Work and the heatwave
Temperature at work
Let us know how you are coping with the heatwave at work.
Employers have a legal duty to prevent injury and ill health to their employees if they are exposed to unreasonab
Data: GDPR and the workplace
Using new data regulations as an opportunity to negotiate better conditions
Unite Shop Stewards / Reps have an opportunity to further improve conditions for our members. This is particularly the case regarding workplace surveillance.
New data protection rules don’t trump safety reps’ rights
GDPR - Employers wrongly using them to restrict information to Health & Safety reps
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into effect this week and some employers are ‘worryingly’ –
Do you know about the Unite asbestos register?
Register for all those who believe they have been exposed to asbestos at work
Unite maintains a register for all members who believe they have been exposed to asbestos at work. The database allows us to trace witnesses
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Is Mental Health First Aid the answer? Depends on the question
£15 million programme
A number of employers on the social housing sector have embraced the idea of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in recent years. The government has recently announced a £15 million p
Mears strike resumes
Shocking levels of mental illness and stress revealed problems among Mears Manchester housing workers
Mears is one of the biggest contractors in the housing sector for outsourced repairs. We have VIEW
Hazards conference
Workplace health and safety reps
The annual Hazards conference takes place each year at Keele University. It is organised by Greater Manchester Hazards Centre (GMHC), part of a national network of Hazards Centres from
Hot and bothered
Is your office too hot?
Amanda Campbell, Cross posted from UNITELive
You know what it can be like at w
Construction workers have high suicide risk
Construction must radically reform to reduce high suicide rates
Unite, the largest union for construction workers, is calling on the industry to take radical action to reduce the high number of suicides among its workf
Work proper hours in housing
Talking point
Work your proper hour’s day always gets press coverage and becomes a talking point - this year Friday 24th February. It’s the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finis
New stress guide from the TUC and HSE
Tackling workplace stress
A new guide to tackling workplace stress using the health and safety executive management standards has been produced by the TUC and the Health and Safety executive. Branch members incre
Cancer all-clear for night work based on ‘bad science’
Methodological flaws "invalidate" conclusions
Night shifts are bad for your health, and many of our members who work night shifts have been particularly concerned at the mounting evidence that night work is l
Housing association downgraded because of fire safety
Unite reps will remind management
The social housing regulator has downgraded another housing association following failures to do with its fire risk assessments. Manchester based St Vincent&rsqu
Work stress at record levels - see our new resources
Seven in ten reps report problem
Findings published by the TUC on 10 October indicat
Housing Association slammed by regulator over fire safety
Regulatory notice
Tower Hamlets Community Housing Association (TCHA) has been given a “regulatory notice” by the social housing regulator becuase of a failure to adress fire safety issues.
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Inside Housing survey assaults to housing workers
Have you been physically or verbally assaulted during your work as a housing professional?
Inside Housing has launched a questionnaire for housing staff – it can be completed here.
Reach out recovery heath and safety dispute
3,000 emails in support of Birmingham health & safety rep over sacking by drug charity in ‘fire alarm’ row
The boss of a Birmingham drug and alcohol charity, which sacked health and safety rep Alison M
Who Tracks the Trackers?
Is monitoring and surveillance getting out of control at work? This question is beginning to concern an increasing number of our members. We are told that surveillance systems at work and in society are there to safeguard staff, clients, and the wider community, but they increasing
Housing association worker suffers life changing injury
Broken bones
A Manchester housing association has been hit with a £200,000 bill after a worker had to have a finger and thumb amputated after his hand was mangled by a mower.
Stress awareness day
ACTION ON STRESS
In 2014/15 around 234,000 people reported that their stress, depression and anxiety was caused or made worse by their work. We need to take action!
It’s the 17th National Stress Awareness day on 4 November 2015 and Unite is aware that
Trade Union bill threatens health & safety
Government threat to safety reps – get the message out there!
Cross posted from the TUC 'Stronger Unions' blog by Hugh Robertson
The TUC is running a major camp
Hard Day’s Night: TUC report calls for fair deal for night work
The work-life balance impacts of night working
A new report gives useful information for Unite reps on the housing sector. The report concentrates on work – life balance; see VIEW
New evidence: shift work makes you sick
What can we do about shift work?
Evidence of the damaging health effects of shift work continues to mount; it is clear that many shift workers in our branch will have increased risk of contracting cancer and suffer other health problems as a result of t
Companies scrap 'performance management' What about HA's?
Companies scrapping performance management
Accenture, the multinational IT and business strategy company is reported in the Washington Post to be ending its ‘performance management’ system. From September this year they will join other
Revealed: how stress takes it's toll on workers in the sector
The Guardian is featuring a new survey on the impact of stress on workers - it will be a talking point in the sector and Unite reps will seek to use these discussions as a basis for positive campaigns.
The survey finds "Long hours, a lack of breaks and a fraught wo
Fill in this survey: have you been verbally abused or assaulted?
Have you been verbally abused or physically assaulted on the job?
If so fill in this anonymous survey being run by Inside Housing magazine here
As we reported on t
New TUC report on mental health in the workplace
The prevalence of mental health problems among Britain’s workers is being exacerbated by reductions in the funding of mental health services, the TUC has warned. It added that official statistics “confirm a clear link with conditions such as stress generated at work that lead to menta
Long hours damage health - new research
New research underlines the health risks of working long hours. An international study released last week has identified that those who work more than 48 hours a week are 11% more likely to drink alcohol at risk levels than those working a standard week – see VIEW
Unite launches asbestos awareness campaign
The risk from asbestos is a serious concern for anyone working in housing and contruction. Unite is launching an asbestos awareness campaign to highlught the risks from this silent killer. There is an informative an informative online campaign pack to arm Unite reps and members.
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Get ready for 'Work Your Proper Hours Day': Friday 27 February
Work Your Proper Hours Day (27 Feb 2015) is the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do every year, and starts earning for themselves. We think that's a day worth celebrating.
Our survey of Unite housing branch members
