COVID-19 local guidance

Returns to the workplace

Since the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic the Branch have assisted 100s of members concerned about being told to return to their workplaces. Throughout this period both the government and Home Office guidance and advice has changed regularly and often with very little warning. It is no surprise that it's difficult for members, both managers and their staff, to keep up.

Recently the number of enquiries received by PCS have spiked again as Criminal Casework Liverpool have indicated a sudden and ill-judged return to the workplace for our members despite PCS calls for the department to pause phases 3 and 4 of their return to work protocols.

It is important to remember the key theme that runs through all the guidance – where work can be done at home it should. This coincides with a hardening of the departmental response to the COVID19 as outlined by the recent PCS Home Office Group Executive Committee briefing.

PCS welcomes that most other areas have indicated no plans to increase numbers in the workplace during this period of country-wide lockdown.

What you should do if you have been working from home and have been asked to return to the workplace.

1. Read the Home Office FAQs to ensure that you are familiar with the latest departmental guidance. This is available on Horizon and will help you to understand how the various phases impact on your own situation in line with current departmental policy.

2. If the FAQs indicate that you should not return to the workplace speak to your manager and draw their attention to the guidance.

3. If the FAQs don’t initially exclude you from a return to the workplace ensure that you complete the COVID-19 Individual Risk Indicator (CIRI) tool. Include all the information that you feel may have a bearing on your situation which can cover not just physical vulnerabilities but also mental health issues and the impact on those with caring responsibilities or living with vulnerable family members.

4. Once the CIRI tool is completed share and discuss it with your manager before any decision is made on your return.

5. After that discussion, if your manager still insists that you return to the workplace against your wishes contact your PCS local representatives for further advice if your concerns have not been addressed.

COVID-19 Winter Plan

The government have issued their winter plan to deal with COVID-19. An important part of that plan, which should be considered when having discussions with managers is:

"63. Working from home can reduce transmission. Between 24 April and 3 May, 36% of employees were working exclusively from home.¹⁹ These numbers declined as expected over the summer. However, since the Government renewed its Work From Home guidance in late September and through the period of the November national restrictions, the numbers working from home have remained relatively low compared to earlier in the year.²⁰ SAGE advice is that typically over one third of contacts are made at work, that these are often of long duration and highly clustered and that homeworking can have a significant effect on reducing transmission if all those who can work from home do so.²¹ The Government encourages employers to enable a greater degree of home working, and will strengthen guidance to be very clear that anyone who can work from home should do so."