<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><title>UK government downplaying Covid-19 workplace risk, IER report warns</title><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Helvetica;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin:0cm;
line-height:125%;
font-size:19.5pt;
font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;
color:#9D0C46;
font-weight:bold;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin:0cm;
line-height:125%;
font-size:16.5pt;
font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;
color:#9D0C46;
font-weight:bold;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
margin:0cm;
line-height:125%;
font-size:15.0pt;
font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;
color:#9D0C46;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2F5496;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#2F5496;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Calibri Light",sans-serif;
color:#1F3763;}
span.org
{mso-style-name:org;}
span.locality
{mso-style-name:locality;}
span.region
{mso-style-name:region;}
span.postal-code
{mso-style-name:postal-code;}
span.EmailStyle42
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:235824430;
mso-list-template-ids:-1636165558;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:108.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:144.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:180.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:216.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:252.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:288.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:324.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:457453900;
mso-list-template-ids:-1222112774;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:108.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:144.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:180.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:216.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:252.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:288.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:324.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2
{mso-list-id:1679235046;
mso-list-template-ids:-292277394;}
@list l2:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l2:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l2:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:108.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:144.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:180.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:216.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:252.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:288.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:324.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3
{mso-list-id:1754548734;
mso-list-template-ids:-1479126478;}
@list l3:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l3:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:72.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l3:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:108.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:144.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:180.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:216.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:252.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:288.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l3:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:324.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-18.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0cm;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0cm;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor="#FAFAFA" lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#FAFAFA;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width="100%" valign=top style='width:100.0%;padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=600 style='width:450.0pt;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:450.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='max-width:450.0pt;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='background:#FAFAFA;padding:6.75pt 0cm 6.75pt 0cm'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;margin-left:-2.25pt;margin-right:-2.25pt'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:450.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'>News brief - 12/03/21 <a href="https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=186f05af80" target="_blank"><span style='color:#656565'>View this email in your browser</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td valign=top style='background:white;padding:6.75pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;background:cover;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;background-size: cover;background-position-x:50%;background-position-y:50%' id=templateHeader><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 6.75pt 6.75pt 6.75pt;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 6.75pt 0cm 6.75pt;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><img border=0 width=100 height=113 style='width:1.0416in;height:1.177in' id="_x0000_i1031" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/3038f9d5-b388-4d05-b8a1-dcf173b2070d.png"><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=right width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#9D0C46;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=546 valign=top style='width:409.5pt;padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'>New IER report: HSE and Covid at work - a case of regulatory failure <o:p></o:p></span></b></p></td></tr><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><img border=0 width=564 height=333 style='width:5.875in;height:3.4687in' id="_x0000_i1030" src="https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/62826d9a-d018-48bc-8bc9-dfc52099200b.jpg"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;margin-left:-2.25pt;margin-right:-2.25pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:450.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;max-width:100%;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;word-break:break-word'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'>As teased at the beginning of this week, the IER's new <a href="https://www.ier.org.uk/product/hse-and-covid-at-work-a-case-of-regulatory-failure/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#007C89'>HSE and Covid at work: a case of regulatory failure</span></a> has now been released and is available for purchase (or for free to subscribers) on our website.<br><br>Welcoming the report, Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights and Protections, Andy McDonald, said: "In a time of national crisis it is more important than ever that the government’s actions are held up to scrutiny. The findings of this report are deeply concerning – if health and safety laws and Covid-19 rules are not enforced, they are not worth the paper they are written on. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'>"When a deadly disease sweeps the country we need worker protections more than ever, yet the government has effectively shielded employers from prosecution even while coming down hard on individual citizens who break the same rules. We have seen the tragic results of under-regulated workplaces in outbreaks across the country, including at the DVLA offices in Swansea. The workers affected – and those in our emergency services and NHS who fought to save their lives – deserve answers as to how this was allowed to happen."<br><br>Scroll down for more details on the report and its contents.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#73A533;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;border-radius: 4px;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="https://www.ier.org.uk/press-releases/uk-government-downplaying-covid-19-workplace-risk-report-warns/" target="_blank" title="Read full story"><b><span style='color:white;text-decoration:none'>Read full story</span></b></a> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#4C5CA3;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=546 valign=top style='width:409.5pt;padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><h2 align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:white'>Join our authors for a detailed briefing on the report</span><o:p></o:p></h2></td></tr><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><img border=0 width=564 height=317 style='width:5.875in;height:3.302in' id="_x0000_i1029" src="https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/images/f766b2cf-30e7-4cc6-9f9d-224540093321.jpg"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;margin-left:-2.25pt;margin-right:-2.25pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:450.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;max-width:100%;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;word-break:break-word'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#202020'>A panel made up of our expert authors will provide more detail to the report - which is the first publication of a two-year programme of work into health and safety at work and proposals for its reform.<br><br>Learn more about the report, the project, and be part of the debate by joining us at this full-morning event. <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#73A533;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;border-radius: 4px;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="https://www.ier.org.uk/events/health-safety-law-and-enforcement-fit-to-protect-the-workers-of-the-21st-century/" target="_blank" title="Book your place"><b><span style='color:white;text-decoration:none'>Book your place</span></b></a> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=right width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=546 valign=top style='width:409.5pt;padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 0cm 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><h1 align=center style='text-align:center'>WATCH: HSE and Covid at Work<o:p></o:p></h1></td></tr><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><a href="https://youtu.be/K5m4Wx7DA0Q" title=""" t "><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=564 height=317 style='width:5.875in;height:3.302in' id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://mcusercontent.com/f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3/video_thumbnails_new/6118bb5c5cef6aca1d90057b3bfc72d3.png"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#73A533;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;border-radius: 4px;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="https://www.ier.org.uk/product/hse-and-covid-at-work-a-case-of-regulatory-failure/" target="_blank" title="Download the report"><b><span style='color:white;text-decoration:none'>Download the report</span></b></a> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'></td><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:6.75pt 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#9D0C46;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;min-width: 100% !important;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><h2><strong><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Key factors identified in the report</span></strong><o:p></o:p></h2><h3><strong><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Severe lack of resources</span></strong><o:p></o:p></h3><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Inspectors were themselves locked down when ‘spot checks’ were announced</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>. Demonstrating the severity of the risk to workers, the HSE barred Inspectors from making workplace visits because of the danger to them of making such visits. As a result, ‘spot checks’ were conducted by phone despite 67% of people in a YouGov survey favouring random in-person checks.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Austerity</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>. Following a 58% funding cut over the last 10 years, which forced the HSE to reduce its staffing levels by 36%, there were too few inspectors to perform ‘spot checks’ on the nation’s 5.5m health and safety dutyholders. The £14m of extra funding barely made a dent in the nearly £1000m lost by the HSE during 10 years of government austerity and covered just 0.5% of HSE activity.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><h3><strong><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>A decline in workplace inspections even as risk increased</span></strong><o:p></o:p></h3><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Workplace inspections fell rather than increased during the pandemic. </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>The number of workplace inspections completed between May and September 2020 was 40% lower than during the same period in 2019. Even care homes, where the virus presented an extremely lethal threat, were not adequately inspected, with only eight having received a visit by September 2020.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Funding rules forced public money into private hands</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>. The HSE was not permitted to use any of the £14m extra funding to train new inspectors, so more than half of this money was siphoned off to private companies to ‘inspect’ employers. In fact, this was done from call centres staffed by untrained workers who made 15-minute, scripted phone-calls to employers. The ineffectiveness of this strategy was evidenced by the findings of a TUC survey revealing very clear breaches of the law in over a third of workplaces. Meanwhile, the UK’s richest health and safety resource – nearly 100,000 trained trade union health and safety reps – were not invited to participate.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><h3><strong><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>A light-touch approach to employers and the law</span></strong><o:p></o:p></h3><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo3;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>No legal standing for “Covid-secure” guidance</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>. In direct contrast to the various emergency laws made in relation to social activities and other forms of pandemic control, the measures employers were asked to take were not backed by the force of law. Instead, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the HSE issued ‘guidance’.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo3;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Legal duties to workers consistently downplayed</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>. The IER’s report identifies two Acts of Parliament and seven sets of regulations relevant to the duties owed to workers, but found these were barely mentioned in the guidance given to businesses. As a result, the guidance failed to emphasise the legal obligations of employers to protect the health and safety of workers.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><h2><strong><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Recommendations</span></strong><o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:150%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Concluding this initial report, the team made the following recommendations:</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'><o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>The urgent launch of a major independent public inquiry </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>into the future of the regulation of safety and health at work in the UK, with a focus on creating a regulatory system, including an effective regulator, that will better protect the health and safety of <em><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>all </span></em>workers in the UK, now and in the future.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>A significant increase in investment in the HSE </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>to promote stronger enforcement of legal protections, thereby improving their effectiveness.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>A comprehensive review of enforcement strategies </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>employed by the HSE and local authorities, including a critical examination of the – currently rare and diminishing – use of legal sanctions.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Ensure the political independence of the HSE</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'> by considering its reconstitution in line with the United Nations’ Paris Principles, which require the involvement of representatives from civil society and the ringfencing of adequate funds to prevent government from imposing its political beliefs through budgetary controls.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Strengthen trade union safety representatives’ rights </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>to access workplaces, undertake preventative work and support the enforcement of the law, such as through the issuing of improvement notices and the bringing of private prosecutions.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Enhance existing safety representative rights </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>relating to the provision of information, consultation, and training (including paid time off to undertake it).</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Reform the current statutory framework for health and safety at work </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>to better protect workers in modern, more casualised, forms of employment, including those found in the gig economy.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Reform and enhance current laws permitting workers to stop work in conditions of serious and imminent danger, </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>– provisions derived from EU law and provided under Sections 44 and 100 of the Employment Rights Act,.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Consider adopting international models of co-enforced oversight</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>, that involve State regulators working alongside trade unions and other civil society organisations to monitor and enforce compliance with legal standards.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#F2F2F2;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>Explore the value and application of forms of supply chain regulation </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>under which powerful supply chain actors have duties to ensure that they support effective health and safety management and compliance in supplier organisations. This would, for instance, would make fashion retailers buying from dangerous Leicester garment factories partly liable for the dangerous conditions there.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;text-align:center;line-height:150%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white'>The team behind the report will now establish a Committee of Inquiry that will take evidence from relevant parties to understand how reforms to health and safety legislation could provide better protection for workers in modern workplaces.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#73A533;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;border-radius: 4px;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="https://www.ier.org.uk/product/hse-and-covid-at-work-a-case-of-regulatory-failure/" target="_blank" title="Download the report"><b><span style='color:white;text-decoration:none'>Download the report</span></b></a> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'></td><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:6.75pt 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#0090AC;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt 13.5pt;min-width: 100% !important;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><strong><span style='font-size:18.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'>IER and Covid-19</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:150%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'>Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease and the need to keep our staff, supporters and speakers safe, IER is holding all events online until further notice.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:150%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'>IER staff will continue to work, but remotely from home. We will answer emails, produce publications and circulate our weekly News Briefs and other on-line information. However, phone calls to the office or mail sent by post will not receive immediate attention.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0cm;line-height:150%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'>We apologise for any inconvenience caused and wish you all best wishes during this difficult time.</span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#F2F2F2'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></td></tr><tr><td valign=top style='border:none;border-bottom:solid #EAEAEA 1.5pt;background:white;padding:0cm 0cm 6.75pt 0cm;background:cover;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;background-size: cover;background-position-x:50%;background-position-y:50%' id=templateBody></td></tr><tr><td valign=top style='background:#FAFAFA;padding:6.75pt 0cm 6.75pt 0cm;background:cover;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;background-size: cover;background-position-x:50%;background-position-y:50%' id=templateFooter><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 6.75pt 6.75pt 6.75pt;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:0cm 6.75pt 0cm 6.75pt;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 6.75pt 0cm 6.75pt;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left style='border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 7.5pt 6.75pt 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:3.75pt 7.5pt 3.75pt 6.75pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width=0 style='width:0cm;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=24 style='width:18.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="http://www.facebook.com/theinstituteofemploymentrights" target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-facebook-48.png" alt=Facebook></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left style='border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 7.5pt 6.75pt 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:3.75pt 7.5pt 3.75pt 6.75pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width=0 style='width:0cm;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=24 style='width:18.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="https://www.twitter.com/IERUK/" target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-twitter-48.png" alt=Twitter></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left style='border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 0cm 6.75pt 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td style='padding:3.75pt 7.5pt 3.75pt 6.75pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width=0 style='width:0cm;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=24 style='width:18.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="http://www.ier.org.uk/" target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=24 height=24 style='width:.25in;height:.25in' id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/icons/social-block-v2/color-link-48.png" alt=Website></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:6.75pt 0cm 0cm 0cm;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;margin-left:-2.25pt;margin-right:-2.25pt;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:450.0pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;max-width:100%;min-width: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;word-break:break-word'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0cm 13.5pt 6.75pt 13.5pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><em><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'>Copyright © 2021 Institute of Employment Rights, All rights reserved.</span></em><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'><br>You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website or signed up at an IER event.<br><br><strong><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Our mailing address is:</span></strong><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span class=org><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'>Institute of Employment Rights</span></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'>4th Floor Jack Jones House<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'>1 Islington<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span class=locality><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'>Liverpool</span></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'>, <span class=region>Merseyside</span> <span class=postal-code>L3 8EG</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'>United Kingdom<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'><br><a href="https://ier.us12.list-manage.com/vcard?u=f121e48a8bb6d3101590c12d3&id=4e9e05d15d"><span style='color:#656565'>Add us to your address book</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#656565'><br><br></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Unsubscribe by following the instructions at the bottom of this email or in the attached .txt document. If you cannot find the instructions, please contact sarah@ier.org.uk<span style='color:#656565'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
<table style="border-top: 1px solid #D3D4DE;">
<tr>
<td style="width: 55px; padding-top: 13px;"><a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient" target="_blank"><img src="https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-round-orange-animated-no-repeat-v1.gif" alt="" width="46" height="29" style="width: 46px; height: 29px;" /></a></td>
<td style="width: 470px; padding-top: 12px; color: #41424e; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Virus-free. <a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient" target="_blank" style="color: #4453ea;">www.avast.com</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table><a href="#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2" width="1" height="1"> </a></div></body></html>