Here is a selection of some of the questions we’re asked – a lot! Hopefully you’ll find your answer here, but if you’d like to ask us something new please complete a contact form and we’ll endeavour to respond as soon as possible.
It’s never too late to join but the amount of help we can offer you depends on your issue and what stage it has reached. The best thing to do is contact our Service Centre and a member of our expert advisory team will let you know how we can help.
Absolutely. There are plenty of benefits to being an individual member of Community, including getting access to advice and representation should you need it.
Once you’ve joined and discovered the many benefits of being a Community member you might want to tell your colleagues about it. And if they need convincing, it’s worth knowing that employees in unionised workplaces earn 14.8% more on average!
You have a legal right to join a trade union and you don’t need to tell your employer that you are a union member. If you’re facing a grievance or disciplinary process you are entitled to be accompanied by a trade union representative. It’s entirely up to you, and only you. If you don’t want a union rep by your side you can still get advice about your situation from our Service Centre team.
Union recognition is when an employer agrees to negotiate with a trade union over the pay, terms or conditions of its employees. Some agreements between unions and employers go further to cover pensions, training and wider workplace issues.
We support workers right across the UK economy. Thousands of individuals are joining Community to get protected at work. Although we have larger groups of members in certain sectors, we can advise any UK worker on your rights at work and provide you with representation.
We would always recommend that you join the recognised union (the union that your employer has agreed to deal with) at your workplace. If you’re not sure about union recognition at your workplace, contact our Service Centre team who can advise you.
Our fees range between £2.74 and £19.98 per month depending on your situation. You can pay by Direct Debit or directly via your pay. And you can cancel your membership at any time, with just a month's notice. You can view a breakdown of our membership fees here..
As long as any problem or issue you want us to help with didn’t begin before you joined, then you’re protected. If you have a pre-existing issue ¬– it’s best to contact our Service Centre team who can advise you.
Some of our wider benefits need a qualifying period of membership, for instance, our benevolent fund and child benefit. Furthermore, our bereavement benefit builds up as you continue your membership.
You can cancel with just one month’s notice.
Yes. You have the right to:
- Choose to join or not join a union
- Belong to the union you choose, even if it’s not the one your employer usually negotiates with
- Belong to more than one union
Your employer isn’t allowed to:
- Use threats or bribery to influence your decision to join or leave a union
- Dismiss you or choose you for redundancy because of your union membership
- Treat you unfavourably because of your union membership or activities
It is as simple as signing up to become a member either online or through a paper form you can request from a workplace rep. You can contact our service centre if you have any questions or would rather join over the phone.
At Community, we are a modern trade union that works to protect and improve your working life and beyond. We are led by our members and their needs. It is our priority to protect our members’ livelihoods and jobs, as well as support the communities that our members are a part of. We hope you will join us!
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