New guidance on face-coverings in schools and colleges
The government has introduced new temporary COVID-19 measures, which came into force on Tuesday 30 November. These allow it to “buy more time” to evaluate the threat of the new Omicron variant in England. Anyone going into a shop or travelling on public transport must now wear a face-covering unless they are medically exempt.
The regulations don’t apply to schools and colleges, but the government is ‘strongly advising’ staff, students in year seven and above, and visitors to wear face-coverings in communal areas, unless they’re medically exempted. It has updated the operational guidance for schools and colleges and guidance on dedicated transport to schools and colleges to reflect this advice.
However, it will not legislate to require schools and colleges to follow this advice.
On-site COVID-19 testing required in January
All secondary school students in England will be asked to take a COVID-19 test on site following the Christmas break.
In an email to schools on Friday, the Department for Education told leaders to order enough testing kits to make sure each pupil can take a rapid lateral flow test when they return in January.
New countries added to the ‘red-list’
Ten southern African countries have been added to the UK's travel red-list, because of fears about the Omicron variant. The only people allowed to enter the UK from these countries are UK or Irish nationals, or UK residents, but they’ll have to pay for, and self-isolate, in a pre-booked government-approved hotel for 10 days. There are some exemptions.
These new restrictions even apply to UK nationals who’re fully vaccinated.
New rules for foreign travel
Anyone who arrived in England after 4am on Tuesday 30 November must self-isolate until they obtain a negative PCR test test (which has to be taken within 48 hours after they arrive back in the UK).
These new rules apply to UK nationals who’re fully vaccinated.
New measures to reduce pupil absence
The government has announced that it’s appointed a team of ‘expert attendance advisers’ to help maintained schools and multi-academy trusts increase school attendance. They’ll focus on children who’re ‘persistently absent’.
Huge increase in numbers of children in care predicted
Research commissioned by county councils indicate that by 2025, around 100,000 children could be in care – an increase of 36% in a decade.
Only one-in-three teachers feel equipped to stop cyberbullying
A survey of 4,336 secondary school teachers, conducted by Teacher Tapp for the Early Intervention Foundation in October 2021, has found that only one-in-three teachers (33%) feel equipped to help stop cyberbullying. Classroom teachers were far less likely than headteachers to feel equipped to support pupils.
Changing terms and conditions of employment: Acas provides new guidance
This year we've seen an increase in the number of companies who’ve dismissed staff and offered to immediately re-engage them on less generous terms and conditions - a practice that's now commonly referred to as 'fire and re-hire'. It's a risky strategy and employers usually only adopt it if their attempts to persuade staff to agree to the changes have failed.
It's controversial because it presents workers with a stark choice - accept worse terms and conditions which you said "no" to before, or lose your job.
In October, Labour MP Barry Gardiner issued a Private Members Bill to amend the law relating to workplace information and consultation, and to provide safeguards for workers against dismissal and re-engagement on inferior terms and conditions. The government agreed that "using threats of firing and rehiring is completely unacceptable as a negotiating tactic" but opposed the bill because it didn't think legislation was the answer. Instead, it asked Acas “to produce a more comprehensive and clear guidance to help employers explore all of the options before considering fire and re-hire”.
Acas has now published new guidance to help employers maintain good employment relations and reach agreements with staff if they’re thinking about making changes to their contracts.
It covers the following issues:
- Considering employment contract changes
- Proposing employment contract changes
- Consulting about employment contract changes
- Handling requests to change an employment contract
- If employment contract changes are agreed
- If employment contract changes cannot be agreed.
Read more – December 2021
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