Amid concerns surrounding the rapid rise in COVID-19 omicron cases, the UK government recently implemented Plan B measures in England. Here is a summary of the implications of these measures for employers.
As part of the Plan B measures, the UK government has advised that from 13 December 2021, workers who can work from home should do so. The government’s ‘Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread’ guidance states that “[a]nyone who cannot work from home should continue to go into work – for example, to access equipment necessary for their role or where their role must be completed in person”. The guidance also advises employers to consider “whether home working is appropriate for [employees with] mental or physical health difficulties, or those with a particularly challenging home working environment”.
The new work from home direction is not a legal requirement; it is guidance only. However, employers have a legal duty to provide a safe working environment and this includes taking steps to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 for employees who cannot work from home. Employers may want to consult the UK government’s ‘Working safely during coronavirus’ page, which provides tailored guidance on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace for various different industries.
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