Employers have a duty of care to employees as we learn to live with COVID-19. Advice and restrictions may continue to change as we move through the pandemic and employers must plan and implement workplace safety in a way that cares for their people and safeguards their health and wellbeing. The UK Government’s ‘Working Safely’ guidance is due to be replaced in April 2022 as part of the government’s living with COVID-19 plan. The underlying theme is that coronavirus remains a dangerous disease, and that the public should remain cautious and get vaccinated and boosted. However, people can increasingly make their own judgments about the risk of catching and dealing with it. Mandatory rules are being replaced with advice and individual responsibility. For employers the advice is to continue to keep dialogue open with staff, undertake risk assessments, put in steps to reduce risk such as enhanced ventilation and be responsive to the wellbeing and care of staff. The CIPD has also produced guidance and recommends considering three questions to help guide workplace safety:
Halcyon HR can help with developing and implementing your approach to Covid as we move into the next stage of the pandemic.