24 January 2022
With the removal of the legal requirement to work from home in Wales from 28 January 2022, and government advice in England no longer requiring working from home from 19 January 2022 (the advice to work from home remains in place in Scotland), many organisations will be making plans, yet again, to return their employees to the office.
We set out our content below on returning to the office and offer advice and guidance on the best ways to support staff members making this transition.
There are a number of areas that organisations will need to consider when reopening. This extends not only to social distancing and hygiene measures but also managing staff concerns and being mindful of their mental health.
Reopening the workplace guidance
- Training materials on bringing staff back to work
- How to conduct remote interviewing
- How to be a carer friendly employer
- How to manage reopening the workplace
- How to manage a temporary period of homeworking
- Right to request flexible working
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
- Holiday entitlement and pay
Things to consider on the return to the office
- Contractually requiring Covid vaccination
- Acas advice on getting coronavirus vaccines
- Managing Coronavirus issues at work
With a return to the office, it may be that those who could have continued working from home will now not be able to do so and will instead need to use sick leave. Where possible, alternative arrangements such as continuing to work from home should be considered, but if that is not possible the following information will help organisations to manage this.
- Reducing sick pay for the unvaccinated
- Details published of the re-opened SSP Rebate scheme
- Temporary change to sickness absence reporting
- Letter regarding temporary change to sickness absence reporting
Tools
- Right to disconnect policy
- Letter to remind employees to book and take their holiday leave entitlement before the end of the current leave year
- Letter inviting an employee to a consultation meeting to discuss proposal to vary terms and conditions of employment due to COVID-19
- Letter on agreement of variation of contract due to COVID-19
- Placing staff on agile working policy
- Visitor questionnaire
- Model homeworking agreement
- Letter to amend start/finish times due to shift staggering
- Letter confirming carry over of annual leave into the next leave year
- Letter inviting an applicant to an interview with COVID-19 social distancing measures in place
- Letter informing staff that the workplace is to reopen and safety provisions in place
- Letter to staff who refuse to return to work due to COVID-19 concerns
- COVID-19 general workplace safety risk assessment
- Letter to recall employee to workplace due to easing/lifting of restrictions
- Coronavirus vaccine policy - please note this is not a compulsory vaccination policy but designed to encourage staff members to consider being vaccinated for their own protection and to protect others.
Staff mental health guidance