MORE than three quarters of people working in Scotland have said they will formally complain or leave their workplace if safety over Covid is ignored when they properly return, according to a survey.
The poll showed that 85% of staff who were surveyed in Scotland said they wanted health and safety to be taken seriously.
A further 78% said they would either raise a formal complaint or consider quitting if bosses did not do that.
Scotland has more than 400,000 employees in the health and social services sector, and the survey suggested that 83% of those sampled would raise a formal complaint or consider leaving.
However, taking coronavirus safety seriously should also apply to leisure and other activities, and more than a third of Scots (34%) said they would be prepared to pay more for services if it meant business staff were taking daily Covid-19 tests.
The findings come from a survey of 1144 employees from across the UK commissioned by digital health verification service tested.me.
“Businesses across the board cannot afford to ignore the voices of their employees,” said Donald MacKinnon, group legal director of employment law specialists, Law At Work, who are helping employers to safely manage the return to work.
“Employees have every right to require that their company has taken the necessary steps to ensure their safety upon returning to the workplace and failure to do so could not only have a detrimental impact on the employer and their staff, but also lead to claims being raised at employment tribunals.”
Simon Osman, chief executive of tested.me, added: “Kick-starting the economy and getting people back socialising with their colleagues and working together is essential at this moment in time.
“But with a real focus on people returning to workplaces, Covid health and safety protocols need to be in place to ensure a safe return for everyone involved.”
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