Acas advice on time off to attend Covid vaccine appointments welcomed by Leeds TUC president Jane Aitchison

Jane Aitchison, president of Leeds Trades Union Council, said she welcomed the guidance published by the conciliation service Acas for employers.

It said organisations should support staff in getting the coronavirus vaccine once it is offered to them, suggesting steps might include paid time off to attend vaccination appointments or if they are off sick with vaccine side effects for a few days.

"For employers to give time off to staff to get vaccinated is absolutely the right way forward," Ms Aitchison said. "I think it's good that they've come out with some advice early on. It is such a new situation. Lots of really good employers will be wanting to draw up workplace policies now."

Acas suggests employers speak to staff or their representatives about the vaccine and the benefits of being inoculated, particularly now that the Government expects to be able to offer all adults in the UK the chance to be get their first vaccine dose by the end of July.

Susan Clews, chief executive of Acas, said: "This is great news which has given hope to many businesses and staff that have been impacted by the pandemic.

"Some employers have already indicated a wish for their employees to get vaccinated once it is their turn, but this is a tricky area of employment law as vaccines have always been voluntary.

"Our new advice aims to help employers support staff to get the vaccine, maintain good workplace relations and avoid unnecessary conflict."

Acas advises that it is best to support staff to get the vaccine without making it a requirement. If an employer feels vaccination is a necessary requirement for someone to do their job, then they should work with staff or the workplace's recognised trade union towards agreement.

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Ms Aitchison said: "I think the key thing we would say is that it's best if people can get vaccinated, for everyone to get back to work and the people you're working alongside. Service users and customers would want to have the person who's supporting them, or whatever the role is, to be vaccinated - but there might be exceptional circumstances.

"It's really important that we're kind to each other, supportive to each other and employers look sympathetically on people who've got genuine worries."

She cited the example of people with health issues that might make it advisable not to be vaccinated, as well as women trying to get pregnant or who are pregnant.

"I would hope employers will work with any union on individual cases, but overall the trade union movement would want to encourage staff to get vaccinated," she said.

Ms Aitchison said she sympathised with employers trying to pick their way through a difficult situation, but added: "We've had an awful lot of community support that has got us along, including employees who've gone way beyond the extra mile, so I think in turn employers have got to give something back.

"Support employees to get vaccinated but also support them if they've got concerns going forward."

The new advice from Acas comes as the Yorkshire Evening Post and sister titles across JPIMedia continue our A Shot In The Arm campaign, calling for people to be provided with more easy-to-access information on the vaccine programme and its progress.

The campaign also asks for further reassurance for local communities and urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson to deploy the country’s network of 11,000 pharmacies to ensure that every citizen is only a short walk away from a vaccination centre.

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