Want to know more about staying safe and healthy at work? Ask GMB Union’s experts - £100 voucher to be won

[JustineBMumsnet]

Coronavirus has changed work in ways we could never have anticipated. If you’ve been furloughed or you’re working from home, recent encouragement for some employers to get their employees back to work may have left you feeling confused about how this can be managed safely. So, for part 2 of GMB Union’s Work Clinic, their experts would like to help answer your questions about your right to return to work safely.

Here’s what GMB Union has to say: “GMB is the trade union for everyone. Our job is simple: protecting, defending and extending your rights in the workplace and beyond.

That means being there to fight your corner if you have a problem, big or small – and working to get you a better deal. Whatever the issue, we have thousands of highly trained staff and expert activists to support you. From securing proper sick pay in workplaces and ensuring wage support, to leading demands for proper protective equipment at the Government top table – we make sure our members’ voices are heard locally and nationally.

That’s the power of getting a union on your side. With GMB that’s what you get: a family that stands up for you.”

Want to know who will be answering your questions? Find some information on GMB’s experts below:

Lynsey Mann, National Health & Safety Officer at GMB

“Lynsey is GMB's National Health, Safety and Environment Officer. She has a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Masters degree in Environmental Health. Before joining GMB she worked at London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD) for 9 years, in various Environmental Protection and Public Health roles. During her time at LBBD, Lynsey was also a GMB equality activist and a founding member of GMB Sisters women’s self-organised group. In her spare time, Lynsey is a long distance runner who runs half marathons most weekends and is training for her second London Marathon. She also enjoys baking cakes and knitting clothes for her family and friends' children.”

Susan Harris, Director of Legal Services at GMB

“Sue is a solicitor and has been Director of Legal Services at GMB since March 2018, particularly dealing with collective issues. Previously employed at Thompsons Solicitors for 28 years as an employment law specialist, Sue acted for unions and their members on an individual and collective basis. She was appointed as a salaried partner with Thompsons when pregnant with 1st child (1993) and full equity partner when pregnant with 3rd child (1996). She is now a mother of 3 daughters, 3 cats, 4 tortoises and numerous fish. She has an abhorrence of exercise; was a regular theatre goer in pre-lock down world, so is now reading more!”

Rehana Azam, National Secretary, Public Services at GMB

“With over two decades’ experience of fighting for workers' rights with GMB, Rehana is one of the trade union movement’s most senior BAME women. She leads national negotiations with employers to improve workers’ pay, terms and conditions and is a fierce campaigner. Rehana is a proud mum of one boy safely brought into the world thanks to the NHS, as well as a gorgeous King Charles Cavalier named Archie. She's a couch to 5K type of runner, but has marched hundreds of miles for the NHS and will dust off her marching boots again after lockdown.”

Would you like to understand what your employer should be doing to enable safe and protective physical distancing? Perhaps you’d like more information on what your employer should now be providing so that you can do your job safely? Do you want to know what your rights are if you don’t believe your workplace to be safe?

Whatever your questions surrounding health and safety in the workplace at this time, please ask them below by midday on the 26th May. GMB Union’s experts will be back between 3 and 4pm on Thursday 28th May to answer your questions.

All who post a question (regardless of whether it is answered or not) will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

[Reastie]

Dh employs someone with learning difficulties. He is currently furloughed but dh wants to bring him back in June. Are there any additional issues with this from a H&S POV that means he shouldn’t return to work yet? They can socially distance BUT this relies on said member of staff remembering to distance which he may not. He also isn’t good at basic hygiene with coughing and sneezing but can’t wear a mask easily because the work is hard physical work. I have concerns about the safety of dh if bringing him back to work but I can’t find any specific guidance on people with learning difficulties returning to work.

[Honicori13]

Hi
I work in a supermarket, I’m a single mum breaking lockdown rules because I need childcare, I need to work because my benefits have been cut due to a certain employer changing everyone’s contract in November!! NOW my manager thinks it’s acceptable not to have someone outside controlling how many customers we have in the store at 1 time. Is he breaking the law, if so how do I report the A**ehole??

[Heeeelllllppppppp]

I’m a TA in Primary school. My child has severe asthma, extremely vulnerable and shielding . I’m expected to return to work as I’m a critical worker. I have no alternative childcare. What are my rights?

[Youngn37]

This is my exact question apart from my daughter is in year 5 and not due to return I work in her school and I am being harassed to return. She has asthma and I have suffered with Anxiety which they are fully aware off and I take medication daily. What are my parental rights with regards to keeping her off.? I am also a single parent and usually rely on my mother but guidance is to not interact with family which we haven’t done. So I have no one else to have her.

[ScorpionQueen]

What do you think about the guidance that teachers and tas shouldn't have PPE even though it has been acknowledged that social distancing won't be possible?

[DarklyDreamingDexter]

Is there any current advice on when workers whose job involves close proximity to clients (eg. Hairdressers, beauticians, driving instructors etc) are likely to be able to go back to work?

[Lifesbetterwithwine]

Asking on behalf of a colleague. She is a primary school teacher and has been setting work remotely and going into school to teach the children of key workers as part of a rota up to now. On 1June she is expected to return to work but has a 3 year old who before lockdown was in a Nursery but since lockdown has been looked after by her husband who was wfh. Her husband is also now required to go back into work. My colleague does not want to send her child into Nursery at the moment, but neither can she ask vulnerable grand parents to help with childcare. What are her rights re continuing to wfh rather than going back into school?

[Lordfrontpaw]

I see that they are being scolded on twitter for this. I hope they have the nerve to tell them where to get off.

[Teabaseddiet]

I'm going to go onto twitter and tweet my support to GMB for doing this, it's really helpful.

[Sarahcarol]

I work nights and contracted to Thursday and Friday nights.. I’m a single mum so my little boy stays at my dads on a Thursday night and then my son goes to his Grandmas (Which is where my sons dad lives) on a Friday night his grandma works in a nursing home so she is at high risk of catching the virus so my son could catch the virus also.. my dad suffers from C.O.P.D and suffers from irregular heart beat so my dad hasn’t been able to be around my son since the lockdown started.. so I have no childcare for me to be able to go into work Thursday nite.. I told my boss the situation and said there is nothing I can do apart from phone in sick every Thursday.. My boss said that would Hit the company’s sickness trigger.. lockdown started in March and we don’t know when the lockdown will end so that’s a lot of Thursday sick calls which then the boss said you would end up with the sack cos of my sickness percentage.. I have worked there for 19years surely I must have some rights.. I’m using my holidays to cover me at the minute but not got that many left.. do I have any rights if so what are they??

[SpiritEssence]

I work on the counters at a supermarket and they have refused to put screens up even tho pharmacy checkouts etc all have them. We are literally just have a counter between us and a customer and they can lean right over. Seems head office dont care about counter or bakery staff even tho we are dealing directly with customers daily

[Quietvoiceplease]

I am currently furloughed from my job. Am I still entitled to my full pension contributions?

[iwishiwasonhol]

work in a large supermarket ,unhappy about the amount of customers let in at a time had over 500 in at one point yesterday ,every checkout on as no one can be bothered to sort them out so that its every other one on ,no guidance on till cleaning ,lack of spray blue roll , etc I am not in a union who I can I report this store /company to

[jacqui5366]

I work in an hotdesking office environment, and have been advised that this will no longer be the case when we go back to work, which is fine, we will have an assigned desk, however I commute to work, and feel that the train journey will be more risky than working in an open plan office - with the distancing and hand gels etc - although we have been told we will be home working for the foreseeable - If i feel that (along with my work colleagues) that the transport is too risky - or if trains are only taking a fraction of the normal commuters I could be socially distancing on the platform for hours at each end of my journey until a space becomes available - what are my rights if I cannot physically get to work ?

[wherethewildthingsare]

What is your advice about the amount of time workers should be exposed to others?

[JanieLovesLuckySocks]

I have been working continually throughout and we have had safety equipment provided, screens, gloves, masks etc.
My concern is others being complacent. one of our offices is closing and the staff will be coming to this building, therefore increasing the number of staff together in an office which does not comply with social distancing. Can we request that people are relocated elsewhere /temporarily furloughed on a rota basis to avoid overcrowding?

[Buzzardbird]

I am currently furloughed for a small company that cannot operate due to PPE restrictions. I know that they will not be able to afford to pay 25% contribution towards pay from August, so I will have a choice of no job or unsafe working conditions. The nature of the work means I would be exposed to potential contaminated handled items throughout my day. I have health issues that make me vulnerable.
Will I have any rights?

[Nottheshrinkingcapgrandpa]

I’m worried about the safety of communal things such the printer, photocopier, kitchen at work as I suspect that there will only be daily cleaning of these. What can I do?

[JoyceByersWasRight]

I work in the nhs in a community setting. In our large, open plan office what do we do about using toilets and the kitchen?

[Rachel1806]

I am in vulnerable category and have no other means than using my organisation's transport to commute to and from work. Will it be advisable to start transport facilities and can I say No to joining office unless it is safe to travel in public transport?

[munchbunch12]

I have to commute on very busy trains to get to and from work. Even if my office is socially distanced etc, can I insist I continue to work from home whilst transport is a potential issue?

[lillypopdaisyduke]

Can I hand my notice in during my furlough period, I have been offered a permanent contact at my supermarket job, I do not want to go back to the call centre - can they ask for the percentage they paid towards my furlough money

[CanIHaveChocolatePlease]

Would any summer camps (especially TEFL ones) be taking place this summer, and if so, will they be different to normal (I was hoping to work at one but haven’t bothered applying yet as I feel it would be a waste of my time)

[barricade]

I work as a school teacher, and despite the lockdown-related school 'closures', we are still open for children of key workers; manned by a skeleton crew every day. The rest of the teachers are working from home - we are creating activities for pupils, uploading online and marking work every day; we are making pastoral phone calls to each and every child's household every single week; we are producing paper-based learning packs for pupils without Internet access and target children and physically posting these to their household; we are on-call to answer any staff or parental queries; we have to attend several video conferences every week; we have numerous mandatory online training courses to complete; we are still required to produce end-of-year year pupil reports, etc., etc.

However, the substantially increased risk posed with the proposed opening of schools in June, especially with people still infected and death rates still high, is leading to many teachers being extremely worried.

Is it legally viable for teachers to refuse to return to work under the circumstances if the school insists they have to? And, if so, does it have to only be as unpaid leave, or are teachers entitled to pay during any period that they are out?

[misscherry]

if my company asks me to go back to work in the office, could i refuse and carry on working from home if i feel safer at home?