The joint unions are asking employers to agree, as part of their risk assessments for staff, that all CEV employees be permitted to work from home from September if they wish to do so. Where such staff decide that they do wish to return to work if possible, the joint unions expect the individual risk assessment to consider appropriate protective measures on the same basis as for other staff in medically vulnerable or known higher risk groups (below).  Schools should follow WHO advice and provide medical masks to all such staff who choose to come into the workplace and encourage their use in communal areas and classrooms. We believe that most heads agree with us, and we have written to them to highlight the risks to their staff and the inadequacy of the new DfE guidance. The DfE advice does not discuss the position of employees with other personal circumstances such as travel or childcare difficulties.Â. This should also be considered as an appropriate measure to remove risks to other pregnant women, in particular those who may be at increased risk due to other factors.  We advise pregnant women who are seeking to work at home or are suspended on maternity grounds to write to the employer to confirm they intend their maternity leave to start at the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC). The National Education Union (NEU) said it is not safe for clinically extremely vulnerable staff (CEV) to go to school and has urged headteachers … live with vulnerable people who are not clinically extremely vulnerable can attend work. newschain. The guidance is for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable, including children and it also applies to their family, friends and carers. However, employers should accept that in a small number of cases they will have staff at home on normal pay without work to fulfil. Risk assessments should also be kept under regular review to account for any change, for example an increase in local infection rates and the risk posed to employees.  Schools and colleges which have not conducted individual risk assessments for vulnerable and higher-risk staff should do so urgently. In such an environment, which is sadly commonplace to the vast majority of schools, clinically extremely vulnerable staff are at risk. Try the A-Z, Lateral Flow Testing in Schools and Colleges, Coronavirus: testing in schools and colleges, Coronavirus: face masks and PPE in schools and colleges, Coronvirus: Ventilation and temperature - schools and workplaces. The joint unions expect all employers to have carried out individual risk assessments for employees before directing them to attend the workplace. The Government instructed CEV individuals that they must not attend work during the lockdown period from 5 November to 3 December.  The DfE’s advice to employers is now that CEV individuals may return to work provided that the workplace is COVID-safe.  The joint unions’ advice is that CEV individuals should in all cases be permitted to continue to work at home.  If employees are in roles that cannot be done be from home, then they will need to be at home on full pay. A further review led by Doreen Lawrence has concluded that structural racism led to the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black communities. "The NEU is clear that staff who are in clinically vulnerable groups, or who live with or care for household members in clinically vulnerable groups, should not be required to return to the workplace and should instead be allowed to continue to work from home. Our extensive education portfolio has developed over the years, and caters for state schools and academies, independent fee paying schools and free schools – we have something for everyone! Risk to disabled employees also requires careful consideration even if their particular health condition does not itself place them in the medically vulnerable category.  Disabled staff often experience stereotypes at work and may be worried about the impact of the current crisis on their health and job security. The joint unions continue to believe that staff should only attend the workplace when it is sufficiently safe for them as individuals to do so. We know that schools cannot fully socially distance. Coronavirus: medically vulnerable and higher risk groups, New Professionals and Young Workers Conference, advice and guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Letter - CEV work from home request_1120.docx, Not what you were looking for? 2. Teachers and support staff with CEV make up two per cent of the estimate wider CEV working population, with three per cent of all teachers/support staff thought to be CEV. See our advice for the clinically vulnerable. Pregnant women continue to be included in the Government’s list of those who are clinically vulnerable. Contact your local union for further advice about what is reasonable to say to your employer, or if you are being asked to work at school when you do not feel it is safe to do so. In relation to such staff, the DfE advises that employers should have regard to staff wellbeing, reminds them that their duty of care extends to mental health, and notes that mechanisms to support well-being will be important where staff are anxious about returning to work. According to the most recent Office for National Statistics data, primary and secondary age children are the only age groups with an increasing rate of infection. Employers should consider the mental health of employees when undertaking risk assessments, particularly where staff have previously experienced mental health conditions. Our stable of brands has evolved and grown over the past 14 years – today we are a market-leading education publisher which produces monthly publications, websites, events and other targeted information, specifically for school leaders, school business managers, bursars and the other decision-makers responsible for business management in their schools. It applies to people living at home, with or without additional support, and to clinically extremely vulnerable people living in long-term care facilities for the elderly or people with special needs. If a school refuses to allow CEV staff to continue to work from home, then that member should get in touch with their NEU rep – and we, together as a union, will support them.”, Addressing the knowledge and skills gap in careers education. The RCOG has previously recommended, in relation to healthcare workers, that for women in the first two trimesters of pregnancy, employers should “remove any risks that are greater in the workplace than to what they would be exposed to outside of the workplace”, and that women in the third trimester should be allowed to work at home.  The joint unions believe that education employers should consider this in their individual risk assessments for pregnant women and new mothers.Â. NEU joint general secretaries Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney have written to Nick Gibb. “The NEU cannot in good conscience recommend that our CEV members go into work when asked to do so, and we will be advising them not to do so. To read NEU advice specifically for clinically extremely vulnerable members regarding the right to continue to work from home when the national lockdown ends on 2 December, click here. NEU demands that clinically extremely vulnerable staff (CEV) should continue to work from home after lockdown. Members should not simply stay away from work as your employer may treat your absence as unauthorised. Teachers and school staff who are most at risk from coronavirus should not return to the classroom next week when England’s national lockdown ends, a … NEU members can read this advice about seeking support with mental health and wellbeing. Â, If members need support to raise their personal circumstances with their employer, they can talk to their union locally. A survey of almost 11,000 schools carried out by the NEU teaching union reveals that 15 per cent could be asking staff who are clinically vulnerable to return to work. The National Education Union met with schools minister Nick Gibb to present evidence of rising COVID-19 infection rates in primary keep reading. Throughout the crisis, the NEU has recruited over 50,000 new members and over 4,000 new workplace reps, doubling the number of black and LGBT+ reps. Employers should not just decide that, because the DfE advice considers it generally safe for such employees to return to work, any protective measures being put in place for employees generally are sufficient.  Each employee should have an individual assessment which considers their personal and local circumstances and the protection they require and which should be reviewed if circumstances change. Main points. Our advice on ventilation in Covid-19 schools and workplaces. Together, we can shape the future of education. GMB guidance can be found here. Advice from 2nd December 2020; Between 24 June and 30 June 2020, 58% of clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people reported completely following shielding guidance; this is a statistically significant decrease compared with data collected between 9 and 18 June, showing 63% of people were completely following shielding guidance. The DfE has previously confirmed to the Joint Unions that it believes that ''schools should be especially sensitive'' to the needs and concerns of Black staff.Â. People over the age of 70 are considered ‘vulnerable’, even if they do not have an underlying health condition. It is also known that men are at greater risk of adverse outcomes than women should they contract the virus. The National Education Union (NEU) said it is not safe for clinically extremely vulnerable staff (CEV) to go to school and has urged headteachers to allow them to continue working from home. Specific and fuller NEU advice is available for supply staff and for peripatetic staff. By The Newsroom. Individual risk assessments must be conducted which consider the employee’s domestic circumstances and local prevalence of Covid-19. The joint unions advise members who are anxious about returning to work to contact the employer (see below). What happens when isolating pupils don’t have wifi? They should be read in conjunction with the advice set out above. The National Education Union (NEU) has written to every head teacher, employer and the Government to let them know that we think it is not safe to expect CEV staff to work in school or college and that instead they should continue work from home. This advice applies from 3 December, following the end of the period of national restrictions. Commenting, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “We know that case counts are rising in schools, especially among secondary-age pupils. This issue remains a considerable cause of concern to Black employees.Â, Black staff often feel less able to raise their concerns within workplaces because of stereotypes and prejudice. These circumstances include the individual’s own health conditions, alongside any other circumstances which place them at higher risk for other reasons. Appropriate measures might include allowing the employee to work in roles where it is possible to maintain strict social distancing, allowing the employee to work in a location where risk is lower, or where necessary providing personal protective equipment (PPE).Â, Risk assessments should have the support of the employee concerned.  Measures which are implemented should be kept under constant review.Â.  Employers should not just assume that all workplaces will be safe – steps should be taken to obtain the necessary information from other employers in order to validate any risk assessment. It does not refer specifically to CEV or CV people but advises that, for people at increased risk, settings should "try as far as practically possible to accommodate additional measures". Individual risk assessments should continue to be reviewed on a regular basis, with particular reference to any changes in local circumstances, before any direction to attend the workplace. Staff who are medically vulnerable or otherwise at higher risk will still therefore be at a greater risk of an adverse outcome if they contract the virus. As a minimum: 1. Reps and members are strongly encouraged to seek their own union’s advice on these issues whenever disagreement arises in relation to working at home for staff who are CV or in known higher risk groups.  Please refer to your union’s specific information (as detailed at the bottom of this document) or contact your branch for more information. The assessment must take account of their personal and household circumstances and, where necessary, medical advice. If you have been identified as ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’, your employer can furlough you, provided you cannot work from home once you have declared yourself fit to return to work. This is an important context to understand and acknowledge. The DfE has referred schools to advice and guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists which notes that, while pregnant women may not be more likely to become infected by Covid-19,  those who contract any respiratory illnesses in the third trimester of pregnancy (ie the 28th week and beyond) can become seriously unwell. The joint unions are asking employers to accept that not all employees are able to go in to work and reflect this in their planning, as outlined below. You could also contact your GP beforehand and discuss risk factors and possible protective measures in order to help you to explain matters to your employer. We use technical and analytical cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If there is no rep in your school, please volunteer. The joint unions expect employers to conduct individual risk assessments for employees who are in known higher risk groups.  In some circumstances, working at home may be an appropriate protective measure.  Where staff continue to work in school/college, risk assessments should consider what protective measures such as social distancing and personal protection should be adopted for them. GPs and hospital … Clinically vulnerable teachers and school staff should work from home – NEU 27-11-2020 19:46 via belfasttelegraph.co.uk Teachers and school staff who are most at risk from coronavirus should not return to the classroom next week when England’s national lockdown ends, a leading union has said. Teachers and school staff who are most at risk from coronavirus should not return to the classroom next week when England’s national lockdown ends, a leading union has said. The Department for Education (DfE)'s advice documents for schools, special education settings, FE colleges and early years settings expect that most staff will go to work at their workplace. Other disabled and or vulnerable staff should have their risk assessments revaluated and as a minimum supported in the use of medical grade masks as recommended by the WHO. If you are concerned about an instruction or possible instruction to attend the workplace, please contact your union rep or branch locally for advice and assistance. For all CV employees, the joint unions again expect employers to conduct individual risk assessments in relation to working at home.  We are calling on employers to prioritise home working options for CV employees until infection rates fall locally.  This measure will be particularly important where staff have even greater increased vulnerability due to a combination of factors or work in roles involving greater risk.Â. The National Education Union (NEU) said it is not safe for clinically extremely vulnerable staff (CEV) to go to school and has urged headteachers to allow them to continue working from home. The guidance to the most vulnerable not to go to work or school will end next week. Employers in schools and colleges should ensure that safety measures take visiting professionals into account and offer protection to them, as well as their own employees. All risk assessments should be re-looked at in the light of increased case numbers and PHE worries about ventilation. Depending on local, domestic and workplace circumstances, working at home may also be the safest measure to adopt for staff who have vulnerable household members. The joint unions will fully support members who require protection and we will continue to challenge the Government’s inadequate guidance for schools and colleges. The NEU position is that anyone living with or caring for someone in a vulnerable or extremely vulnerable category should not be expected to run the risk of bringing the virus home from work. It is intended to ensure that medical conditions, pregnancy, other personal characteristics (in particular age, sex and ethnicity), as well as the impact of economic disadvantage (which increases risk of underlying health conditions) are all taken into account in determining whether it is safe for employees to attend the workplace and what safety measures are required for them. We … Protective measures will remain more important for them and, in some cases, may mean working at home. The joint unions are advising employers that, as part of their revised risk assessments for staff, they should therefore allow all CEV employees to continue to work from home if they wish to do so. Following World Health Organisation advice more vulnerable staff, including those aged 60+, … The NEU supports our sister union ASCL’s call that heads should be allowed to move to blended learning. People at moderate risk (clinically vulnerable) have a condition affecting the brain or nerves (such as Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy) Unlike people at high risk, you will not get a letter from the NHS. Indicators of clinically extremely vulnerable people following shielding guidance. Details on how to contact your union locally can be found here for NEU members and here for UNISON members. The Government has ended its shielding advice to individuals who were previously classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, citing the reduced prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.  UNISON’s advice can be found here for school staff and here for college staff. The DfE advice for early years settings is much less detailed than for schools and colleges. * Has the school in particular agreed to individual risk assessments for staff who are clinically extremely vulnerable, clinically vulnerable (including pregnant employees) or at increased risk (in particular older staff, disabled staff and Black staff) or who live with such people? It is important to remember that employers are under a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments, which may in some cases include working at home, for disabled staff to ensure they can continue to do their jobs. Given the developments outlined above, the joint unions have called on employers to review and update all such assessments which were conducted for September. This includes assessing the individual circumstances for each employee before requiring them to attend the workplace. Where CV employees do not believe that the measures identified by the employer are enough to keep them safe in the workplace, they should inform their local union rep and immediately seek supporting evidence from their doctor and a referral to occupational health.  Whilst this process is underway, we would support CV employees being permitted to work at home until a decision can be made based on all the relevant medical information. They also ask him to justify his opposition to rotas. The joint unions do not accept the DfE’s guidance that it is safe for such staff to travel to and from school/college and to work in school/college, whatever other safety measures are adopted. NEU: clinically extremely vulnerable staff should work from home after lockdown 2nd December 2020 News The National Education Union met with schools minister Nick Gibb to present evidence of rising COVID-19 infection rates in primary and secondary schools and argued, on the basis of this evidence, that it was not safe for (CEV) school staff to return to workplaces from 3 December The assessment must also take account of local prevalence of Covid-19. In the letter, the joint general secretaries also ask Nick Gibb to share with the profession any projections he has been given for virus levels around schools between now and Christmas. “We have appealed to government to do the right thing and protect CEV staff who want to do their jobs but cannot safely work on site. 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