Prospect ATSS Workplace Advice

Unfairly dismissed? Contract terminated? Facing an unwarranted deduction from your salary? Got a problem with your annual appraisal? Helping members when they have problems at work is one of our most important roles.

Prospect provides a range of work-related advice, support and services, including:

• representation at internal grievance and disciplinary hearings
• advice on statutory employment rights
• advice and representation at employment tribunals
• advice on personal (individual) contracts of employment, including a telephone hotline
• advice and support for members working overseas
• pensions advice.

Health and safety

Protecting the health, safety and welfare of members at work is a key Prospect objective. We are committed to improving working conditions for all members. Prospect safety representatives play the lead role in achieving both both aims. Nationally, Prospect has around 1,300 safety reps.

Pay, terms and conditions

We're not just there when things go wrong: we also negotiate positive improvements to your terms and conditions of employment, not least of which is pay. Prospect is currently negotiating ............ [customise]

Pensions

Prospect has an excellent record in dealing with members' pension rights, from:

• resolving problems relating to the late payment of pension benefits
• advising on the detailed application of their scheme's rules
• helping members present cases to the Pensions Ombudsman
• negotiating major improvements to their pension schemes.

The union also:

• has a network of trained pension representatives, encourages reps to become member-nominated trustees of their pension scheme
• provides training and regular briefings for pension reps and trustees
• takes a leading role in helping members negotiate improvements to their pension schemes
• obtains independent actuarial advice on changes which employers propose to their pension schemes.

Equalities

Prospect is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all members irrespective of sex, marital status, ethnic origin, disability, sexuality, age, or religion, whether it be in the workplace or in the union.

This policy forms an integral part of our bargaining agenda. We seek to improve members' conditions of employment and ensure fair treatment at work. We also aim to ensure that all members have the opportunity to develop and achieve in their working lives whilst successfully balancing home and work, and we have made formal submissions to the government setting out our policies on work and parents. We identified the following three priorities:

• Enhanced maternity leave and paternity/maternity support leave with pay, enabling parents to spend valuable time with their baby. This would benefit the health and well-being of parents as well as their babies.
• Rights for both parents and carers to work reduced or flexible hours, encouraging a balance between home and work responsibilities. This should be a statutory right, since it has been shown that voluntary practices do not work.
• Paid parental leave and its flexible implementation, also allowing parents to balance home and work responsibilities.

Training, career and personal development

We are committed to promoting members' personal and career development, in their working life and beyond.

In the workplace we negotiate for proper training and career development opportunities for our members. We encourage our representatives to put these issues high on the bargaining agenda, and provide a range of resources to help them do so. And we have set up a network of learning representatives to raise the profile of training and development in the workplace.

Legal services

Prospect can support you whether you have a problem at work (see above), or whether you're injured or fall ill at your workplace because of the negligence of a third-party

We also provide legal services for non-work-related problems - see the members' services page.

© Prospect 2006