Workers’ rights legislation was, unsurprisingly, drawn up without a global pandemic in mind, so there is some lack of clarity when it comes to particular rights. We aim to answer some of the key questions in this section.
Returning to workplaces: your rights
- What happens if I’m told to quarantine after returning from holiday?
- My employer is saying there is no work for me, what are my rights to redundancy?
- I have a clause in my contract saying I can be laid off or put on short-time working, what does this mean?
- I have challenged my manager about the safety risks in the workplace, but they are not doing anything about it, can I take it higher and ‘whistle blow’?
- Can those who are vulnerable, shielding, or living with someone who is vulnerable, refuse to attend work?
- Does my employer have to consult the union about redundancy?
- My company has gone into administration or insolvency, what rights do I have?
- My employer is refusing to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and I am being made redundant, can I challenge this?
- Am I entitled to be paid notice at full pay even though I’ve only been receiving 80% furlough pay?
- Many of my colleagues have been made redundant and the rest of us are expected to cover lots of their work, is there anything I can do as I feel I can’t cope?
- My employer wants to introduce a new lay-off clause to my contract, do I have to agree?
- I am going back to work, but I have been told I will only be working 75% of my usual hours, can I challenge this?
- I have been told I must continue to work at home, but this is really difficult for me, what rights do I have?
- I’ve not been able to take any leave yet this year because of the extra work we have had, can I carry it over?
- If I am working on a freelance or other form of atypical contract what rights do I have?