Covid-19 branch resources

Member support

See our main advice and guidance as well as detailed guidance and resources for branches in supporting their members.

General health & safety guidance

• [Archived] Health & safety guidance for UCU reps, Jan 2022 [279kb]
• Taking care of yourself - Covid-19 guidance for members [326kb]
• Taking care of yourself - Covid-19 guidance for members [326kb]

Risk assessments

New UCU guidance has gathered together information on emerging Covid-19 risk factors to support branches in updating risk assessments. UCU will further update its guidance in response to any announcements over re-opening education settings.

Press work

As part of the union's campaign to protect our members health and safety during the Covid-19 crisis we are trying to highlight any examples of bad practice from employers, as well as any wins branches gain locally. Please read this guide to help generate press coverage of Covid-19 health and safety issues: Covid-19 - branch press work [229kb]

Recruitment

In these uncertain times the power of belonging to a union is more critical than ever. We've produced a set of materials to help with your online or offline recruitment campaigns:

• Be protected. Join your union - leaflet [721kb]
• download the full image set below for use on social media/online [7mb] or right-click to save/download an individual image.
  
  

   

  

   

  

   

  
  
  
   

          
Share our short video (also shareable on Facebook and Twitter):

Bargaining

We published detailed guidance for UCU branches on how to engage with employers and ensure that any new working arrangements and other measures protect staff and respect their rights:

• UCU branch guidance on Omicron: 10 January 2022 [135kb]
• Updated Covid-19 guidance for branches - Jan 21 [180kb]
• Covid-19 branch bargaining advice, Sep 20 [273kb]
• Covid-19 crisis: branch bargaining guidance [290kb]

See also:

• Risk assessment: hazards and controls in FE [237kb]
• Risk assessment: hazards and controls in HE [259kb]
• Branch health & safety note [207kb]
• Covid-19: Ventilation at work (September 2021) [245kb]
• ARPS Covid-19 guidance update [259kb]
• BAME members' risk assessment guidance [264kb]
• Home working/online teaching [204kb]
• Branch lecture capture guidance [344kb]
• UCU reps briefing on 'long Covid' [211kb]
• Hybrid working guidance, Jan 22 [357kb]
• Union democracy [234kb]
• Negotiating and bargaining for disabled workers - campaign information [616kb]

See also our health & safety breakfast briefings which include briefings on topics emerging during the pandemic such as long Covid, hybrid working and escalating health & safety concerns.
 

Protecting jobs in higher education

Looking at the report from London Economics commissioned by UCU to try and get a sense of the scale of the likely impact of the Covid-19 crisis on higher education, and suggestions for branches on how to use the report findings at a local level: Protecting jobs in HE from the impact of Covid-19 [160kb]

Union democracy

Guidance for the conduct of union business by branches and regions/devolved nations during the Covid-19 pandemic:

Democratic continuity: advice for branches, regions/devolved nations [234kb]

See also:

• TUC's Covid-19 Coronavirus - Guidance for unions