Dying to work milestone
A milestone was reached when the Royal Mail Group recently signed the TUC’s Dying to Work Charter. It means that over half a million workers are now covered by charter, which guarantees rights for workers facing a terminal diagnosis.
Royal Mail joins 50 other employers who have signed the charter, including Santander, Legal and General, the Co-op, universities, local authorities, and various public bodies. Energy company E.ON was the first to sign in April 2016.
The charter is part of the TUC’s wider Dying to Work campaign which is seeking greater security for terminally-ill workers.
The campaign began following the case of Jacci Woodcook, a 59-year-old sales manager from Derbyshire, who was forced out of her job after being diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.
The TUC is asking employers across all sectors to sign up to the voluntary charter to stop cases like Jacci’s happening in the future.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Your job should be the least of your worries when you get a terminal diagnosis. Royal Mail has shown real leadership in this area, working with unions like the CWU to guarantee fair treatment for terminally-ill workers.”