Unpaid Leave

[Ren Hoëk]

This isn't going to suddenly disappear over night, so while I understand why people need to isolate, if they are vulnerable, then you are going to have to look seriously at getting another job in the future, as it will never be a 0% risk profession going forward. It isn't hyperbole to say 'the world has changed' in that regard. Vaccination will only bring a little more protection.

I do not believe someone should look for another job because there's a slim chance that there will be a global pandemic. The company should step up to the duty of care it has to its staff and act responsibly, compassionately and show the same level of loyalty many of its staff shows them. This is an extraordinary scenario only matched by the companies extraordinarily s**t response to it. Profit and greed before anything else.

[Coffeeaddict]

This isn't going to suddenly disappear over night, so while I understand why people need to isolate, if they are vulnerable, then you are going to have to look seriously at getting another job in the future, as it will never be a 0% risk profession going forward. It isn't hyperbole to say 'the world has changed' in that regard. Vaccination will only bring a little more protection.

No job is ever going to be able to guarantee 100% protection this is not what I am asking for. At this moment in time the government are asking people to keep a minimum of 2 metres distance from people. The office I work in could do a lot more to prevent people been so close together and cut down the amount of people in the office at one time they are not doing it. Therefore why should I take the risk going in when they aren’t doing the best they can to protect me and others right now. Maybe I would also feel differently if I was putting myself at risk to be a genuine “4th emergency service” (i.e delivering food parcels to the elderly, delivering prescriptions etc) but RM definitely are not that they are just carrying on as normal, trying to make the bare minimum adjustments to service as they can to keep the money rolling in and treating staff as cannon fodder!

[sindba]

Are you taking unpaid because of a medical conition that you can't get a GP note for? Or because of someone at home, or just general concerns?

Also, how long is it for? 12 weeks, or for the forseeable?

[scarface]

all this thanks to our fantastic Union deciding to go along and play cat and mouse game with RM. “We have given them our demands, they’ll reply to us soon”. Week later RM cancels the meeting and s**t gets dragged on for another week, then another... Absolutely useless. Money’s keep piling up and RM is just hiding and waiting for the disease to blow over.
On a side note, my GP has refused to issue sick note for stress for longer than two weeks saying some crap like “we have to follow the strict guidelines in issuing sick notes during this unprecedented times”. I reckon they have ran out of paper and been told by government to issue them only in extreme circumstances. Because everyone is stressed now, right? And I know for the fact that thousands of extremely vulnerable people have missed out on NHS letters. Coincidence? I don’t think so, more like damage control has just kicked in. So yeah I will be going unpaid soon as well.

[themailman]

.

[antcpfc]

I am a part timer and I did offer to still go out on delivery without going in the office. I did also offer to start at a later time. But basically the bottom line was either I come in or take it unpaid they were my two options and that was it.

Don't give them the option, just say you'll be going in at whatever time, and give a long list of health and safety reasons, do this in writing.

I am off this week but on returning will be starting at 10 a.m and as I am full time will only be missing out on the IPS part of my duty. Having high BP and a wife with a low immune system was the reason for asking. My DOM was fine with this and to be honest the less people inside early doors the better, Obviously after 35 years doing this job finishing at four-five o'clock will take some getting used to

Are they telling you to make up yours hours? A much longer delivery?

Nope. I get in throw my walk off and set it in. Probably won't have a break so will be at work about 7 hours.

[LouBarlow]

This isn't going to suddenly disappear over night, so while I understand why people need to isolate, if they are vulnerable, then you are going to have to look seriously at getting another job in the future, as it will never be a 0% risk profession going forward. It isn't hyperbole to say 'the world has changed' in that regard. Vaccination will only bring a little more protection.

I do not believe someone should look for another job because there's a slim chance that there will be a global pandemic. The company should step up to the duty of care it has to its staff and act responsibly, compassionately and show the same level of loyalty many of its staff shows them. This is an extraordinary scenario only matched by the companies extraordinarily s**t response to it. Profit and greed before anything else.

That isn't what I am saying. My point is, if you consider it too dangerous to work now, and I can see why some people are, then you are going to have to look to alternate working arrangements as this is not going away. This strain and mutations of it, will be around forever. There are already experts predicting that it will become as prevalent as the common cold, in that it mutates so quickly, that there will never be a vaccine to completely eradicate it. As I said, the world has changed forever. This is not something that is going away, so you really have no alternative but to change job if you don't feel safe now.

[Ren Hoëk]

This isn't going to suddenly disappear over night, so while I understand why people need to isolate, if they are vulnerable, then you are going to have to look seriously at getting another job in the future, as it will never be a 0% risk profession going forward. It isn't hyperbole to say 'the world has changed' in that regard. Vaccination will only bring a little more protection.

I do not believe someone should look for another job because there's a slim chance that there will be a global pandemic. The company should step up to the duty of care it has to its staff and act responsibly, compassionately and show the same level of loyalty many of its staff shows them. This is an extraordinary scenario only matched by the companies extraordinarily s**t response to it. Profit and greed before anything else.

That isn't what I am saying. My point is, if you consider it too dangerous to work now, and I can see why some people are, then you are going to have to look to alternate working arrangements as this is not going away. This strain and mutations of it, will be around forever. There are already experts predicting that it will become as prevalent as the common cold, in that it mutates so quickly, that there will never be a vaccine to completely eradicate it. As I said, the world has changed forever. This is not something that is going away, so you really have no alternative but to change job if you don't feel safe now.

I understand what you are saying. It is still no reason to quit and find another job. Under your circumstances there is no safe job available. The difference is what we are seeing now is a sudden spike to pandemic levels of this illness. It threatens to overwhelm the health service. The reason they want vulnerable people shielded is to keep as many of these people away from the hospitals at the same time to manage care effectively. These people are more likely to need intensive care and we could have found ourselves in a position where the NHS couldn't provide for them at all. The fact it is Novel means we currently do not have any knowledge of best treatment, Cures, Immunisations etc but over time I suspect we will bring it under control and manage it like we manage Flu.

The Flu is just as dangerous to these same groups for the same reasons but we have that under control per se. We see a new flu jab every year for these people to try and combat it. Still, every now and then we see flu epidemics emerge. These groups don't need to distance because A, It is unlikely they will get it and B, If they do get it they have the best chance of care from the NHS. Yet, Allot of people still from it.

Il also add, Nothing you say provides any answers to the plights of these people right this second. There are no other jobs to go to right now other than ones that put you at the same level of risk. People are facing no pay right now, This Friday and onwards. The company needs to step up now instead of just waiting for it to go away. If your prophecy is true then perhaps that is something that will have to be addressed. I don't think that is the situation we are going to find ourselves in.

[realitybites]

Sorry to hijack the thread but if you take unpaid leave do you have to apply for SSP? Is this done online. No one at my place seems to have any idea.

[Ren Hoëk]

Sorry to hijack the thread but if you take unpaid leave do you have to apply for SSP? Is this done online. No one at my place seems to have any idea.

Iv got no idea on that one. Fast approaching the end of my A/L and start of unpaid leave. Seems like a ridiculous situation we've found ourselves in.

[sindba]

Sorry to hijack the thread but if you take unpaid leave do you have to apply for SSP? Is this done online. No one at my place seems to have any idea.

Iv got no idea on that one. Fast approaching the end of my A/L and start of unpaid leave. Seems like a ridiculous situation we've found ourselves in.

It is absolutely insane.

How hard would it have been to draw up a comprehensive list of conditions using the sources provided on the NHS Covid page, and say that anyone in that position or with someone at home, can take paid leave? A day's work for someone vaguely competent.

I can only assume that this vague hope for best, "leave it up to managers" approach from RM is deliberate. They just want us working and do not give a flying one about our health or our families.