Supporting remote workers in light of ‘Plan B’ Guidance

Posted 3 years ago

As part of the government’s COVID-19 winter response, people in England are being asked to work from home again, along with additional rules regarding the wearing of face masks in some public places. The emergence of the new Omicron variant has resulted in the government moving to their ‘plan B’ approach to help limit its spread.

This may all seem too familiar and whilst we’ve been here before, the difference this time is that we have the benefit of hindsight. Individuals and businesses are better equipped to understand the positives and negatives of remote working and be able to feel more confident about implementing it for the coming weeks. The guidance states that those who are able to work from home should from Monday the 13th of December.

Employer responsibilities

Remote working, where possible, will help prevent unnecessary face-to-face contact between staff at a workplace but will also help to limit the numbers of those using public transport, which should prevent the high-level spread of COVID. Businesses have a legal responsibility to manage the risks of infection to employees and customers and will already implement a number of measures to help keep workers safe. Those businesses that require their employees to come into work should continue to follow government guidance and carry out COVID risk assessments.

Any employers that are able to ask staff to return to homeworking should make the necessary arrangements and make sure employees feel prepared and supported. You may already have a significant number of your workforce working remotely, however, it is a good idea to revisit homeworker risk assessments, communication methods, team meetings, policies, and procedures as a start. Below is a collection of resources to help you transition back to homeworking or review existing practices.

White Papers & Guides:

Blogs:

YouTube Playlist:
Why not share this YouTube playlist with your remote workers? It will give them helpful tips and advice to ensure they stay productive when working from home.

Training for remote workers

The ultimate aim is for business to run smoothly, and employees to feel confident and remain productive while working from home. Online training can offer employees some much-needed reassurance and guidance when it comes to their health, safety, and wellbeing. Check out our training courses for remote workers and get instant access to our full course library to see if they would be suitable for your team. You may also find our Homeworking Health & Safety Assessment tool handy if you’re looking for a quick way for staff to self-assess the risks associated with their working environments.

With the Christmas break on the way for many staff, keep up the momentum and use this time to help your staff transition smoothly to working from home, keep up team morale and make sure you can start 2022 in a strong position.