Government issues guidance for returning to work
13 May 2020
Following consultation with employers, unions and business groups, the government has issued guidance notes for employers in eight key sectors. Employers should review the guidance relevant to their business and ensure it is incorporated into a return to work plan.
Construction and other outdoor work
Factories, plants and warehouses
Restaurants offering takeaway or delivery
Employers should also familiarise themselves with the government's new strategy document, as well as the updated ACAS guidance for employers on coronavirus, in particular the updated section on 'Planning to return to the workplace'.
There are concerns that much of the new government guidance will take weeks to implement for some employers, despite the fact that the government is encouraging employees who cannot work from home to return to work from Wednesday 13 May 2020.
As feared by many workers and unions, the new guidance is also mostly comprised of recommendations rather than compulsory obligations. The principal exception to this is the mandatory requirement that employers with five workers or more produce a written risk assessment to address the workplace risks presented by COVID-19.
For further information and advice please contact the Employment Team or your usual Wilsons contact.
We will shortly announce the date of our next free webinar, where you will have the opportunity to ask members of our Employment Team questions about the government's post-lockdown arrangements.
