Government unveils ‘Covid-secure’ plans for offices including staggered shifts and limited numbers

EMPLOYERS will have to limit the number of workers and stagger shift patterns as part of new 'Covid-secure' guidelines.

The Government has unveiled its plans to get people back to work and Britain moving again.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a speech to the nation about lifting restrictions and followed up with a 50-page plan today.

A document on returning to different sorts of workplaces was also published, outlining what employers need to do.

Everyone who cannot work from home should travel to their office if it is open - but employers must follow new “Covid-19 secure” steps to keep infections low.

These include:

•  increasing the frequency of hand washing and cleaning
• keeping people at work for as short a time as possible
• using screens or barriers to separate people from each other
• using back-to-back or side-to-side working rather than face-to-face whenever possible
• reducing the number of people each person has contact with by using ‘fixed teams or partnering’ - so each person works with only a few others
• limiting meetings

The guidance said that employers have a legal responsibility to keep their workers safe - including minimising their risk of catching coronavirus.

"No one is obliged to work in an unsafe work environment," it said.

The Government said that “for the foreseeable future”, workers should keep working from home wherever possible in order to minimise the number of people they come into contact with.

But if they have to go into an office, employers must do things to help keep workers apart.

Mr Johnson said on Monday: "We are going to insist that businesses across this country look after their workers, are Covid secure, Covid compliant.

"The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be enforcing it and we will be having spot inspections to make sure employees are keeping their employees safe.

"It is up to workers to raise it with their employers and the HSE too."

Measures bosses could take include limiting the number of people in the office at any time by changing shift patterns and rotas so people work in smaller teams.

Businesses will also be expected to help stop people from gathering together, staggering entry and exit where possible.

They could also use floor markings so people only move in one direction.

There are also concerns that a mass return to work could mean busier public transport, so employers are being encouraged to stagger work hours so people are not all coming in at once.

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They could also add bike storage facilities, more car parking, and install changing facilities to help people cycle, drive or walk to work.

Once people are in the office, they need to be kept apart as much as possible, the government said.

Employers could install screens to separate people, and move workstations further apart.

Where people share desks, they should be cleaned inbetween users, the guidance said.

It suggested limiting the number of face-to-face meetings being held, and said holding them outside would be safer.

Evidence also suggests that the virus is less likely to be transmitted in well-ventilated areas, the guidance said.

This means that employers should keep offices well aired by using external extractor fans.

Providing handwashing facilities, or hand sanitiser where not possible, at entry and exit points and not using touch-based security devices such as keypads could also help stop the spread of the virus.

Companies are also encouraged to increase the amount of cleaning they are doing, especially around kitchens and bathrooms, and things that are touched regularly like door handles.

Common areas such as canteens are likely to be closed, with workers encouraged to bring and packed lunch instead.

The Government's guidance published on Monday also contained lots of generic advice to help people stay safe outside their homes, such as keeping two metres away from people at all times and washing hands regularly.

It also now suggests wearing a mask in public places where social distancing is harder.

And people should consider washing their clothes more often if they are working with people outside their household as there is some evidence that the virus can stay on fabrics for a few days, it said.

There are also likely to be pilot reopenings of pubs, cinemas and hairdressers in order to test the social distancing guidelines.

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