TUC renews furlough call after 1.7 million more told to shield

The TUC has repeated its call for the government to introduce a temporary right to furlough for groups who cannot work because of coronavirus restrictions, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, after the government announced it was asking 1.7 million more people to shield.

Last month the Department of Health and Social Care announced that a new predictive risk model will help clinicians identify adults with multiple risk factors that make them more vulnerable to Covid. The technology analyses a combination of risk factors, based on medical records, including age, ethnicity and body mass index, as well as certain medical conditions and treatments, to identify those at higher risk from the coronavirus.

“This will be a very worrying time for hundreds of thousands of working people. Some will be able to work from home – but others will not,” said TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady. “Employers must furlough new shielders who can’t work from home to keep them and their jobs safe.”