will get ill

I am no expert but someone who is in a similar position has been looking into legality and shared this information with our workgroup. Good luck op

section44.co.uk/

I would go in, just take extra precautions when you come home. Medic friends of mine wash their hands and wrists on arrival back at home with antibacterial, they immediately take their clothes off and wash them immediately on the highest setting - you can bag up the clothes twice to be extra careful. Then a hot shower and hair wash, and you should be fine. In terms of catching the virus yourself, doing takeaway very much limits your exposure, and additionally I would wear a mask and gloves.

Provided you take precautions like this you are likely to be just fine op.

Hi my DH is on immune meds and he is going back to work this week. Manufacturing. He will be taking care with distancing etc and not using public transport. Guidance from his medical condition experts say it is 'moderate' risk and other underlying conditions such as diabetes etc make it worse, rather than just the meds on their own.

You either resign or you take extra precautions, change your clothes when you get in, including your shoes, have a shower,
there is no much else you can do

You of course could ask for unpaid leave, but for how long?

Can your employer give you tasks that involve less contact with other people, both colleagues or customers. plus they should be doing things like putting screens up at the takeaway counter and implementing other measures to keep you safe and without that they shouldn't be opening. It's not just a case of opening up as normal again. They have to make adjustments to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

Find the guidance for employers on gov.uk to read about what they should be doing to keep you safe and discuss it with them if they aren't doing it.

You go to work or you lose your job. The situation is not going to be dramatically different for months and you can't be on paid leave forever.

The thing is OP if you were a key worker you wouldn't have been furloughed at all.

Furlough was never about who you live with, it was about saving your job and keeping a roof over your head.

If any cafe doesn't have the facilities for staff to regularly wash their hands they'd have bigger problems than those caused by the virus.
I meant ease of use more than anything.

I've been to places where they wear gloves and work on orders in an "assembly line", and even hand you the money with the same gloves, rather than wash their hands between orders.

OP I can understand your fear. However...

Over the next year, many people will lose their jobs and remain unemployed for the long term. If you give up this job, you may not get another one for years. I would hold onto this job like it was the last job. Take precautions, but dont give this job up.

*handle your money

You cannot stay furloughed if there is work for you to do, so if they’re reopening the cafe, your furlough will come to an end automatically.

All the unions are going to do is act if her employers haven't set up the work place to make social distancing possible

Which is quite a bit, if you think about it. But they will also act if the employer has failed to provide the equipment needed to work safely, eg masks and gloves and will represent members in the event of disciplinary action or dismissal, and constructive dismissal.

I think unions are needed more than ever in the current climate.

Read up on the stories of doctors and nurses and carers and bus drivers who still go to work with shielding family members and haven’t passed anything on. The one thing they all have in common is hygiene and the shielding person social distancing.

I would ask your work in writing for details of how they will keep you safe as an employee? E. G. Lots of places have gone cashless so you are not having to handle money, will there be markers on the floor and signs for customers about where to stand and how to distance themselves from staff? I would also ask if gloves and masks will be provided, or at least if you will be allowed to wear your own (which I would insist on doing).

The advice about washing and changing when you get in is good. The medics I know all change at work before they get in their car, then as soon as they walk in at home they throw everything in washing machine and jump in shower without touching any surfaces or talking to their family first. It's horrid and I feel for you.

Could you ask to work behind the scenes away from the public. That might be better.

As long as your employer can follow safety guidance then unfortunately you don't have much choice but to go in or face unpaid leave.

Referrari - this article on section 44 is quite misleading. Best to seek actual advice from a professional in the field. It's not as simple and some of the information isn't correct.

OP - if you do have Health and safety concerns do raise them with your employer, ask to see the risk assessment.
Also look up on the virus/virus load - the main risk is prolonged (10-15mins onwards) face to face contact. Research it to understand how best to mitigate the risks yourself.

He can shield at home as a vulnerable person, away from you as people who have been working and living with a vulnerable person have been doing from the start.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19