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Returning to the office: a checklist for UK employers

United Kingdom
20.05.21
1
Written by
Lewis Silkin, widely recognised as the UK’s leading specialist employment law practice.
What do employers in the UK need to consider and what preparations should they make before employees return to the office? Lawyers from Ius Laboris UK firm Lewis Silkin have created an essential checklist.

With the UK currently on track to lift all COVID-19 restrictions on 21 June, many offices will be opening again for the first time since the pandemic began. We have created a free checklist with over 70 things businesses need to consider relating to their premises, employees, and data.

Here is a snippet of the things you might need to take into account:

  • Have you benefited from any form of rent concession to date and would you like it to continue? Have you approached your landlord to renegotiate?
  • What employee data have you decided it is necessary to collect, for example, temperature checks, self-isolation, shielding, confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, vaccination data, workplace testing etc.?
  • For employees working from home longer term, how will you carry out risk assessments? Will there be any measuring of working hours, controls on overwork or any other measures to help ensure that employees disconnect?
  • Will there be any objection if employees decide to live and work from home more remotely from the base office than now? Will there be any rules about proximity to the office domestically?
  • How will you continue to attract top talent to the business? Is there a concern that moving to a largely remote working environment risks losing out on talent, particularly graduates/those at the earlier stages of their career?

 

Click here to download the full checklist.

Authors
Russell Brimelow
Russell Brimelow
Partner - United Kingdom
Lewis Silkin
Sean Illing
Sean Illing
Senior Associate - United Kingdom
Lewis Silkin
Laura Bougourd
Managing Associate - United Kingdom
Lewis Silkin
Sarah Mogford
Managing Associate - United Kingdom
Lewis Silkin

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