We commonly get asked “I have a problem at work. Can I join a union today and get help immediately?” and the short answer is no, we cannot support members for issues that pre-date your join date, even if an issue occurred minutes before joining.
Community, alongside other trade unions in the UK have a clear pre-existing policy that means we cannot provide support, advice or representation for a problem that began before you became a member of the union.
Why do trade unions have a pre-existing policy?
When thinking about union membership, you should think of it like insurance. Would you try to claim on your car if it were stolen, or your property if it were damaged without an insurance policy in place? Like insurance, trade union membership is there to protect you should the worst happen at work.
This policy is in place to ensure fairness to all Community members. Membership contributions are used to fund legal support, advice and representation, as well as our other membership benefits. If we were to provide support to everyone who joined with a pre-existing issue, it would be unfair on long-standing members of the union who have contributed through months or even years of membership.
What is a “pre-existing issue”?
A pre-existing issue is any workplace issue that took place before you became a union member and started paying your membership contribution. This can include:
- Raising a formal grievance
- Being investigated at work
- A dispute with an employer, manager or colleague
- Redundancy
While we cannot help with any individual pre-existing issue, we may be able to help in some specific circumstances, such as a collective issue which affects a number of people in your workplace, including existing members of the union. If you are unsure if your pre-existing issue constitutes as a collective issue, get in touch.
Can I join Community with a pre-existing issue?
Yes! While we cannot support you with your current employment issue, we would highly recommend getting us in your corner as soon as possible for any future issues. As previously mentioned, union membership is like insurance for the workplace. While we hope you won’t ever need our services, we are here to protect you should the worst happen at work.
Membership with Community provides:
- Peace of mind: Knowing you have professional support and advice available if a problem ever arises at work.
- Protection: Community members are statistically more likely to have better pay, better working conditions, improved policy and stronger job security than non-members.
- A collective voice: Contributing to our movement helps us to improve the working lives of thousands of people working across the UK.
Don’t wait for a problem to happen. Join Community today and secure your protection for tomorrow.
© Community Trade Union 2025
Thank you. We have received your query
We have received your query and a member of our Service Centre Department will be in touch to discuss further with you.
Due to service demands it is not always possible for our advisors to reply to your query immediately. We aim to respond within 48 hours of receipt.
If your employer has invited you to a formal meeting (disciplinary, grievance or appeal) and you are seeking representation, if you have not already done so via this form, please provide us with all relevant supporting information including any notes/minutes from any investigation process and your email/letter of invitation, which should include full details of when and where the meeting is due to take place.
Please note that representation is not provided for investigation meetings.
If you have any further queries, please contact our Service Centre Department on 0800 389 6332 or at servicecentre@community-tu.org.
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