Return to work update

Update on requests to return to work

Members will already be aware that your PCS branch representatives have opposed plans to bring members back into offices on non-essential work. Whilst this remains our position, despite what the Government are saying publicly in their daily announcements their advice allows employers to bring workers back into workplaces to do work that cannot be done at home even if that is routine work as long as social distancing measures are in place.

In our talks with some local managers they assure us that this critical work. However our members who have already been attending the office on a voluntary basis to do Euro legacy work have found much of it be around cases missing Service Level Agreements that we have been informed have not been suspended. Our members have said they were expecting to work cases that involved NHS workers or domestic violence cases (of which there is no doubt some).

Whilst tipping cases does not meet our understanding of essential or critical work the Home Office position is that they are following all Government and PHE (Public Health England) guidelines and they have authority from the government and the Cabinet Office to undertake non-essential work if this work cannot be done at home.

EWH contracts

Members alerted us to plans that required members on evening hours contracts (usually 5 - 9pm) to be placed on a rota to work 12 - 4pm and undertake legacy casework in the Capital Building.

We challenged the department over these plans, specifically about concerns that some of our members would be unable to comply with this instruction due to other commitments, the inflexibility over the shift start/finish time and the impact on the allowances these members receive for evening working.

After discussions with the Head of Euro & Settlement the department have agreed that

• This will not be possible for everyone, particularly where they have other jobs, digital university lectures or other commitments that cannot or should not be changed and they accept that on top of those shielding, not everyone will be able to agree to the shift change. The department is hopeful that those who are able to work these changed hours will do so but that where there are difficulties then individuals should raise these through their line management chain.
• The department have agreed that rigid shift start times were not necessary and these employees can agree with their managers to work their 4 hours at any time during the office opening hours.
• There will be no impact on evening working allowances despite these hours being worked during the day time.

We welcome these improvements. As always, if member’s are having difficulties with these arrangements please contact us in the usual way through our branch website.

International Work

We were earlier informed by the department of plans to bring 28 employees per day back into 101 Old Hall Street to carry out international work. The department shared with us the plans for social distancing in the office as well as getting in and out of the building. On the back of this we received contact from many members concerned about being required back into the office to undertake this work.

We raised these concerns with a view to the department looking again at the proposals particularly as our members were telling us that parts of this work could be done at home. The department has agreed and after pushing the start back a week confirmed that they had dropped the number from 28 to 18.

PCS have continued to argue the safest place for members is to stay at home. This has remained our position throughout and we have repeated to the Home Office at every opportunity. However where we can agree improvements for those who are asked to return to the office we will do so. Keeping numbers to a minimum will help reduce the risk to those working in the office during this time.

Contacting your branch

Since the lockdown began Home Office Merseyside Branch reps have continued to monitor the branch inbox for general enquiries and our online form for requests for assistance as regularly as we can. The number of requests for personal assistance have dropped but the number of general enquiries received have increased significantly. We will continue to respond to members as soon as possible. Please note however that we have no control over enquiries sent to the PCS Central Response Team nor input into responses although the branch as has had some queries referred to us some days later. If you choose to contact the central response team please do not send the same query to us separately as it is taking up valuable time double-handling.

Before contacting us please check our Coronavirus and News pages which are updated regularly.