UK passport staff have been told to go back to work, putting many staff under the belief that that they’re lives are at risk.
On Tuesday, staff were told by a Home Office scientific adviser 80% of people would get Covid-19 in the end and “we can’t hide away from it forever,” and the home office has said they are practicing social distancing in their offices across the country. When addressing staff, a chief officer said of HMPO announced government guidelines didn’t say stuff “should stay at home instead of delivering critical services”.
“What is also critical for us as a business is to have a manageable level of work in the system, so that when we start our recovery we are not overwhelmed by our demands.”
Dozens of staff sent emails and messages expressing their concern about returning to work at this time.
One wrote: “Your actions are going to kill people.”
Another said: “If my family die because you insist I need to come to work before the surge passes (having isolated until now), I will pursue a claim against HMPO / Home Office for negligence.”
Her Majesty’s Passport services have offices in Belfast, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport and Peterborough, meaning many staff will have to use public transport to get there. Yet officials and some staff say these staff members are no more at risk than any other critical worker.
The Home Office deputy scientific adviser, Rupert Shute, addressed this and said that staying at home was important but “we also have to keep functioning our lives”.
“You are no more at risk at the workplace as you would be in your home or at the supermarket. It is about minimising it,” he said.
“We are working on the assessment that 80% of us, if we haven’t already, will get the virus.”
He added: “We cannot hide away from it forever.”
