The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Committee has today published
a further selection of submissions from concerned
workers, following a recent appeal for the public to get in touch
with the Committee on the measures their employers are putting in
place to help support them during the coronavirus crisis.
The BEIS Committee published an initial tranche of submissions on
Thursday. The Committee has now received over 2,000 emails and
tweets following the public appeal for evidence and aims to
publish a further selection of submissions later this week.
The submissions are from employees across all sectors of the
economy and from all regions of the UK. While the work
settings are diverse, a series of key concerns recur across
submissions:
- Concerns over sufficient
social distancing, protective equipment and safety measures
within the workplace;
- Confusion over whether
certain workplaces should remain open;
- The Government’s Job
Retention Scheme and who is eligible;
- Rules around self-isolation
and sick pay, including the use of annual leave and holiday pay;
- The rights of pregnant women,
people with existing health conditions and those living with
vulnerable relatives to continue to go to work;
- Rules around working from
home.
, Chair of
the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Committee said: “This is a very concerning time
for businesses and workers. I would like to thank everyone who
has taken the time to contact us about their workplace during
this crisis. These submissions highlight a series of critical
issues – on safety at work, on whether workplaces should stay
open, and around issues of self-isolation and working from home –
which the Government and businesses need to do more, and quickly,
to address.
“Many companies, big and small, are doing the right thing.
They are downing tools, shutting up shop, and paying their
employees to work at home. Their actions will save
lives.
“When this pandemic passes, businesses will have to answer
for how they treated their workers and suppliers. The Government
will be judged on the effectiveness of their response. Many
businesses will be able to tell of how they did everything they
could while others will be found wanting. The BEIS Committee will
continue to press for action on these issues and hold the
Government and businesses to account for their response to this
pandemic.”
, Chair of the BEIS Committee,
has written an open
letter to people who responded to the call for evidence
to thank them for their submissions.
Background
On Friday, , Chair of
the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(BEIS) Committee wrote to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer picking up on concerns raised by
respondents about the challenge of childcare.
On Thursday, the Committee published an initial selection
of submissions received from workers. News item Selection
of submissions.
On Tuesday, , Chair of
the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(BEIS) Committee, wrote to , Secretary of State for
BEIS [letter available via link] to call for clearer
Government coronavirus guidance for workers to help address
concerns that workers are being forced to go to work or that
their employer is not offering enough support.
The correspondence to the Secretary of State included
specific examples from workers who contacted the BEIS Committee
raising a series of common concerns, including about working in
an office even though they could easily work from home, a lack of
social distancing at the workplace, using public transport to get
to their work, living with vulnerable relatives, a policy of all
staff being in the workplace when not all staff are essential
workers, executives working from home whilst other staff are
expected to be in the office, and fears over job security should
concerns be raised with senior management.
ENDS
BEIS Committee wants to hear examples of businesses
supporting workers & national effort on coronavirus
- As part of its inquiry into the impact
of coronavirus on businesses and workers, the Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee are keen to hear
examples (tweeted to @CommonsBEIS or,
alternatively, emailed beiscom@parliament.uk)
of what individual businesses are doing to support their
employees and contribute to the national effort of combatting the
coronavirus.
