As new national restrictions begin in November, government guidelines recommend that people should stay at home where possible and should only travel to work if they cannot work from home.
For those who cannot work from home, you are advised to still go to your regular place of work so long as your employer has made the workplace as safe as reasonably possible.
Employers have a duty of care to protecting their employees and customers during coronavirus, and the government has provided a step-by-step action plan on how to do this here.
For those who are based in offices or contact centres, current government advice is to work from home over the winter lockdown to avoid spreading the virus.
If workers cannot work completely from home, when in the office it is important that workspace has been arranged to ensure social distancing among colleagues.
If social distancing guidelines cannot be followed in full, businesses should consider whether the activity needs to continue in order for the business to operate successfully. If so, employers should consider introducing mitigating actions to reduce the risk of transmission between staff in the form of using screens or barriers, using back-to-back or side-to-side working and using ‘fixed teams’ (so each person works with only a few others).
It has also been recommended that face-to-face meetings are significantly reduced, and employers should encourage calls or video conferences to avoid these in-person meetings – particularly with external contacts.
For offices or contact centres where workers are commuting on public transport, businesses may want to consider providing additional travel facilities such as bike racks to help people walk, run or cycle to work where possible.
It may also be worthwhile to provide further storage for staff’s clothes and bags and provide extra hand-washing facilities at entry and exit points.
Employers should also consider best practice relating to hygiene of security access points, encouraging employees to clean pass readers, pin pads and door handles often.
Other measures that should be introduced include a one-way flow system through buildings and managing high traffic areas including corridors, lifts and walkways.
For workers that operate in one place, workstations should be assigned to an individual and not shared, with access to sanitising equipment for people to use before and after use.
The government has set out guidance for working safely during coronavirus online which can be accessed here.