UNISON has been working with Aberdeenshire council to ensure the safety and well being of staff and service users throughout the current Coronavirus crisis.
On 19th March the council launched a brand new staff micro-site to share all our updates with Aberdeenshire Council staff across all of our teams. This site is available to non-networked colleagues as well as those with email addresses. https://covid19.
Please click on the ‘daily bulletins’ tab for updates. This is a fast moving situation with new advice and guidance by the day. Keep up to date with council guidance on this site.
There is also information on that page about an app which staff can download to their smartphones. It allows them to be alerted to each bulletin. Really useful for colleagues who don’t have a corporate device. Please bring this to the attention of your teams.
Note, this is a staff site and members of the public or community groups should be directed to www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk where the homepage links to a dedicated COVID-19 page.
Branch secretary, Inez Kirk is our representative on the Covid-19 group.
Inez said, “There are a number of other questions that I have raised with regards to childcare etc. which I will update as we go along and for ongoing disciplinary and grievance issues as well as other routine HR activities with ourselves.
“Early indications are that staff will remain being paid but may be asked to work different hours if they have partners that can take over childcare.
“For example, staff will be asked to help in other services should the need arise and they have the right skills eg disability helping with older people etc.
“Staff may be asked to work weekends if they are able to do this, when they haven’t previously. However, they will still get two days off per week.
“The council is also looking at how vulnerable families and children can be supported should schools be closed, to ensure they are fed and protected from risk.
“We are in unprecedented times and we asking our members to be as flexible as possible to ensure that key work can be covered over what is likely to be a very challenging period.”