Occupational Therapy News OTnews October 2018 | Page 52

BAOT/UNISON
Being a BAOT member means you also belong to Unison and can access support and advice on workplace issues at any time.
NHS Flu jab not mandatory, following Unison pressure
Following the difficult winter in 2017-18,
pressure was placed on the NHS to make
the flu jab compulsory for staff in patient-
facing roles. Whilst strongly supporting
the Flu Fighter campaign, Unison and
other health unions called for a rethink on
mandating, pointing to the distraction and
damage to goodwill that would be caused
by such a move.
Official NHS guidance, issued to provider encourages trusts to prioritise efforts in
these areas.
The guidance points to the need for
employers to work with their local trade
unions to ensure that staff who decline the
jab are able to do so anonymously and with
dignity. This will be particularly important in
those areas that clinical directors designate
as ‘higher-risk’. The guidance makes it
clear that the offer of a free flu vaccine will
organisations on 7 September, supports
an ambition of universal vaccination, while
acknowledging that staff may ‘decide on
the balance of evidence and personal
circumstance against having the vaccine’.
It also points to new evidence of higher
levels of risk to patients with specific
immune-suppressed conditions and be extended to cover staff working in social
care.
We are encouraging Unison branches to
monitor how the flu jab is being rolled out
across each NHS organisation and to agree
a process where any issues or difficulties can
be resolved through partnership discussions
between the trade unions and employers.
Unison’s national survey – How was it for you?
With winter approaching, staff working in
healthcare will be bracing themselves for
their busiest period of the year – what is now
referred to as the ‘winter pressures’.
More than ever, staff are telling us that the
‘winter pressures’ never really end. So, on
Tuesday 18 September, we asked members
to tell us how their day at work went.
This is the seventh edition of the survey
and is the largest so far, with just under
200,000 members included. It was also
the first time BAOT/Unison members were
surveyed.
Unison has been actively campaigning
for the introduction of staff/patient ratios
and addressing workplace violence
and bullying in the health service. The
results of the survey will provide evidence
to support our claims that staff are
overworked due to inadequate staffing
levels and that violence in the workplace
is not being dealt with in the proper
manner.
Unison will publish a full analysis of the
findings later this year and we will bring a
report to a future issue of OTnews.
Have you changed your address, do you have a new
employer, have you told us?
If your personal or employer details have
changed, telling your professional body or
trade union might be the furthest thing from
your mind. Members of RCOT/BAOT are
automatically members of Unison. Luckily,
this means that members of BAOT need
52 OTnews October 2018
only to notify RCOT of any changes, and this
information will automatically transfer and
update Unison’s records.
So if you have changed your details lately,
contact BAOT/RCOT on tel: [phone]
or email: [e-mail].
If you have a problem at
work, BAOT/Unison is
there to help
Anyone can face problems at work, but
if you are a member of BAOT, you don’t
have to face them alone. Whether it is
about bullying, duty rotas, flexible working,
annual leave or sickness procedures, a
BAOT or Unison representative is on hand
to help, wherever you work. We are also
there to help you make sure your workplace
is healthy and safe and to support you in
case of disciplinary action, dismissal or
redundancy.
For help and advice at work, or to find out
more about Unison services, please contact
your local BAOT/Unison steward or call our
helpline: UNISON direct on 0800 0857 857.
Lines are open 6am to midnight, Monday to
Friday, and 9am to 4pm on Saturdays.
Let us know if you are
interested in becoming a
BAOT steward
Occupational therapy stewards make a real
and positive difference in the workplace.
Being a steward enables you to represent
the views of your occupational therapy
colleagues during the many changes that
take place at work. By being a steward, you
can influence the way in which those changes
take place, and, in some cases, whether they
happen at all. The more stewards we have,
the stronger our voice and the better we can
represent our members.
If you, or someone you know, is thinking
about becoming an occupational therapy
steward, please email us at baotstewards@
unison.co.uk for more information.