The Government has announced changes to the Job Retention Scheme from June 1st. Below are all the details about the changes released by the government so far.
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People receiving benefits do not have to attend Jobcentre appointments for at least 3 months, starting from Thursday the 19th of March 2020. People will continue to receive their benefits as normal, but all requirements to attend the Jobcentre in person are suspended. People can still make applications for benefits online if they are eligible.
The government has banned any eviction in social or private accommodation while the coronavirus crisis is taking place. The government will be legislating urgently to ban landlords to start any eviction procedure in the upcoming three-month period.
The current coronavirus crisis is putting workers at risk, both financially and in terms of their health and wellbeing. We need to do all we can to protect ourselves in this crisis, and we have set out below the areas of employment law that we feel are most relevant. In doing so, we hope it will be an aid for workers in getting organised in order to defend themselves and staying safe during the pandemic.
If you need to stay at home because you, or someone you live with, have coronavirus symptoms, you could be eligible to Statutory Sick Pay from day one. Employers should be flexible regarding medical evidence as in some cases you will be asked to self-isolate for up to 14 days. If your workplace closes due to coronavirus, under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme you will receive 80% of wages up to £2,500 per month.
Below we have prepared some information about your rights during the coronavirus pandemic as well as mutual aid groups that have emerged to help people with self-isolation.
If you have any trouble with these rights and want support, then please get in touch. Rights are the bare minimum, and some workers or tenants might want to take the initiative in responding to this crisis themselves, we are happy to help with this as well. At SolFed we aren’t lawyers or representatives, but we are happy to take direct action to help each other out in our struggles.
Care Worker Organising in a Pandemic
Care workers right now are facing a huge challenge. We were overworked, at risk and underpaid before Covid-19 came along. A lot of us are facing massive upheaval in our work and personal lives. Lockdown is stopping us from seeing our friends, family and colleagues, and the demands now placed on the NHS, care homes and other workplaces have increased and changed rapidly. So now more than ever we are asking, what can we do?
What are we facing?
Some of the issues we are facing are new, and some are old problems exacerbated by the current crisis. The first one we are going to look at is the most common and well known right now.
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Whether you've got a union or not, join us for a workshop on how to create strong organisation in your workplace. Learn the basics of organising. Topics include:
The Law and its Limits
Your legal situation
Problems with the legal approach
Sexism at work
You are not alone
What does sexism look like?
Unequal treatment
Objectification
Sexual harassment
Structural disadvantage
Microagressions
What to do about it
The law and its limits
Your legal situation