As the UK Government starts to ease lockdown measures and companies start to discuss plans for their eventual return to the workplace, worker engagement has never been more important.
As an employer, how you manage the return to your workplace will very much depend on the type of closure arrangements you have been operating. The three most prevalent types of closure are:
- Business not trading at all (all staff on furlough)
- Business trading on a limited basis (some staff on furlough while others work from home/limited company premises
- Business trading fully but all employees working from home
We provide unique insight into how our clients are operating and how we are supporting them and our candidates, along with the advice we get from our global parent company, Recruit.
According to the latest government update, the total number of furloughed jobs in the UK, as of June 14th, stands at 9.1m, with the total number of employers furloughing employees at 1.1 million. For this group and all the other employers across the UK, planning their return to the workplace is important.
According to CiPD, whichever of the above closure agreement you have been operating, there will be common issues you need to address:
- All workplaces need to observe the Government’s social distancing guidelines.
- Staff who can work from home are expected to carry on doing so.
- Employers must consider detailed risk management to safeguard employees’ health and minimise risk of infection.
- Employers should communicate practical measures they are taking to staff on a regular basis & make sure that employees know what rules and procedures they need to be following, especially if they begin to feel unwell.
- Review social distancing measures and communal shared spaces
- Key protection and hygiene measures will continue to apply, especially effective handwashing.
- Be mindful that the effects from this pandemic are psychological as well as physical. This includes anxiety about the ongoing crisis as well as social isolation, bereavement, challenging domestic situation (childcare) as well as financial worries.
We have conducted a contingent worker survey to understand the scope of people’s situations and probed the workers on their thoughts on returning to their workplace, as well as their general feelings, actions they want in place and will take, and what measures they expect hirers to have in place ahead of their return.