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UK: TUC (Trades Union Congress): Long Covid at work surveys and reports 2021 onwards

Discussion in 'Long Covid news' started by Andy, May 9, 2021.

  1. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

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    2021 survey

    We’re interested in the experiences of people with Long Covid in work. Including people who have lost their jobs because of Long Covid. Long Covid is the term used to describe COVID-19 symptoms that extending beyond the initial infection. Evidence on Long Covid points to symptoms of COVID-19 lasting for weeks, months and possibly years after the infection.

    This survey ask questions to better understand how workers with Long Covid have been treated in the workplace.

    Link to survey at https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/long-covid-work

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 29, 2023
    Missense, Louie41, Starlight and 5 others like this.
  2. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

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  3. Kalliope

    Kalliope Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Moved posts

    TUC (Trades Union Congress) - Workers' experiences of long Covid - A TUC report

    Quote:

    Treatment of disabled people with energy impairments

    In seeking solutions to the negative experiences of people with long Covid at work it is clearly vital to ground all solutions in the lived experiences and preferences of those who have this. However it is also important to reflect on the previous experiences of disabled workers with energy impairments like fatigue. Although Covid-19 and long Covid are new, it is estimated that around 250,000 people in the UK experience chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

    ME or CFS is a long-term, fluctuating, neurological condition that causes symptoms affecting many body systems, more commonly the nervous and immune systems.

    People with ME/CFS experience debilitating pain, fatigue and a range of other symptoms associated with post-exertional malaise, the body and brain’s inability to recover after expending even small amounts of energy. Not everyone will experience the same symptoms. Preliminary reports and data about long Covid symptoms and patient experiences contain many similarities to other chronic illnesses known to be associated with viral triggers, such as ME/CFS.

    Workers with energy impairments have faced widespread discrimination and disbelief at work. Scepticism about the existence and extent of energy impairments like ME/CFS is widespread as highlighted in a report by Chronic Illness Inclusion which stated that“negative perceptions and misunderstandings around ‘fatigue’ and chronic illness create formidable yet unnecessary barriers to work. The widespread notion that fatigue is not a real disability stands firmly in the way of disability equality in work. Systemic disbelief of energy impairment affects disability disclosure and access to reasonable adjustments, and contributes to strained employment relations, sometimes causing unnecessary departure from the labour market.”

    The parallels between workers with energy limiting impairments and long Covid are clear. Going forward it is imperative employers understand energy impairments and learn the lessons from the previous experiences of people with ME/CFS, so that appropriate reasonable adjustments are put in place for workers who have long Covid, ME/CFS or other energy limiting impairments.


    Methodology

    In order to better understand the experiences of workers who have, or have had, ongoing symptoms after having Covid-19, commonly known as ‘long Covid’, the TUC conducted research using a self-selecting online survey. The survey was open between 3 April and 27 May 2021 and was promoted on social media, through affiliated unions and long Covid support groups. We received 3,557 responses from people who self-reported that they had had Covid-19. Of these, 3,296 were from people who self-reported that they had long Covid.


    ...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 29, 2023
    Mithriel, Sean, Michelle and 12 others like this.
  4. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

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    From the report
    "Acknowledgements

    We are grateful for the help and assistance of
    • Lesley Macniven FCIPD, Chair of the multi-disciplinary Long Covid Support Employment group and its members
    • Catherine Hale, Director, Chronic Illness Inclusion

    who generously shared their insights and expertise with us and supported our evidence collection."


    "Unions are calling for Long Covid to be recognised as a disability as more than one million UK victims of the disease struggle to recover.

    They also want the Government to classify Covid-19 as an occupational disease – entitling workers and their families to claim disability benefits and compensation if they contract the virus while working.

    A shock new report into Long Covid which is published today by the TUC reveals that…

    • Gruelling symptoms lasting longer than a year have been suffered by nearly three in 10 workers, many of them frontline health staff
    • Problems include shortness of breath, fatigue, heart disease, difficulty concentrating – which sufferers describe as brain fog – and memory loss.
    • Over half have suffered some form of discrimination or disadvantage at work due to their ongoing illness."
    https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/long-covid-patients-made-redundant-24356877
     
    EzzieD, Sean, Snow Leopard and 9 others like this.
  5. rvallee

    rvallee Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    A trade union understands this medical issue better than 90%+ of all medical and public health organizations.

    This is an actual factual sentence. Amazing.
     
    MEMarge, JemPD, EzzieD and 7 others like this.
  6. John Mac

    John Mac Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    905
    Looks like the TUC have relaunched this survey

    https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/99PVZ5V
     
  7. Sly Saint

    Sly Saint Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Location:
    UK
    Merged thread

    Workers' experience of Long Covid Joint report by the TUC and Long Covid Support


    https://www.tuc.org.uk/research-analysis/reports/workers-experience-long-covid?page=2
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 29, 2023
  8. Shadrach Loom

    Shadrach Loom Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    1,052
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    This is all good stuff and what one would hope for from the TUC.

    What would have been really helpful would have been a statement in there about the ineffectiveness of talking cures for these conditions. That would have sent a signal to Health in Unite, and any other unions representing NHS clinical psychologists, that their comrades would be less than supportive if CBT provider interests were threatened.

    Note, for non-UK people - the Trades Union Congress is not affiliated with the makers of TUC snack crackers. It’s merely a happy accident to the benefit of both parties.
     
    MEMarge, bobbler, shak8 and 7 others like this.
  9. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

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    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    Employers must provide better support to workers with long covid

    "People with long covid need to be believed, trusted, and offered flexible workplace adaptations by employers, writes S Thompson

    A recent report by TUC and Long Covid Support highlights the challenges facing people with long covid who want to remain in the workforce.1 The survey of around 3000 people with long covid in the UK found that one in seven (14%) had lost their job because of reasons related to their condition. Two thirds of respondents (66%) reported experiencing unfair treatment at work because of their illness, including bullying or harassment, the threat of disciplinary action, or being questioned about whether they have long covid."

    https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj.p800
     
    Amw66, MEMarge and Trish like this.

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