Report: Returning to the workplace after the COVID-19 lockdown

The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM), with the support and input from several national organisations, has launched a returning to the workplace after the COVID-19 lockdown toolkit. It is designed to help employers and occupational health professionals get the nation back to work, safely.

Key points

• Employers cannot force their employees to return to work if it is unsafe. There is a duty on employers, HR, OH professionals and employees to understand how to make the workplace safe, their role in that process, and the need to be involved and work together in making those decisions.
• A risk assessment should link clinical vulnerability risk to specific workplace risks. Employers also need to be aware of the risks of increased workplace tensions and disputes, arising from changes to workplace practices and working arrangements, and from fear of infection on return to work.
• Occupational health and other professionals can assist managers with risk assessments eg with advice on cleaning, disinfection, ergonomic and hygiene/ventilation systems and how ‘stringent social distancing’ can be applied in the workplace.
• The role of the manager and ‘doing things in a compassionate way’ is critical. Also, consulting with employees in this unprecedented situation is highly important, and legally required where there are recognised trade unions. Employees having an active and valued voice in this situation will be absolutely critical to businesses adapting successfully.

The toolkit, free to download from the SOM website, has been developed with help from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas), the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Business in the Community (BITC), and Mind, the mental health charity.