The Government announced last month that anyone who is not able to work from home should return to work, with ‘COVID secure’ guidelines being published and people encouraged to avoid public transport where possible.
But with an increasing amount of people in the construction and manufacturing industry returning to work, as well as the opening of non-essential retail on 15 June, this raises key questions for employers.
The COVID secure guidelines outline how employers can ensure social distancing rules, including spacing out workers across desks, closing kitchens, as well as limiting access to social areas and disinfecting objects as often as possible.
This guidance is effective preparation for the workplace, but for many, public transport is essential to get them to their place of work and poses a higher risk of infection.
The Department for Transport recently published guidance for those who are using public transport as the number of passengers increases, which was followed by the Government’s announcement that facemasks will be required by all passengers. These guidelines include:
- Take a less busy route
- People should travel at off-peak times
- Wait for other passengers to get off before boarding
- Keep two metres away from other passengers where possible
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds after completing a journey
The announcement from the Government means that workers should make themselves available for work, and if they cannot work from home, then this will mean travelling to their place of work, dependent on their employment contract.
Employers are not responsible for any risks associate with their employees’ commute, but it is in their interest to open dialogue with workers and to be receptive about any concerns they may have about getting to their place of work.
Employers should initiate conversations about travel plans and be reasonable about what is possible, and what might not be when taking their circumstances into account.
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