Daily Update 16/04/2020

Bylor

3 week rotation

Who is affected?

NI 1 & 2, CI, 40 people on BOP, 35-40 on K10, 40ish on K11A, 90 roughly on PLALOG, should not be affected. This could be subject to change depending on how many people who were placed on furlough last week come back on the 3-week rotation pattern.

Is there an opt out clause if I wish to remain on furlough?

Yes. Although this was not made clear in the original email, a further email to clarify this will be sent by the end of the day on Mon 20th April. Responses required by Fri 24th April if you wish to remain on furlough.

Accommodation allowance on furlough?

We have asked that if individuals supply evidence the cost of accommodation will be covered. This is to be confirmed by Bylor within 5 working days.

Which workers are expected to move into campus?

Bylor are encouraging all travelling workers to move into the campus, however, the main focus is on individuals who rent a room in a house with local people. Those who rent their own property or live outside of the Bridgwater town area are not included at this time.

Can I work for someone else whilst I am on furlough?

Yes. Bylor does not have a restrictive clause as part of a worker’s contract. However a worker can be called back to work at any time and must be aware of this if choosing to work for someone else whilst on furlough leave.

HMRC have also provided guidance on this which is;

“You need to be able to return to work for the employer that has placed you on furlough if they decide to stop furloughing you and you must be able to undertake any training they require while on furlough. If you take on new employment, you should ensure you complete the starter checklist form with your new employer correctly. If you are furloughed from another employment, you should complete statement C. Any activities undertaken while on furlough must be in line with the latest Public Health guidance during the COVID-19 outbreak.”

When will those on 12 weeks shielding receive correspondence?

Bylor will be in touch with them by the end of the day tomorrow (17th April)

What is happening with the 10-minute grace period?

The 10-minute grace period is to remain. Platform can release workers 20 minutes before the end of the shift. Depending on the size of the queues at the clock stations workers can be instructed to clock out early. At no point will anyone suffer any loss of earnings for clocking out early under instruction.

o Once social distancing protocols have been relaxed and bussing restrictions have eased the 10-minute grace period will be reviewed.

Apprentice on completion

The apprentices who have now passed their 6-month period on completion rate will progress on to Craft 2 rate. This will be backdated to their anniversary date and should be resolved by the 7th May.

Uplifts

Slingers uplift backdate and Steel fixer craft 2 to craft 1 uplift should be resolved and backdated by the end of May.

New starts furlough

The government extended the application period for furlough to include employers who started up to 19th March 2020. Although this has resolved the issue for some there are still people who will not qualify. Bylor are currently identifying how many people will be affected and will notify us on Monday as to how they are going to support them during this time.

HPC Fire & Rescue Service During the Pandemic of Covid-19, HPC Fire and Rescue still have to maintain 24/7 emergency response on site. At this current time HPC FRS have maintained 100% of Fire & Rescue crew but we do have a degradation plan in place to maintain a sufficient competent crew if we were to start losing personnel due to Covid-19. During this unsettling time, the site is very vulnerable due to a reduction of workers, which have left platforms unattended for periods of time. HPC FRS have now increased visits to different platforms to carry out fire safety audits to reduce the risk of fire. During the night, you shall see an increase of FRS carrying out fire safety audits in the deep dig area. HPC FRS have increased the training for medical incidents, so that we can assist Hinkley Health if they start losing personnel.