12 Aug 2021 14:52:01
Hi Ed my work place are trying to force me into mask wearing! I've told them I'm exempt but they want a doctors form. surely that's not Right?

{Ed033's Note - Not right [have you already pre agreed to mask wearing in your employment agreement?], but unless you want to fight them, i might phone up my G.P. Surgery and hopefully you get to speak to a receptionist who's been there a while and knows what they're talking about. And you ask them how you can get a Mask Exemption from a G.P. as your employer is requiring it and you can't wear one.

Is it possible a G.P. can send you one without you even going into the Surgery?

If not, you might have to go in and say your 1 sentence of why you can't wear one to the G.P. and ask them for an Exemption, and they sign an Exemption for you. If your G.P. won't do it, then you sign to have a different G.P. assigned to you and try again.

If you don't want to do the above, then in theory, you've done your initial bit because as far as the Government is concerned on the Government web site about Masks and Businesses it states, "Businesses and employers must complete a risk assessment".

Then it states, "Where businesses require their workers to wear face coverings there are some circumstances where people may not be able to wear a face covering."

And the link on "people may not be able to wear a face covering", takes you to Exemptions Cards and Exemptions Cards states, "You are no longer legally required to wear a face covering in any setting.".

It doesn't stop there because there is loads more you can do to fight them on it. Part of the 'risk assessment' would be; how much insurance have they got to cover 'Mask Wearing'?

There's some good stuff in this legal letter that got someone £7000 because some service provider was trying to discriminate with Mask wearing.

 
12 Aug 2021 22:17:05
I'd go right to HR and say if you even mention wearing a mask to me again I will be taking this to ACAS and start industrial tribunal proceedings for discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

Not advice, just what I'd say to them and i'd make sure I had one of those sunflower necklaces on first.

 
14 Aug 2021 08:57:32
Thank you for the reply Ed, I certainly haven't agreed to wearing masks, I have repeatedly told them I'm exempt and presented the sunflower card only to be threatened with suspension. Local councils for you.