Update 07.09.21 – Additional point added on areas where face coverings are required As September begins we find ourselves in a broadly similar situation to last year – coming out of a summer where restrictions have been minimal into a new academic year, in which the key driver seems to be to keep things as…
While it’s a bit of a relief that Monday will not see radical changes to safety arrangements at the University, there were a couple of issues in the Vice Chancellor’s recent announcement on the University’s plans for the transition period to the start of the new academic year. Firstly and possibly most urgently there is…
In March, before the lockdown started, the University made a commitment to its staff that it would notify them if there were confirmed cases of coronavirus on campus. On the 23rd of March the University both clarified and repeated this commitment by stating that: “We will continue to follow this notification process until the University…
As government guidance changes and the University moves to asking a greater number of staff to return to work, we wanted to give everyone some advice on the key safety aspects of returning to work on campus. As part of this we’ve shared the University’s guidance but also highlighted where we feel it falls short…
Despite holding talks with University of Birmingham management earlier today (29 May 2019), Birmingham UCU and UNISON University of Birmingham still have Health and Safety concerns over the University’s plans to press ahead with a phased re-opening of campus, starting this coming Monday (1 June). These concerns stem from the University’s failure to properly engage…
What does “furlough” mean? In UK employment law, “furlough” is a new employment status introduced as part of the Coronavirus pandemic. If you are furloughed: You cannot do any work for your employer (though you can take part in training and volunteer, as long as it doesn’t generate income for your employer). Your employer can…
