Ministers and civil service unions have signed a charter on behalf of the civil service, pledging to provide more support for terminally ill staff.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Cabinet Office minister Georgia Gould, and Justin Madders, the minister for employment rights, signed the Dying to Work Charter yesterday on behalf of the civil service. It was also signed by leaders of the PCS, FDA, Prospect, POA, GMB and Unite unions.
The charter was created by the TUC and Dying to Work campaign founder Jacci Woodcock, who was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer in 2012. It sets out the steps employers can take to provide their staff with dignity and peace of mind as they navigate a terminal diagnosis in work, including ensuring they are involved in any decision-making around how they continue in work.
The charter signed by ministers and civil service unions says the civil service "recognises that terminal illness requires support and understanding and not additional and avoidable stress and worry".
It says terminally ill workers "will be secure in the knowledge that we will support them following their diagnosis and we recognise that safe and reasonable work can help maintain dignity, offer a valuable distraction and can be therapeutic in itself".
The signed charter. Photo: MHCLG
Signatories with the charter. Photo: MHCLG
The charter also pledges to provide employees with "the security of work, peace of mind and the right to choose the best course of action for themselves and their families which helps them through this challenging period with dignity and without undue financial loss".
Finally, it says the civil service supports the TUC's Dying to Work campaign "so that all employees battling terminal illness have adequate employment protection and have their death in service benefits protected for the loved ones they leave behind".
Madders said: “The bare minimum people facing terminal illness would expect is to have a sympathetic employer who treats them with dignity and respect, whilst dealing with the difficulties this brings.
“While many employers take great care already, we know this isn’t always the case. That’s why today, the civil service is setting the standard, protecting vulnerable workers and giving them the freedom to decide whether to stay in work with the support they need.”
Rayner added: “No one battling terminal illness should ever have to face extra stress and worry over their job security at what is already the most challenging time for them and their loved ones.
“It is vital at such a difficult time that employees with a terminal diagnosis are treated sensitively and with the best support – that’s why I’m so proud we are backing this charter.”
The charter already has over 400 employers signed up across the UK – from local businesses to public services big and small, covering over 1.5 million employees. The civil service sign-up means around 2 million employees are now protected by it.