If you have a health condition that means you’ve been labelled “clinically extremely vulnerable” to coronavirus, you’ve probably been shielding for the past year or so, unable to go to work as usual.
The vaccine programme is now rolling out across the UK, and more than 9/10 people in the same health category as you have now received their first dose.
Happily, the Covid-19 infection rate appears to be falling, and we have some hope on the horizon that things will start to return to some kind of normal.
This means the rigid guidelines are starting to lift, and Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer (CMO) for England, has advised that shielding guidance will be paused from 1 April.
But the virus is still out there. This means you should work from home, if possible. If your job means that you’re unable to do that, you will be able to return to the workplace – but you will need to take extra precautions, such as social distancing.
Your employer has a responsibility to keep their employees safe and reduce the risk of exposure to Covid-19 in the workplace.
You will soon receive a letter confirming that, after 1 April, shielding people who can’t work will no longer qualify for statutory sick pay or Employment and Support Allowance. (If you fall ill, you may still apply for these schemes.) The Furlough Scheme remains in place until 30 September 2021, so you may still be eligible for that.
What this means to you
Employers have been impacted by the pandemic too, and many businesses have suffered. Their financial support schemes are coming to an end too. This means that, despite the world starting to get back to normal, some companies will need to make their staff redundant.
How they handle this process is critical.
For one things, they need to be reasonable about who they choose to dismiss.
You might be worried that, as you’ve been shielding, you’re more vulnerable to be chosen for redundancy.
If that’s the case, it would count as an unfair dismissal.
Even if you’re picked as part of a fair selection process, the actual redundancy must be handled properly.
If it isn’t again, it would count as an unfair dismissal.
If this happens to you, and your employer is too heavy handed, you might be able to make a claim and win compeansaion or even get your job back.
For help with that, please let us know.
Related reading
- Unfair dismissal
- “I refused to attend my unsafe workplace”
- Unfair dismissal: Is it too late for me to claim?
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