On 19th March 2019 Routes to Work added its name to a charter aimed at helping employees who become terminally ill at work.
The Charter is part of the TUC’s wider Dying to Work campaign which is seeking greater security for terminally ill workers where they cannot be dismissed as a result of their condition. The STUC is taking the campaign forward in Scotland.
Dying to Work was taken forward by the TUC following the case of Jacci Woodcook, an area sales manager from Derbyshire who was forced out of her job three years ago after being diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.
The STUC is asking Scottish employers to sign up to the Dying to Work Charter to stop cases like Jacci’s happening in the future.
STUC Assistant General Secretary, Yvonne Stewart, said:
“Your job should be the least of your worries when you get a terminal diagnosis. I’m delighted that Routes To Work have shown real leadership in this area, signing up to guarantee fair treatment for terminally-ill workers. Over 830,000 workers are now covered by the Dying to Work charter across the UK. The STUC strongly support the TUC’s Dying to Work campaign and are encouraged by the increasing numbers of Scottish employers who are committing to sign up to the Charter"
Routes To Work's Chair, Harry Curan said:
“As a registered charity which seeks to improve the lives of unemployed residents of North Lanarkshire, the Board of Trustees of Routes To Work are committed to providing the best possible set of terms & conditions of employment & working environment for all our staff. Having previously had first-hand experience of managing the impact of a terminal illness diagnosis on a member of staff, we felt it appropriate to try and learn from this experience and to re-double our efforts to ensure that all possible supports be put in place to provide security of work and peace of mind for any member of staff who may face a similar situation in future. We see the TUC’s campaign and associated charter as a key tool in enabling us to achieve this and are delighted to sign-up and be associated with the voluntary charter”.