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DVLA bosses have been accused of overseeing “demeaning and insulting” steps to make one of its workplaces Covid secure after questioning staff about their waist sizes as part of a “points system” to decide who should return to the office.
Staff at the headquarters in Swansea were asked to indicate whether they measured larger than 34 inches for women or 40 inches for men, according to leaked emails seen by The Daily Mirror.
The measurement was part of a risk assessment carried out by the government agency which also considered factors such as an ethnic minority background and pregnancy, the publication said.
It added that those who score four or more points on the risk assessment and cannot work from home were thought to be eligible for “paid special leave”.
The PCS Union, which represents civil and public servants, said it was “demeaning and insulting that DVLA have been forcing our members to give their waist measurements.”
Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon added: “The fact that workers are having their waist measurements taken to judge whether they are entitled to leave is shocking – that this is happening at a government agency is beyond belief.”
The DVLA said the risk assessment followed Welsh government guidance and insisted that workers did not have to give out their exact waist measurement.
A spokesman for the agency said: “Our focus throughout the pandemic has been and continues to be on the safety of our staff.
“We work closely with Public Health Wales, Swansea Environmental Health and the Swansea Bay Health Board, who conduct regular site visits and inspections, and we have implemented all recommendations put to us, going further in several cases to ensure the safety of our staff.
“Staff in roles that enable them to work from home are doing so and have throughout, in line with current government advice. However, in view of the essential nature of the public services we provide, some operational staff are required to be in the office where their role means they cannot work from home.”
It comes after the DVLA faced questions over the scale of a Covid-19 infections among staff at the Swanswa HQ, with around 500-plus positive cases dating back to September.
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