Covid-19 - Coronavirus advice for workers in Wales
Welsh Government is clear – if you can work from home, then you must. If your employer is preventing you from doing so even when it’s possible, speak to your trade union immediately.
Skip to:
- our work with government to support workers
- your health and safety at work
- impact on BME workers
- looking after your mental health
- getting help and advice at work
- useful webinars
- working from home
- Sick pay
- rights to time off for parents
- rules if you are temporarily laid off (furloughed)
- redundancy advice and support
- training and learning during Covid
- disabled workers - right to reasonable adjustments while working from home
- pregnant workers' rights
- supporting members experiencing domestic abuse
- other sources of information and support
Our work with government to support workers
No matter where you work or what you do, you have the right to be safe at work. Throughout this crisis we’ve been campaigning for all workers in Wales to have this right fulfilled.
This means employers carrying out risk assessments, introducing new measures to prevent the spread of Covid like PPE and screens, and paid time-off for Covid tests, self-isolation and vaccination. And it also means that no one is discriminated against because they are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid.
By working in social partnership, we’ve made sure that workers’ safety in this crisis is always considered. Welsh Government has introduced a two-metre law to mandate social distancing in workplaces and an individual risk assessment tool to help protect workers who are at higher risk of serious illness from Covid.
The financial impact on workers is also very important. Unions have successfully campaigned to deliver decent sick pay for care workers in Wales and grants for workers who have slipped through the safety net like taxi drivers and freelancers in the creative industries.
The Wales TUC is working with Welsh Government and other organisations to support workers in Wales affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Welsh Government has led the way on ensuring the safety of workers with the introduction of the 2-metre social distancing law. We are continuing to work in social partnership with Welsh Government and are working with them to ensure that:
- all key workers know that they are entitled to testing and can access the right PPE to protect them and their colleagues
- that the 2-metre social distancing law continues to be rigorously applied
Wales TUC and our affiliated unions have been working with the Welsh Government to tighten up the rules on health and safety at work.
The government listened to our concerns and, in January, introduced a new law on what employers must do to keep their workers safe during the Covid crisis.
Read the Welsh Government guidance on what your employer should be doing to minimise your risk of exposure to coronavirus.
Protecting our NHS and keeping workers’ safe are critical. We will continue to work together to do all that we can to support and retain good jobs in Wales through the crisis and as we move towards recovery.
Coronavirus advice - your health and safety at work
- Are you able to stay safe from coronavirus at your workplace?
- Have you got the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) you need to keep you safe?
- Are you able to practice social distancing at work?
- Are you able to wash your hands whenever you need to?
If you answered 'no' to any of these questions or have any health and safety concerns, please fill in our health and safety concerns form. We will anonymously share your concerns with Welsh Government and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). If you tell us it's okay, we will also pass your details on to your trade union so they can raise your issue with your employer and offer you advice about what to do next.
What if you refuse to work because of safety concerns over coronavirus at your workplace? Read our blog 'Can I refuse to work because of coronavirus?' to find out more about your rights.
Read the Welsh Government guidance on what your employer should be doing to minimise your risk of exposure to coronavirus.
Watch a replay of our webinar on coronavirus at work - a health and safety issue .
We've also put together some information for trade union health and safety reps on what health and safety reps can do to help protect members' health and safety during the coronavirus lockdown.
For advice on what do to if you think you have COVID-19 visit the Public Health Wales website or the NHS website.
Coronavirus - impact on BME workers
Trade unions are very concerned by reports of the disproportionately high number of Covid-19 deaths affecting frontline workers from BME (black, minority and ethnic) backgrounds. We are calling for clearer data to be collected to understand why ethnicity is a strong risk factor.
We don’t know why Covid-19 affects some people more than others, but we do know that BME people in the UK have experienced years of systematic discrimination in the workplace, and in society more widely as a result of the impact of UK government policies.
We know, for example, that they are more likely to be living in overcrowded accommodation, less likely to have access to good healthcare, and more likely to be trapped in low-paid, high-risk jobs.
We also know that BME people have been disproportionately affected by a decade of UK government austerity and cuts to public services.
Watch Wales TUC General Secretary Shavanah Taj talking about this issue on ITV Wales.
Read our guide on BME workers in Wales and Covid 19 and our blogs on
why structural racism is putting BME lives at risk during the coronavirus outbreak
and Covid 19: How racism kills.
BME workers survey
We want to know more about how people are finding the Welsh workplace and the impact that their race or ethnicity has on this. We are running a survey to help us create useful resources for workplaces and help us to provide evidence for the Welsh Government on what needs to change.
Don't let your concerns go unheard. Please take our survey.
Coronavirus advice - looking after your mental health
Coronavirus has impacted workers in many ways, but one we all share has been the impact on our mental health. Worrying about job security, being coerced into unsafe work environments or adapting to the challenges of working from home and being with family 24/7 are just some of the issues affecting workers. But there are ways that you can protect your mental health and even lead to a growth in your mental wellbeing.
Check out our Coping with Covid bite-size learning sessions to give you tools and techniques to help you look after yourself and cope with the challenges of the pandemic.
Read our blog for some tips on looking after your mental health during the coronavirus crisis.
Watch a replay of our webinar on tackling isolation.
The Mental Health Foundation have produced a useful guide for looking after your mental health during the Covid-19 outbreak
Coronavirus advice - help at work
Contact your union rep or official for advice on how coronavirus may affect you at work.
Not in a union? Use our join a union tool to find the right one for you.
The TUC has produced extensive guidance for trade union reps. It is designed to give you an understanding of the workplace issues in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also provide support in being effective at negotiating with employers steps that can be taken to best protect the health and safety of the workforce.
Read the TUC's coronavirus advice for reps.
Read our blog on 10 things you can do now to organise on coronavirus at work.
Watch our webinars: coronavirus at work - Q&A and how to organise through the coronavirus crisis.
We've also put together an interactive guide for reps on organising through the coronavirus crisis.
The Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) is continuing to offer support and a wide range of learning opportunities to workers during this time. See more details on our WULF web page. You can also watch a reply of our webinar on apprenticeships and Covid 19.
Watch replays of recent webinars:
No return to work until it's safe
The tools to create your own future
Coronavirus - your right at work
Coronavirus advice - working from home
Covid-19 means many workers are working from home so we've put together some tips for people who are doing so.
Read our blogs about what you need to know when working from home , health and safety while working from home and learning something from home during the coronavirus.
Watch a replay of our webinar on health and safety while working from home.
Working from home can mean that workers are exposed to different health and safety hazards, and some employers are ignoring their responsibility to carry out a risk assessment.
Employers have a legal obligation to carry out a proper check and address risks, even in a home environment. From your workstation at home to the hours you work, employers have a duty to ensure your physical and mental wellbeing.
If you feel your employer has not done this, or is neglecting their responsibilities, your workplace reps can help change this.
To find out more about what you can do if you are a workplace rep, have a look at our interactive guide to risk assessments for homeworkers.
Sick Pay
The Welsh Government had launched a number of financial schemes to support workers:
- Statutory sick pay enhancement for social care workers who are required to stay off work due to actual or suspected COVID-19 or because they have to self-isolate.
- Self-isolation support scheme for those on low income, who cannot work from home and must self-isolate.
- Financial help to pay your bills during the pandemic
We believe that, at £94.24 a week, the national rate of sick pay is nowhere near enough. The UK government should therefore introduce emergency legislation that:
- Gives every worker the right to statutory sick pay from the first day of absence
- Scraps the minimum earnings threshold for statutory sick pay
- Ensures that sick pay is paid to all workers having to self-isolate
- Increases the weekly level of sick pay
- Provides funds to ensure employers can afford to pay sick pay, and provide additional support to those who miss out
Sign our #SickPayforAll petition.
Coronavirus advice - what are my rights to time off due to school closures?
If you have children, you may need to take time off due to nurseries and schools being closed.
The UK government has confirmed that parents of children who are unable to work because they need to look after children are eligible to be 'furloughed' as part of the Job Retention Scheme.
Currently, it is down to individual employers to agree to the worker being furloughed, but in reality many employers are telling workers to use leave or change shifts. The TUC has called for the UK government to take a clearer lead on this issue. If you are having difficulties, speak to your union rep if you need help or advice.
You may have the right to take 18 weeks unpaid parental leave, if you've worked for your employer for 12 months or more. In some workplaces, unions have negotiated for this parental leave to be paid. Your contract should confirm what arrangements apply in your workplace, but you can also contact your union rep or manager if you’re unsure.
However, some workers don't have these rights, and face months without pay. Nobody should face losing their income or job for doing the right thing.
We’re calling for the UK Government to temporarily introduce guaranteed paid parental leave for one primary carer. They should reimburse employers, like they currently do for maternity leave.
Read our blog to find out more about rights to time off for parents and sign our petition and support working parents.
Coronavirus advice - what are the rules if you're temporarily laid off?
The coronavirus has put the UK economy under immense strain, with businesses across the country shutting down to prevent the spread.
After discussions with trade unions, the government has put billions of pounds into a furlough scheme that has seen the taxpayer give businesses 80 per cent of the wages of those employees who are temporarily laid off. The current scheme is due to run until Spring 2021
The TUC welcomes measures to protect jobs, but it's important that employers follow the rules when sending staff on furlough. If you're a worker who has been furloughed, make sure you know your rights.
Read the TUC blog to find out more about your rights as a 'furloughed' worker.
Watch a replay of our webinars on the job retention scheme and employment rights and coronavirus at work - the wage subsidy.
Redundancy - advice and support
Employer schemes such as the Job Retention Scheme and the introduction of furlough may prevent the worst of the job losses in the short-term across Wales.
But redundancies are still happening, their scale may worsen when furlough arrangements are eventually scaled back, and if a predicted recession takes hold of the economy.
Read our advice page on redundancy support during the coronvirus crisis.
Watch a replay of our webinar on supporting members with redundancy held on Wednesday 8 April 2020:
Training and learning during Covid
The Wales Union Learning Fund (WULF) is continuing to offer support to workers affected by redundancy through the coronavirus crisis. See more details on our WULF web page.
There is also a range of funding schemes available to help workers get back in to learning, or onto a new training opportunity. Union reps and officers need to know about these opportunities and talk to their colleagues and bosses about how they can be used during Covid. Read about the funding available for skills training in Wales.
Youth unemployment is a particular is a growing issue during the pandemic. Watch Wales TUC National Officer Deri Bevan talk about the scale of the problem and how trade union reps can support young workers in their workplace.
Disabled workers and Covid - reasonable adjustments when working from home
Covid-19 means more people than ever before are required to work from home.
But if you are a disabled worker and have reasonable adjustments at work, this change can prevent you doing your job properly.
Employers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable workplace adjustments for disabled people. This is to prevent a disabled worker being put at a disadvantage compared to a non-disabled worker. This can be due to the way the workplace is organised, the physical features of the work environment or the absence of an extra aid or service.
Pregnant workers and COVID - what are your rights?
UK government guidance classifies pregnant women as part of the 'vulnerable people' group who should observe 'social distancing measures'.
This has significant implications for pregnant women who are told their job cannot be done from home, where reasonable safe working measures cannot be put into place and/or whose travel to work inhibits appropriate social distancing.
Employers have a legal obligation to assess the workplace risks for pregnant women and their unborn children, and breastfeeding mothers who have returned to work.
They must keep these risks under review as circumstances change and the pregnancy progresses, if applicable.
If there is a health and safety risk that prevents you carrying out your normal role and you cannot be redeployed, you should be suspended on 100% of your normal rate of pay.
If however you have been furloughed, you should be furloughed on the same terms as other non-pregnant colleagues.
Domestic abuse - supporting members during the lockdown
Lockdowns around the world have resulted in an increase in domestic abuse.
Measures to prevent the spread of the virus mean that many people are now isolated at home with a perpetrator. Support agencies have reported a huge rise in people reporting abuse.
Read our information page to find out how you can support members and co-workers experiencing domestic abuse.
The Live Fear Free Helpline can provide support to anyone affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence. They can also provide advice to those concerned about a colleague, friend or family member. Their helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0808 80 10 800. You can also get advice and support by:
- Text on 07860077333
- Web chat at livefearfree.org.uk
- Email info@livefearfreehelpline.wales
Coronavirus advice - other sources of information
Shelter Cymru has advice for people worried about how Covid-19 could affect their housing
The Senedd research blog has compiled a useful list where you can find information on topics including housing, benefits, health and education.
The Equality Advisory Support Service offers advice and help to individuals on equality and human rights issues. It is still offering advice through its free helpline on 0808 800 0082, BSL advice service and webchat and textphone. You can also fill in the contact form on www.equalityadvisoryservice.com
Disability Wales has compiled a 'your questions answered list' in response to disabled people's frequently asked questions on Covid-19 and a list of useful local contacts in Wales.
GamCare has telephone and online support available for anyone concerned about their own or someone else's gambling.
Public Health Wales has an information page on staying well at home during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Money Advice Service has put together advice pages on coronavirus and your money and coronavirus - what it means and what you're entitled to.
The Wales Cooperative Centre has put together a list of Covid-19 related links aimed at people working in cooperatives and social enterprises.
Digital Communities Wales has compiled lists of useful learning resources and digital tools on the following topics:
- Risk of isolation (e.g. fun things to do to pass the time)
- Keeping in touch
- Kids out of school
- Mental health
Mental health charity Mind Cymru has information on coronavirus - supporting yourself and your team and coronavirus and your wellbeing.
