SHORTER READ

Employment law for employers & Employment law for employees

Coronavirus – Employers’ Health & Safety obligations

SHORTER READ

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant health and safety challenge to employers, who have a duty of care to ensure staff work in a safe environment.

1 minute read

31 March 2020

SHARE

Authors

Tania Goodman

Partner - Head of Employment

Talk to Tania about Employment law for employees & Employment law for employers

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant health and safety challenge to employers, who have a duty of care to ensure staff work in a safe environment. This applies to those who need to come into the workplace and those working from home.

The Health and Safety Executive advise that there should be regular contact with home workers to avoid any worker feeling isolated, which can affect stress levels and have adverse mental health consequences.

When working from home, employers should be particularly mindful of staff morale and mental health. Providing guidance, such as Collyer Bristow’s Guide to Working From Home,  and regularly checking in on them, can go a long way.

Employers should also ensure that they have an up to date home-working policy and:

  • highlight the need for rest breaks, correct posture and avoiding eye fatigue by changing focus from time to time;
  • where needed make available specialised equipment such as customised keyboards, mice and ergonomic chairs;
  • if the workplace remains open, to enhance cleaning operations to ensure all surfaces and high-contact areas such as toilets, door handles and telephones are sanitised regularly; and
  • to destroy safely all waste resulting from tissues and other materials that could carry the virus.

If a worker shows symptoms of COVID-19 then they should go home and self-isolate in order to combat the spread. Employers may wish to update their policy regarding sick pay to reflect changes to the statutory sick pay regime.

Effective communication will be key to ensuring that employees are kept abreast of developments and that they have full confidence in the measures that their employer will undoubtedly have to take to respond to the current pandemic.

If you have any questions on this topic or any other, please contact our free 30 minute Coronavirus Employment Advice Helpline and we can help you to consider the options available to you and your business.

31 March 2020

Authors

Tania Goodman

Partner - Head of Employment

View profile

SHARE

Related content

Latestfromtheteam

View all

MoreofTania'sInsights

View all

You are contacting

Tania Goodman

Partner - Head of Employment

tania.goodman@collyerbristow.com



    Subscribe

    Please add your details and your areas of interest below

    Specialist sectors:

    Legal services:

    Other information:

    Jurisdictions of interest to you (other than UK):

    Article contributor

    FINDING OUR ARTICLES OF INTEREST? SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE THE LATEST CONTENT DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX

    Subscribe now
    Get In Touch Print this page
    Collyer Bristow
    < back to Updates
    < Back to What we do
    < Back to What we do
    < Back to What we do
    < Back to What we do
    ExpandNeed some help?Toggle

    < Back to menu

    I have an issue and need your help

    Scroll to see our A-Z list of expertise

    Get in touch

    Get in touch using our form below.