GMB, Britain’s General Union, along with Sheffield City Council, are to sign-up to the TUC’s Dying To Work Campaign, which is calling on the Government to ensure that working people battling terminal illness do not have to worry about financial insecurity and loss of dignity at work.

An event will take place at Sheffield Town Hall today at 1.30pm that will see GMB, Sheffield City Council and other trade unions sign-up to the Dying To Work Charter.  Sheffield City Council will be the first employer in Yorkshire to get on-board with the campaign.   

The Dying to Work Campaign wants to see terminal illness recognised as a protected characteristic so that an employee with a terminal condition can benefit from a protected period and not be dismissed as a result of their condition.  It would also mean the protection of any death in service benefit for the loved ones they leave behind.   Current legislation does offer some protection for terminally ill employees; however, it still allows employers to dismiss a terminally ill employee if they fail a capability assessment with ‘reasonable adjustments’.

The Dying to Work Campaign has been growing in momentum over the last year and more than 100,000 workers across the UK will be covered by the Charter when Sheffield City Council sign-up.

Speaking on behalf of the GMB, Sue Wood, Senior Organiser, said: “It goes without saying that any person battling a terminal condition should be able to spend what time they have left safe in the knowledge that their job is protected and that their family is left financially secure. We want to see an improvement to employment protection for terminally ill workers.   The GMB is proud to sign up to this charter along-side Sheffield City Council and we will continue to work with other employers to do the same.”

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For further information contact Sue Wood on 07966-327965, Neil Derrick on 07958-156832 or Caroline Jones on 07850-325283 or 0345 337 7777.