UNISON will promote its Disability Leave bargaining guide and model policy, urging branches to negotiate disability leave policies with their employers, ensuring disability leave is counted separately from ordinary sick leave and that it does not trigger calculations in capability procedures.
Examples of where disability leave would be appropriate include rehabilitation training for a newly disabled worker, cancer treatment and rehabilitation, and sickness related to disability.
Rosalind Ronan, Dundee City, exampled the need to have disability leave for people undergoing radioactive cancer treatment, that prevents them from working with children for a specified time following each treatment.
Rosalind explained that the Equality Act 2010 covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination , harassment and victimisation.
“This act has to be highlighted and pushed more within Local Government and let’s get a disability leave policy so our members don’t feel discriminated or harassed to return to work before they’re ready. Our members deserve fair treatment at work.“