If none of the work can be undertaken at home, then the government is now encouraging businesses to help their employees get back to work but to do so they need to ensure that they have complied with the government’s guidance on managing the risk in the workplace. The government has issued new sector specific guidance to help you do this. If businesses cannot follow the guidance in relation to a particular activity they should review whether it is essential that the activity continues and take all precautions possible to minimise the risk of transmission. This may mean restricting the number of staff who can attend the workplace or adjusting start times and businesses will therefore need to assess the impact on the services they are able to deliver.
The updated Working safely during coronavirus guidance is now available. This has been created in consultation with relevant sectors, industry bodies, local authorities, trade unions, the Health & Safety Executive and Public Health England. There is also a poster available “Staying COVID-19 Secure in 2020” which you can download to reassure staff you have taken necessary precautions.
In addition there is further guidance on the UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy.
We would recommend that businesses follow their Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan where possible in the event of closure.
Further HR Assistance
For more articles and ongoing updates visit the HR Solutions’ dedicated pages, ‘Return to Work Guide’ and ‘Coronavirus Advice and Guidance for Employers’.
For HR advice and support, call HR Solutions on 0844 324 5840 or contact us online to find out how we can help.
