Factsheet: returning to work safely

Ensure you are familiar with the latest guidance from the UK government and HSE – links to which you can find above. Even firms that have remained open can use the new guidance as an opportunity to evaluate measures that have been in place up until now, especially those seeking to increase capacity.

Conduct an in-depth risk assessment with input from workers, employee groups and unions. This partnership approach will help to better identify any risks or concerns, and implement steps that will support employees to feel safe returning to work.

We’ve had positive accounts from a range of businesses who have involved employees in risk assessments:

• A print and packaging supplier asked its staff to come up with ways to avoid overcrowding in shared spaces such as canteens – one idea was to provide cooler bags so that people could avoid the canteen altogether
• A paint manufacturer now takes employees’ temperatures as they come into the workplace, having consulted with its people around their willingness to introduce the measures.

Businesses with 50 employees or more should publish their assessment of COVID-related risks on their public website, in line with government guidance. It does not need to contain the full details shared internally with workers and their representatives, should not include sensitive information, and will not be used for enforcement purposes by the regulator. Employers with many sites do not need to publish an assessment for each workplace. The published assessment should give a sense of the steps that the employer has taken to minimise the risk to workers when operating during coronavirus.

Wherever possible, employees should continue to work from home and avoid using public transport. Employers may need to make workplace adjustments for workers that have existing health conditions, dependents or live with extremely vulnerable individuals, in line with government guidance.

Where operations must take place on site, businesses may wish to consider a phased approach. For example, a provider of linen services has re-opened one site on a very small scale with plans to open two others the following week.

With limited public transport across the country, many employees are having to rely on themselves to get to work – either walking, cycling or driving. It’s important for employers to understand how transport situations are affecting their workforces. Ensure you give people a chance to raise any concerns about the safety of their commute.

ACAS has received many enquiries from those with existing health conditions, disabilities, childcare responsibilities or pregnancies who are anxious about what returning to work will mean for them. In these cases, it is very important for employers to provide clear channels where those employees can raise concerns, without fear of judgement, and have open and honest conversations about their situation.

With so many sources of conflicting information available, it’s important to clearly brief employees on what’s expected as they return to work – particularly for those who are on site, in others’ households, or in the field. Employees should be able to find all the latest information in one place, and should receive clear back-to-work briefings.

Firms should make it clear who to approach if they have concerns – designate people to collect feedback and ensure it’s fed into organisational decisions, and consider opening up new comms channels if they don’t exist.

Here are some of the ways other businesses are ensuring their employees have the information they need:

• A linen services provider is giving its staff a return-to-work induction, covering the new social distancing measures, where to go if they have concerns, advice about mental health and reminders to speak to managers / HR / their EAP if they have worries
• A manufacturer of construction materials is focusing on changing people’s behaviour by producing a welcome back video, to highlight the physical changes made to the site, as well as how workers need to adapt too.

Making workplaces safe is only the first step. Helping employees to feel safe at work is just as important. Employees need to trust that employers have their safety at heart in order to return to work with confidence:

• An engineering company has addressed employee concerns over safety by reaching out to have individual discussions about their worries; in most cases, this open dialogue resulted in positive outcomes
• A print and packaging supplier is running daily calls with leads and senior managers to get a sense of the organisation’s health, wellbeing and how people feel about returning to work.

Firms are finding that some people’s mental health is suffering in isolation – those people would prefer to return to work more quickly, even if their interactions are socially distant. There are others who would be much happier to continue working from home – so understanding this can help companies achieve a phased return that’s good for everyone.

While COVID-19 has created much uncertainty – for people, their families and for business – it hasn’t come without its share of learning experiences. Work with employees to decide which new approaches and ways of working to take forward, to create your new normal together. For example, a global electronics brand has learnt from the way coronavirus has challenged its established culture – with home-working actually boosting productivity in some areas.