The Covid-19 staff guidance for Birmingham City Council employees has been updated and staff need to be aware how this might impact on them, their staff and/or service area. Where an employee confirms that they have a COVID-related sickness absence or are in self-isolation, it is the line manager’s responsibility to ensure that the HR/Payroll […]
Section 44 Update This is the latest advice from National Schools Sector following their meeting on Thursday 7th January. The use of section 44 is once again a backstop – we used it on a blanket basis because of the situation faced. Now we are encouraging branches to seek to negotiate with employers and use […]
If you are pregnant the government has issued “strong advice” that you should work from home, if possible and to be particularly stringent about ‘social distancing’ during the coronavirus pandemic. Your employer should therefore consider allowing you to work from home. If your job isn’t suitable for home working then your employer should consider whether […]
What should I do if I think I have the symptoms of, or have had, close contact with someone who has had, COVID-19? For the latest information on symptoms, what you should do and how long you should self-isolate, see the “staying at home information” from the NHS. A change to the self-isolation period from […]
Across Birmingham City Council there have been a number of incidents in recent months of aggression from the public. If you have experienced these kinds of incidents it is very important to make sure to fill in incident reports, its not acceptable to feel threatened or attacked in work. We understand some colleagues do not […]
We believe that our members should never be in a situation where they might endanger themselves and others in the course of doing their jobs. Putting you in that situation is potentially a breach of health and safety law and may spread coronavirus to people in high-risk groups. As a last resort, when faced with a dangerous […]
There are a new range of online courses that are available for UNISON members have been created by The Skills Academy. It gives UNISON members access to over 550 free, fully CPD certified courses – there is a wide range of courses, on a multitude of subjects: HR Sales/Marketing Medical related courses (such as ADHD […]

Information from the TUC, published 11th May 2020. What are your rights if you refuse to work because of safety concerns over coronavirus at your workplace? Last night, the prime minister encouraged workers who can’t work from home and who don’t work in industries that are closed down to return to work. This announcement took unions and […]
Birmingham City Council has launched an emergency response hub to ensure access to support is available. This is for the most vulnerable citizens in the city who have no assistance from family or friends and need help from voluntary organisations and community groups for support, which may be provided by the council or the voluntary […]

Coronavirus Advice Update: PLEASE READ THE BELOW ADVICE FROM THE NHS, WHO AND GOV.UK REGARDING CORONAVIRUS AND YOUR HEALTH. Special advice for HomeCare Workers: Information to be updated… From NHS.co.uk: Symptoms of Coronavirus (Covid – 19): The symptoms of coronavirus are: a cough a high temperature shortness of breath But these […]