Teachers in remote work row

TEACHERS with serious underlying health conditions are being denied the right to work from home – leaving them at risk of dying if they develop coronavirus.

Many local authorities insist teachers considered too vulnerable to be in school must instead take sick leave.

EIS, the country’s largest teaching union, is considering taking legal action against authorities that refuse to let teachers who shielded during lockdown work remotely.

Some local authorities do allow their vulnerable teachers to work from home to teach children forced to self-isolate but others are advertising for staff to carry out this work.

General Secretary of the EIS Larry Flanagan said: “We have a very clear view – anyone with an underlying health condition should have an individual risk assessment which should be done clinically by a GP or occupational health and uses a Scottish Government Covid risk assessment which has recently been revised at our request.

“HR departments should not be over-riding assessments.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our guidance makes clear councils and schools should ensure risk assessments are in place, including for those at highest clinical risk, and that arrangements enable appropriate physical distancing wherever possible.“