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Prime Minister Indicates Work From Home Guidance Will End on 21 June 2021

on Friday, 21 May 2021.

The Prime Minister told MPs on 12 May 2021 that the Government intends to drop the guidance that people in England should work from home if they can from 21 June 2021.

This would be part of the fourth and final step of the Spring 2021 roadmap. The Prime Minister stated however that the guidance being dropped will 'be guided by what's happening with the pandemic' and will depend on 'keeping the virus down'. 

Ahead of the fourth step, the Government has launched four roadmap reviews which will inform the Government's intention to drop the work from home guidance in one months' time. This includes a Social Distancing Review to establish how social distancing measures can be reduced in different settings, including the workplace. A firm position on dropping the guidance is therefore yet to be reached.

What Does This Mean For Employers?

Employers should continue to refer to the Working safely during coronavirus guidance and be alert to any updates which may affect their businesses and employees returning to work. Depending on the nature of the work and operations, it may be necessary to refer to more than one of the guidance notes.

In light of the Government's intention to drop the work from home guidance in the coming weeks, employers should also prepare employees for a return to work and make sure their workplaces are COVID-secure. This should include:

  • taking all reasonable steps to make their working practices as safe as reasonably practicable
  • consulting with staff and their representatives about returning to work
  • considering flexible working arrangements for employees, which may involve allowing employees to work from home and the workplace instead of a full return to work
  • reviewing staff handbooks or individual staff policies to ensure they are applicable to and support any new ways of working that have been introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic

If you would like advice on how to prepare your workplace for a return to work, please contact Michael Halsey in our Employment Law team on 07554 432829, or complete the form below.

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