Returning to work – Advice & Support

May 29, 2020

There have been some recent announcements and changes to Government advice on whether or not it is permitted to return to the workplace, affecting many employers and employees alike, we have outlined the main points in this article and given advice on what steps need to be taken with these latest changes in mind.

Working for You!

In order to assist you in assessing the workplace and follow through on the advice outlined by the Government, one of our commercial insurance specialists have put together an example checklist, click here to download the PDF document. 

What changed?

The Prime Minister announced on Sunday 10^th May that those who cannot work from home should return to work if it is safe to do so. Further guidance was issued on Monday and Tuesday of the same week followed by a further update on the 26^th May 2020.

What you should be considering

Both business owners and employers all have a responsibility to ensure the workplace is safe and Government have made clear that the additional guidance they have provided is not a substitute for a businesses’ own Health & Safety (H&S) policy and all businesses should consult with their own HSE to ensure they continue to meet all of their obligations to their staff.

Official Advice

The Government provide regular updates which can be viewed by clicking here

Gov’t’ has also produced the following return to work guidance documents for 8 different industries click here to access them

HSE also offers additional guidance on their official website, please click here to view the official advice from them

(We would recommend that our clients use these resources to risk assess their workplace or sites to enable them to ensure the safety of those working or visiting the workplace.)

Points we have noticed are:

• Additional risk assessment for social distancing and restricting the spread of disease.
• The need to share the risk assessment with employees and those visiting the workplace.
• The need to publish the risk assessment if you have more than 50 employees and the expectation is this will be on your business’s web pages.

How will insurers react?

Insurers will expect the Insured to take all reasonable steps to make the workplace a safe environment. You have a duty of care to your employees and Insurers would expect you to follow the guidance of the Government and HSE’s advice and consult with the HSE or your own H&S consultant.

Their policy would respond and look to defend any action brought against the Insured and in the event of the Insured being legally liable, the policy will indemnify the Insured subject to the limit of indemnity and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy.

If renewed after the outbreak, it is imperative to check that no exclusions or conditions have been added to the policy.

If you’re in any doubt call our claims team on 0203 862 4077.

 What do you need to do?

Make sure you assess the workplace and follow through with the advice outlined by the government. A copy of our example checklist is also downloadable by clicking here which will give you a good understanding of the considerations to take into account.

For further information, advice and support you can call us on 0208 309 5000 or request a callback and we will be happy to call you at a convenient time.