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When does work from home guidance end in the UK?

Boris johnson repeals social restrictions for england as threat from omicron variant wanes, article bookmarked.

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Boris Johnson has announced that his government’s “ Plan B ” social restrictions for dealing with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in England are to end.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the prime minister said that, from Thursday 27 January, guidance on mask-wearing in public places and presenting Covid passes to enter crowded venues will be scrapped as the New Year rise in infections continues to wane without having resulted in the mass hospitalisations experts had feared.

Work from home guidance will meanwhile be lifted immediately, with people are no longer encouraged to work remotely if possible, which has been the official guidance since 8 December 2021.

The decision to bring back the working from home instruction was not taken lightly last month as the adverse impacts of the policy on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals is well documented, as is its detrimental effect on businesses, particularly office-adjacent services like cafes, restaurants, pubs, dry cleaners and gyms.

Many offices around the country had welcomed staff back to their desks for around two-to-three days per week between the initial easing of restrictions on 19 July - once known as “Freedom Day” - and the arrival of Omicron.

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The reversal came as a blow to many people who were delighted to be reunited with their colleagues in person after a year of Zoom meetings and Slack messages conducted in isolation from spare rooms and kitchen tables.

Taking time out from the firestorm still raging over the Downing Street “Partygate” scandal, Mr Johnson told the Commons that he also hopes to remove the requirement to self-isolate from 24 March, saying: “There will soon come a time when we can remove the legal requirement to self-isolate altogether, just as we don't place legal obligations on people to isolate if they have flu.

“As Covid becomes endemic, we will need to replace legal requirements with advice and guidance, urging people with the virus to be careful and considerate of others.”

Responding, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of being “too distracted to do the job”.

“The 438 deaths recorded yesterday are a solemn reminder that this pandemic is not over,” Sir Keir said.

“We need to remain vigilant, learn the lessons from the government's mistakes, with new variants highly likely we must have a robust plan to live well with Covid.”

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Back to the workplace: Your rights if you’ve been working from home

With guidance to work from home set to end in England from 19 July, Citizens Advice sets out your need to knows if you’re asked to return to your normal workplace.

I’ve been working from home, can my employer ask me to return to my normal workplace?

The short answer is yes. When you enter into a contract to work for an employer you have to comply with ‘reasonable management requests’. That means your employer can ask you to return to your normal workplace if your original contract specified that you would be office-based or based elsewhere. 

In practice, many employers are looking into or actively encouraging a blended working model - some time at home - some time in the office/workplace.

You can ask to keep working from home, but that doesn't mean your employer has to agree. Start by having an open conversation with your employer about your wishes, and consider making a flexible working request , which is a legal right all employees have. You can include your reasons why working from home is better for you and will also help the business.

What can I do if I’m worried about safety measures at work?

Your employer has a legal duty under the law, and under your contract, to ensure that your workplace does not pose a risk to your health and safety. Current guidance says employers should complete a Covid risk assessment and take steps to prevent transmission, including frequent cleaning and social distancing. This is due to be updated.

While wearing a mask in an enclosed space will no longer be mandatory, employers will still be free to set their own policies or rules in place to require workers or customers to wear masks. 

If you are unhappy with safety measures at your workplace, you could report your employer to the Health and Safety Executive, but ideally you and your employer can solve the issues together.

I’m uncomfortable about taking public transport, what are my options?

Your employer’s duty is limited to things that are under its control, and so there is no clear legal position about whether it has to take into account the risks you face when travelling to and from work, as part of its health and safety assessment.

That said, your employer should listen to your concerns if you’re worried about having to use public transport after being called back into work. You could reach an arrangement that you’re comfortable with, for example, asking to travel at quieter times of the day.

What happens if I need to self-isolate?

You shouldn’t go into work if you're self-isolating because you have coronavirus symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. 

You must tell your employer that you have to self-isolate. It’s worth telling them in writing so you have a record for later use. 

If you’re unable to work from home, you may be entitled to benefits, sick pay or a self-isolation payment of £500 from your local council. If you’ve been furloughed before by your employer, you might also be able to furlough you for the period you need to self-isolate. See the Citizens Advice website for more information.

Remember that the rules on self-isolating are changing. From 16 August, if you've had your second vaccination, you won't need to self-isolate if you have been in contact with someone who's tested positive for coronavirus. If you have symptoms you'll need to self-isolate until you get tested.

Matthew Bradbury, Employment Expert at Citizens Advice, said:

“With restrictions ending and workplaces reopening, people will understandably have questions about their rights. While you can ask to continue working from home, your employer doesn’t have to agree. “If you have any concerns, it’s important to talk with your employer as soon as possible so that you can reach a solution that works for both of you. “For more information visit the Citizens Advice website, and if you need one-to-one help contact your nearest Citizens Advice. ”

Notes to editors

  • Citizens Advice includes the national charity; the network of independent local Citizens Advice charities across England and Wales; the Citizens Advice consumer service; and the Witness Service.
  • Citizens Advice is the statutory consumer advocate for energy and post. We provide supplier performance information to consumers and policy analysis to decision makers.
  • The Citizens Advice Witness Service provides free, independent support for prosecution and defence witnesses in every criminal court in England and Wales.
  • Citizens Advice offers Pension Wise services at 500 locations in England and Wales.
  • Citizens Advice’s services are free, independent, confidential and impartial, and available to all regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
  • To get advice online or find your local Citizens Advice, visit citizensadvice.org.uk
  • For consumer advice, call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or 0808 223 1144 to talk in Welsh.
  • We helped 2.6 million people face to face, by phone, email and webchat in 2017-18. For service statistics see our monthly publication Advice trends.
  • Citizens Advice staff are supported by over 23,000 trained volunteers, working at over 2,500 locations in England and Wales.

work from home ends uk

STEPHENSON HARWOOD

16 Jul 2021

End of work from home guidance: considerations for employers

The UK Government plans to proceed with the final step (step 4) of the roadmap to remove all legal limits on social contact from 19 July 2021.  This includes dropping the requirement for people to work from home wherever possible.  Enacting this final step marks a significant shift away from Government enforced legislation in managing the virus towards personal responsibility and giving businesses and individuals the freedoms to decide for themselves on how to approach COVID risk. 

The Government acknowledges COVID-19 cases are on the rise and therefore, although restrictions will be lifted from 19 July, the advice and recommendation for individuals and businesses is to “continue to act carefully and remain cautious”.  So what does this mean for employers?  In this alert we look at some of the key issues.

Can employees still work from home?

From 19 July 2021, the Government will no longer instruct people to work from home, however the Government expects and recommends a “gradual return over the summer”. 

While the end of the work from home guidance removes working from home as the default position, it is not likely to placate employee concerns over returning to the office.  Those employees who travel to their workplace on public transport may now have greater anxieties, as trains and buses attract more commuters who, outside of London, will no longer have to abide by the requirement to wear face masks.  Whilst it is a Government expectation and recommendation to wear face coverings on public transport, whether commuters take heed of this recommendation is yet to be seen. 

Future working arrangements, including hybrid working should, where possible, factor in health and safety concerns raised by individual employees about returning to their workplace, especially for those who are clinically vulnerable.  The employer should consider consulting with any affected employees on an individual basis and discuss to what extent reasonable adjustments can and should be implemented to help them, such as adjusting working hours, offering a phased return to the workplace or the choice to work full time from home.  Employees should be suitably informed on how their workplace will operate once restrictions are lifted – this may help employees feel more confident about the return.  A gradual easing back to the workplace and making particular accommodation for those concerned as far as possible is more likely to ensure a safe return to the workplace and encourage the return of the workforce. 

Should employers still continue to employ COVID-secure measures?

The lifting of restrictions does not alter the statutory duty that employers have to ensure the health and safety of their employees, or an employer's duty of care to take all reasonably practicable steps for the safety of their employees.

Employers should still carry out health and safety risk assessments (including the risk of COVID-19) and take reasonable steps to mitigate the risks they identify.  They should continue to follow the Government’s “ Working safely during coronavirus guidance” which has a number of sector specific guides.  Many employers have maintained a specialist "COVID committee" during the pandemic to deal with workplace matters and it may be premature to do away with this function immediately.  Employers may decide to retain some existing measures to protect their employees, even where there is no longer a legal requirement to do so.  In a continually changing landscape, employers will need to regularly re-assess the risks and should consider maintaining the following steps:

  • frequent cleaning of the workplace;
  • using hand sanitiser dispensers and one-way systems while the risk of infection remains;
  • social distancing at desks or workstations;
  • staggering start and end times to help avoid busy times on public transport;
  • identifying poorly-ventilated areas and taking steps to improve air flow;
  • ensuring that staff and customers who are unwell do not attend the workplace
  • communicating to staff and customers the measures put in place; and
  • updating policies on self-isolation, employees travelling abroad and flexible working.

These measures will also reduce the risk of workplaces having to close due to positive COVID cases within the workforce and may allow more targeted isolation. 

Sufficiently robust workplace measures will give confidence to employees to return to the office.  They may also pre-empt a situation where an employee tries to rely on their statutory protection not to be dismissed or subjected to a detriment for refusing to attend the workplace by having a reasonable belief that they are in “serious or imminent danger”.  Given the success of the UK’s vaccination programme this claim may be an increasingly difficult one for an employee to win, but by preserving COVID-secure measures employers would be further minimising such risk.

Rebuilding workplace culture

For many employers, they will need to take proactive steps to rebuild an inclusive, engaging culture where divisions may have emerged in the workplace between those who were furloughed and those who continued working, and between those who are vaccinated and those who are not.  Further divisions may occur between those who crave a return to the office and in-person interactions, and those who have become accustomed to working from home and want to continue to do so.  Points of conflict may arise between those who are anxious about the risk of contracting COVID and those who take a less cautious approach.

Employers should reiterate core company values and expectations and re-evaluate company culture for a more dispersed workforce.  Employers have the opportunity to instil values that have been previously overlooked, such as employee expectations around flexibility, with many now expecting a workplace culture that continues to support flexible working practices, particularly working parents who have experienced widespread disruption with home-schooling arrangements and childcare.  Wellbeing support is another area that has developed considerably during the pandemic and employees have greater expectations of the support offered by employers for mental health.

Rebuilding and reformulating workplace culture, where employees remain physically distant and a level of employee absence and disruption is still expected due to rising infection rates, is a challenge all employers face going forward. 

This is a tricky time for employers deciding how to navigate their journey on step 4 of the roadmap.  If you have any questions on the topics covered in this alert please contact Natalie Edwards, Leanne Raven, Aaron Pooni or your usual Stephenson Harwood contact.

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Natalie Edwards Managing associate

T:  +44 20 7809 2510 M:  +44 7824 906 452 Email Natalie | Vcard Office:  London

Leanne Raven

Leanne Raven Senior knowledge lawyer

T:  +44 20 7809 2560 M:  +44 7827 353 108 Email Leanne | Vcard Office:  London

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When will working from home end in the UK?

23 February 2021, 15:53

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By Zoe Adams

When can we return to the office following Covid-19 restrictions? Should I still be working from home? The latest government advice following the roadmap out of lockdown.

Boris Johnson confirmed his anticipated roadmap out of lockdown including when pubs , gyms , and non-essential shops can open in the coming months as the coronavirus rates continue to fall.

But as all Covid-19 restrictions begin to lift - one of the biggest questions raised is, when does working from home end? And, can I return to the office?

The government advice to work from home has been in place since the first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020 meaning the majority of the UK haven’t been to their work offices for around a year.

Related articles: When can indoor and outdoor swimming pools reopen following the Covid lockdown?

So when can you return to work after Covid? When will working from home end in the UK? Here’s the latest information?

Despite announcing the roadmap out of lockdown, which included everything on how life could return to normal, a working from home end date was not given.

At present, the latest government advice on working from home is to remain doing so unless it is impossible to do so.

The review on returning to work offices is due to be completed by 21 June, and will examine social distancing requirements, the use of face masks and requirements to work from home. This will be based on the the continued Covid vaccine efforts and coronavirus numbers at that time.

Therefore, it is likely that the working from home advice will continue until 21 June.

work from home ends uk

Boris Johnson: Those who cannot work from home should go to work

What did Boris Johnson say about working from home?

The Prime Minister’s road map out of lockdown document said: “Social distancing is difficult and damaging for businesses and, as a result, it is important to return to as near to normal as quickly as possible.

“Ahead of step four, as more is understood about the impact of vaccines on transmission and a far greater proportion of the population has been vaccinated, the Government will complete a review of social distancing measures and other long-term measures that have been put in place to limit transmission.

This means a final verdict on working from home in England will be given at this time.

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Covid: Working from home guidance changes from July 19 in England - what are your rights?

  • Coronavirus
  • Monday 19 July 2021 at 8:55am

work from home ends uk

Working from home guidance changes from July 19 in England with tens of thousands of employees being encouraged to return to the office or shop floor.

While many people will be delighted to finally get out of the attic or spare box room after months and months of dodgy internet connections and cramped conditions, others will be anxious about travelling on public transport and once more being part of a large team.

So, what can you reasonably expect your employer to do to make your workplace Covid-secure ? Can you refuse to return or demand to work from home indefinitely?

ITV News spoke to Kate Palmer, HR Advice and Consultancy Director at Peninsula, who said by and large, big business have "generally got their thinking sorted" on how to approach a return to work, on hybrid working.

"I don't think there's ever been a time where it's more important to have meaningful discussion between employer and employee... it's never been more critical; leaders knowing how to reassure people with good language and communication," she says.

Listen to our coronavirus podcast for information on hybrid working:

Where do I stand legally about demanding to work from home?

She said there has been an increase in the number of legal claims around employees disputing the need to get back into the office or workplace when many have argued they had successfully shown over the past 18 months how effective they were working from home.

"Many are saying: 'I've proven I can do it, let me do it permanently'.

"But many do not have the legal right to do that.

"You have to look back at your contract of employment and see what that states about a person's place of work and if it does state you are office-based, the employer has the right to state 'you are office-based, come back' - it's how they say that that's key.

"An employee, if they disagree with that, does have the right to request to work from home but an employer does not have to agree with that."

So, what are my rights?

Once a year, under section 44 of the Employment Rights Act, you can request flexible working, if you have 26 weeks service.

The employer does not have to grant that request and it can be refused for a number of reasons, such as the potential disruption it would cause to the business or undue pressure added to colleagues.

These reasons are more likely to apply in smaller businesses where taking one or two people out of the workplace could likely have a bigger impact on others.

Ms Palmer says an employee can argue that they will not be safe working in the office, or factory, and the employee is obliged to consider whether there any validity to this assertion.

She says: "If there is, then they need to act, if there isn't they need to have 'reasonable and reassuring' conversations with the employee about why they believe their assertion is incorrect.

"Employers need to think of impact of morale within the workplace and among workers with flexibility."

The same process applies no matter how big or small the size of the business. And, the law does not distinguish the reasons for the request to work from home.

Lockdown rules in England: What's changing from July 19

What has happened to social distancing and the rule of six.

The 'one metre plus' rule has been scrapped entirely, as of July 19 in England. However, some guidance to maintain social distancing in certain situations will remain in place of the legal restrictions.

Social distancing guidance will continue if someone is Covid positive and self-isolating, or in airports, or other ports of entry, to avoid travellers arriving from amber or red-list countries mixing with those from green list areas.

Limits on social contact in England have disappeared, meaning the end of the rule of six indoors and the limit of 30 people for outdoor gatherings.

Do I still need to wear a face mask?

There is now no legal requirements to wear face coverings - but guidance still encourages using masks in some settings, including hospitals, healthcare settings and in crowded enclosed public spaces.

Has the working from home guidance changed?

The guidance on working from home has gone. It's ultimately down to employers to decide whether to keep staff at home or in the office, but the government say employers are able to plan the return of staff to the workplace.

What about weddings and funerals?

The current limits on numbers of people who can attend weddings, funerals and other life events has ended.

What's happening in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

The changes to Covid rules announced by Boris Johnson, only impact England and will not change regulations in Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland.

The Welsh Government “would like to move together” with other parts of the UK in lifting coronavirus restrictions but will only do so if it is “right for Wales”, health minister Eluned Morgan said on Monday 5 July.

As of July 19, restrictions in Scotland have eased, with all areas of the country moving to  level 0 . The government is aiming to lift all major restrictions in Scotland by August 9.

In Northern Ireland, some  significant restrictions  have already been eased including allowing the resumption of live music and the lifting of caps on organised outdoor gatherings.

What about the vaccine?

Some firms are only going to recruit those who have been fully vaccinated - no jab, no job. And there are discussions ongoing at governmental level about similar measures being enforced in the care sector .

However, as Ms Palmer says, there is no case law in this area a yet and "time will tell whether the courts will deem that as fair".

She adds: "It's a lot easier to adopt this approach for new staff members - as a requirement of the job offer, in the care sector, for example."

Can you ask not to work next to someone who has not been vaccinated?

You can ask but there is no obligation on behalf of the employer to make this happen.

Employers will have to explore the rationale why - they would have to explore whether someone who has not had the vaccine had genuine health reasons, for example.

Equally, the health reasons of someone who is concerned about working next to someone who has not been vaccinated would have to be considered.

Does July 19 mean the end of Covid measures? What are employers obliged to do?

Employers should maintain Covid-secure protocols. They could insist on mask-wearing in certain areas - for example, when you leave your workstation.

Shelly Asquith, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy Officer at the TUC, says employers must engage you on any changes made to Covid risk assessments.

"Employers still have a legal duty to protect your health and safety at work. They must, by law, conduct a risk assessment and take steps to reduce risk. This includes the ongoing risk of Covid-19. 

"The government has said social distancing and face coverings are no longer a legal requirement, but if these are part of the measures identified in your workplace risk assessment to help reduce the risk of transmission, they should remain in place."

She also points out that those 'clinically vulnerable' who have been shielding for health reasons can request to remain on furlough until the end of September ( when the scheme is due to end ) regardless of vaccination status.

Matthew Fell, CBI Chief UK Policy Director, said: “It makes sense that the order to work from home if possible is removed at this stage.

“The reality is that many firms are well-advanced in their plans and are proceeding with hybrid working models, just as the government advises.

"It’s up to employers to engage positively with their staff to shape the unique new way of working every business needs to consider."

Latest advice from the government on Covid-secure workplaces can be found here .

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  • UK – Work from home guidance ends as restrictions are eased

The UK government is no longer asking people to work from home if they can. Instead the government advises that staff should now talk to their employers to agree arrangements to return to the office.

The Independent reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MPs in the Commons he was axing Plan B measures, which also include the use of mandatory Covid passes for venues and large events, owing to a decline in infections and a belief among scientists that the peak of the Omicron wave of Covid-19 has passed.

The government also updated its guidance on face coverings. From 27 January, there is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering.

“As Covid-19 becomes endemic, we will need to replace legal requirements with advice and guidance, urging people with the virus to be careful and considerate of others,” Johnson said.

In a tweet, the Trades Union Congress said the updated work from home guidance ‘will have big impacts for those with protected characteristics’ (such as disabled workers).

General Secretary of the TUC Frances O’Grady said the announcement on the end of Plan B restrictions is ‘rushed & half-baked’.

“Where was call for employers to do risk assessments to give people confidence workplaces are safe?” O’Grady asked in the tweet. “Important in next few weeks employers properly consult with staff & unions about return to the office.”

O’Grady added, “Many struggling with childcare will need time to put new arrangements in place. The prime minister should’ve shown more empathy and understanding towards working families.”

Meanwhile, industry group UK Hospitality told BBC News that the removal of restrictions was "a key milestone on the road to recovery for the sector".

"Lifting the working from home recommendation is a particularly important move as it enables town and city centres, and the businesses that are their lifeblood, to begin their revival and recovery," said UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls.

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When does the work from home rule end in the UK?

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Woman at home as the work from home rule ends in the Uk

When does the work from home rule end in the UK? Now Prime Minister Boris Johnson has laid out plans for learning to "live with Covid", many are wondering if they'll have to head back into the office soon.

Before the symptoms of Omicron came to light as a new variant, many people were slowly trickling back to working from the office. A sign of a slow return to somewhat normality, research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested that the seven in 10 people who were going back in November 2021 relished the chance to be working somewhere different. But with a spike in cases, the government enabled Plan B and we went back into lockdown of sorts - with restrictions on working from outside the home.

Now lifted under Plan A measures, another return to the office sounds promising for those keen to return to their new routine. But the rules set by the British government don't apply everywhere in the UK when it comes to Covid-19, so this is what you need to know.

When does the work from home rule end in England?

The work from home rule is now over in England , following the PM's statement to the House of Commons on January 19. This means that from January 20, anyone who doesn't want to work from home doesn't have to - provided their office is open.

Mr Johnson said, "From now, the government is no longer asking people to work from home and people should now speak to their employers about arrangements for returning to the office."

As well as scrapping the work from home guidance, the prime minister announced that there was no need to prove a double vaccination to access entertainment venues. He also confirmed that people could stop wearing face masks  in many public places as all Plan B measures, put in place during the Omicron spike in December, were coming to an end.

"Today’s latest ONS data show clearly that infection levels are falling in England," he said. "And while there are some places where cases are likely to continue rising, including in primary schools – our scientists believe it is likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally."

When Plan B restrictions were in place, the guidance changed to encourage those who could work from home to do so again. However, many offices remained open during this time, having been closed for all three of the previous lockdowns.

When does the work from home rule end in Scotland?

The work from home rule is  expected to end at the beginning of February . It's very much still in place for the moment though, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon suggesting that Scotland will return to a "more hybrid approach" from the beginning of next month.

Woman working from home in Scotland

She said that Scotland was "once again entering a calmer phase of the pandemic" but there was still "significant pressure" on the health services due to the most recent wave of coronavirus.

Official guidance on the Scottish government's website reads, "From 17 December 2021, by law, businesses, places of worship and service providers must take reasonable measures to minimise the risk of the incidence and spread of coronavirus. Supporting employees to work from home where possible, is an important part of that."

When does the work from home law end in Wales?

The requirement to work from home in Wales, put into law last year, will come to an end on January 28 2022 . Unlike other countries, Wales put their working from home requirement into law. From this late January date, it will move to become guidance.

Although, the government have stressed that this is by no means an encouragement to return to the office and staff should not be "required or placed under pressure to return" after this date unless there is a strong business need.

Official guidance says that from January 28, "working from home remains important but moves from law to guidance". Also from this date in Wales:

  • Nightclubs will be able to open again
  • Covid passes won't be required for large indoor events, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres and concert halls
  • There will be no restrictions on meeting people
  • No requirement on table service in hospitality venues, or the need to keep a 2 metre physical distance.

This means that those who want to work from an office should be able to do so, under the approval of their workplace.

While there is some skepticism that lateral flow tests could produce a false negative or postitive, this is unlikely. All four nations of the UK have urged people to continue testing regularly and take up their booster jab to continue reducing the spread of the virus.

When does the rule end in Northern Ireland?

The advice in Northern Ireland is to work from home where possible .

Back in November last year, Health Minister Robin Swann said he believed that anyone who was working from home should do so again. But he recognised that not all employers had the facilities to continue this situation for much longer.

Woman working from home

So while the working from home guidance in Northern Ireland has been reiterated by the executive, it's not the law.

However, businesses must adhere to a legal requirement to ensure there's a 2m social distance in the workplace. And where this cannot be achieved, the business must help enforce other mitigations to reduce the spread of the virus.

Can I still work from home if I want to?

If you want to work from home after the guidance has been lifted, you should talk to your employer .

The prime minister has scrapped all the requirements to work from home. Now employers have the power to dictate whether it's compulsory for staff to be in the office at work, or if they can work from home as they have been doing.

But while the government has removed limitations, some employers have been told they must have measures in place to protect employees. This includes requirements like keeping offices well ventilated.

Anyone employed for at least 26 weeks by a company also has the right to request flexible working. This can include a request to work from home. Employers are required by law to handle these applications in a "reasonable manner" and if it's found that they haven't done so, the employee can take them to an employment tribunal.

These requests can naturally be turned down by employers, however, if there is a suitable reason. For example, if there are security risks associated with working from home.

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Grace Walsh is a health and wellbeing writer, working across the subjects of family, relationships, and LGBT topics, as well as sleep and mental health. A digital journalist with over six years  experience as a writer and editor for UK publications, Grace is currently Health Editor for womanandhome.com and has also worked with Cosmopolitan, Red, The i Paper, GoodtoKnow, and more. After graduating from the University of Warwick, she started her career writing about the complexities of sex and relationships, before combining personal hobbies with professional and writing about fitness. 

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work from home ends uk

CDC plans to drop five-day covid isolation guidelines

work from home ends uk

Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to routinely stay home from work and school for five days under new guidance planned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency is loosening its covid isolation recommendations for the first time since 2021 to align it with guidance on how to avoid transmitting flu and RSV, according to four agency officials and an expert familiar with the discussions.

CDC officials acknowledged in internal discussions and in a briefing last week with state health officials how much the covid-19 landscape has changed since the virus emerged four years ago, killing nearly 1.2 million people in the United States and shuttering businesses and schools. The new reality — with most people having developed a level of immunity to the virus because of prior infection or vaccination — warrants a shift to a more practical approach, experts and health officials say.

“Public health has to be realistic,” said Michael T. Osterholm, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota. “In making recommendations to the public today, we have to try to get the most out of what people are willing to do. … You can be absolutely right in the science and yet accomplish nothing because no one will listen to you.”

The CDC plans to recommend that people who test positive for the coronavirus use clinical symptoms to determine when to end isolation. Under the new approach, people would no longer need to stay home if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the aid of medication and their symptoms are mild and improving, according to three agency officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions.

Here is the current CDC guidance on isolation and precautions for people with covid-19

The federal recommendations follow similar moves by Oregon and California . The White House has yet to sign off on the guidance that the agency is expected to release in April for public feedback, officials said. One agency official said the timing could “move around a bit” until the guidance is finalized.

Work on revising isolation guidance has been underway since last August but was paused in the fall as covid cases rose. CDC director Mandy Cohen sent staff a memo in January that listed “Pan-resp guidance-April” as a bullet point for the agency’s 2024 priorities.

Officials said they recognized the need to give the public more practical guidelines for covid-19, acknowledging that few people are following isolation guidance that hasn’t been updated since December 2021. Back then, health officials cut the recommended isolation period for people with asymptomatic coronavirus from 10 days to five because they worried essential services would be hobbled as the highly transmissible omicron variant sent infections surging. The decision was hailed by business groups and slammed by some union leaders and health experts.

Covid is here to stay. How will we know when it stops being special?

The plan to further loosen isolation guidance when the science around infectiousness has not changed is likely to prompt strong negative reaction from vulnerable groups, including people older than 65, those with weak immune systems and long-covid patients, CDC officials and experts said.

Doing so “sweeps this serious illness under the rug,” said Lara Jirmanus, a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and a member of the People’s CDC, a coalition of health-care workers, scientists and advocates focused on reducing the harmful effects of covid-19.

Public health officials should treat covid differently from other respiratory viruses, she said, because it’s deadlier than the flu and increases the risk of developing long-term complications . As many as 7 percent of Americans report having suffered from a slew of lingering covid symptoms, including fatigue, difficulty breathing, brain fog, joint pain and ongoing loss of taste and smell, according to the CDC.

The new isolation recommendations would not apply to hospitals and other health-care settings with more vulnerable populations, CDC officials said.

While the coronavirus continues to cause serious illness, especially among the most vulnerable people, vaccines and effective treatments such as Paxlovid are available. The latest versions of coronavirus vaccines were 54 percent effective at preventing symptomatic infection in adults, according to data released Feb. 1, the first U.S. study to assess how well the shots work against the most recent coronavirus variant. But CDC data shows only 22 percent of adults and 12 percent of children had received the updated vaccine as of Feb. 9, despite data showing the vaccines provide robust protection against serious illness .

Coronavirus levels in wastewater i ndicate that symptomatic and asymptomatic infections remain high. About 20,000 people are still hospitalized — and about 2,300 are dying — every week, CDC data show. But the numbers are falling and are much lower than when deaths peaked in January 2021 when almost 26,000 people died of covid each week and about 115,000 were hospitalized.

The lower rates of hospitalizations were among the reasons California shortened its five-day isolation recommendation last month , urging people to stay home until they are fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are mild and improving. Oregon made a similar move last May.

California’s state epidemiologist Erica Pan said the societal disruptions that resulted from strict isolation guidelines also helped spur the change. Workers without sick leave and those who can’t work from home if they or their children test positive and are required to isolate bore a disproportionate burden. Strict isolation requirements can act as a disincentive to test when testing should be encouraged so people at risk for serious illness can get treatment, she said.

Giving people symptom-based guidance, similar to what is already recommended for flu, is a better way to prioritize those most at risk and balance the potential for disruptive impacts on schools and workplaces, Pan said. After Oregon made its change, the state has not experienced any disproportionate increases in community transmission or severity, according to data shared last month with the national association representing state health officials.

California still recommends people with covid wear masks indoors when they are around others for 10 days after testing positive — even if they have no symptoms — or becoming sick. “You may remove your mask sooner than 10 days if you have two sequential negative tests at least one day apart,” the California guidance states.

It’s not clear whether the updated CDC guidance will continue to recommend masking for 10 days.

Health officials from other states told the CDC last week that they are already moving toward isolation guidelines that would treat the coronavirus the same as flu and RSV, with additional precautions for people at high risk, said Anne Zink, an emergency room physician and Alaska’s chief medical officer.

Many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Australia, made changes to isolation recommendations in 2022. Of 16 countries whose policies California officials reviewed, only Germany and Ireland still recommend isolation for five days, according to a presentation the California public health department gave health officials from other states in January. The Singapore ministry of health, in updated guidance late last year, said residents could “return to normal activities” once coronavirus symptoms resolve.

Even before the Biden administration ended the public health emergency last May, much of the public had moved on from covid-19, with many people having long given up testing and masking, much less isolating when they come down with covid symptoms.

Doctors say the best way for sick people to protect their communities is to mask or avoid unnecessary trips outside the home.

“You see a lot of people with symptoms — you don’t know if they have covid or influenza or RSV — but in all three of those cases, they probably shouldn’t be at Target, coughing, and looking sick,” said Eli Perencevich, an internal medicine professor at the University of Iowa.

Coronavirus: What you need to know

Covid isolation guidelines: Americans who test positive for the coronavirus no longer need to routinely stay home from work and school for five days under new guidance planned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The change has raised concerns among medically vulnerable people .

New coronavirus variant: The United States is in the throes of another covid-19 uptick and coronavirus samples detected in wastewater suggests infections could be as rampant as they were last winter. JN.1, the new dominant variant , appears to be especially adept at infecting those who have been vaccinated or previously infected. Here’s how this covid surge compares with earlier spikes .

Latest coronavirus booster: The CDC recommends that anyone 6 months or older gets an updated coronavirus shot , but the vaccine rollout has seen some hiccups , especially for children . Here’s what you need to know about the latest coronavirus vaccines , including when you should get it.

  • High-risk patients alarmed by CDC’s plan to ease covid isolation guidance February 17, 2024 High-risk patients alarmed by CDC’s plan to ease covid isolation guidance February 17, 2024
  • CDC plans to drop five-day covid isolation guidelines February 13, 2024 CDC plans to drop five-day covid isolation guidelines February 13, 2024
  • How long covid takes a toll on relationships and intimacy February 13, 2024 How long covid takes a toll on relationships and intimacy February 13, 2024

work from home ends uk

The 'work-from-home weekend' may be on its way out

  • Deutsche Bank won't let employees work from home on both  Fridays and Mondays, Bloomberg reported.
  • The move was made to even out worker attendance across the week.
  • Major banks have been some of the first to call workers back to the office.

Insider Today

Major financial institutions are leading the charge to bring workers back to the office.

The latest firm to ramp up its office attendance policies is Deutsche Bank, which will now require workers to come in at least three days a week, according to Bloomberg . And they'll have to come in either Monday or Friday.

That means workers will have to bid goodbye to their long “work-from-home weekend.”

The policy change is intended to “spread our presence more evenly across the week,” said Deutsche Bank chief executive Christian Sewing and chief operating officer Rebecca Short in a memo, according to Bloomberg. 

The firm is taking an even harder line on employees higher up the corporate chain.

Deutsche Bank will require managing directors — who hold top positions right below the C Suite — to come into the office at least four days a week beginning in June, Bloomberg reported.

Deutsche Bank isn’t the first major firm to force its managing directors to come to the office. JP Morgan called its MDs back five days a week last April and asked them to be “visible on the floor.” 

Still, Deutsche Bank seems to be setting a new precedent by calling workers back to the office on Fridays and Mondays.

Prominent New York landlord Steven Roth once declared that Fridays in the office were “dead forever” and Mondays were “touch and go.” Fridays typically have the lowest office occupancy rates of the week, according to data from Kastle Systems .

Deutsche Bank said the new policy will help the firm optimize its office space. Deutsche Bank said in its memo that its current real estate usage is “inefficient,” according to Bloomberg. 

“The bank remains committed to our hybrid working model, which has been received extremely positively by staff,” a Deutsche Bank spokesperson told Bloomberg . “Its new guidelines will ensure consistency across the bank and strengthen senior leadership presence in the office, which remains the primary place of work.”

Deutsche Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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  • Business tax

Work out your transition profit

How to work out your transition profit for the 2023 to 2024 tax year if you are affected by the new tax year basis (Basis Period Reform).

Before working out your transition profit,  get your Overlap Relief figure .

If your business accounting year end has always matched the tax year (is on or between 31 March and 5 April) you will not have any transition profit.

You can prepare accounts to any date in the year, but you may find it easier to prepare your accounts to 31 March or 5 April from 2024 onwards. This may make completing your tax return simpler as you will not need to use 2 sets of accounts.

You will be taxed in 2023 to 2024 on the profits of the ‘standard part’ and the ‘transition part’ of your basis period.

Standard part

Your standard part is the 12 month period beginning immediately after the end of your basis period for tax year 2022 to 2023.

This will normally have been your accounting period in 2022 to 2023.

Transition part

Your transition part begins immediately after the end of the standard part. It ends on 5 April 2024, or on your accounting date in 2023 to 2024 if it is on or between 31 March and 4 April 2024.

For example, you prepare accounts to 31 December each year. Your standard part runs from 1 January to 31 December 2023 and your transition part runs from 1 January to 5 April 2024.

Apportioning profits to the standard part and the transition part

You need to report the profits you earned in each part of your basis period.

If your accounts match the part exactly you can report the profit as normal.

If not, you need to report parts of the profit from multiple sets of accounts.

For example, if you have an accounting year end date of 31 December, you will report profit from both:

  • 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023 for your standard part
  • 1 January 2024 to 5 April 2024 for your transition part

The normal method of apportioning profits is by looking at the number of days in each of the accounting periods in the parts of the basis period.

You can use another method if it is reasonable, and you use it consistently. For example, you can apportion by months or weeks.

If your accounting period or part of the basis period covers the end of February 2024, remember to include 29 February when working out your taxable profit.

Example of how to apportion by days

A business prepares accounts for:

  • 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023, showing profit of £45,000
  • 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024, showing profit of £75,000

Taking into account profit from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023, the business has a taxable profit of £45,000 for the standard part.

Taking into account profit from 1 October 2023 to 5 April 2024:

Profit (£75,000) × the number of days in the transition part (188) ÷ the number of days in the accounting period (366).

This equals a taxable profit of £38,525 for the transition part.

Example of how to apportion by months

  • 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, showing profit of £50,000
  • 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, showing profit of £15,000

Taking into account profit from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, the business has a taxable profit of £50,000 for the standard part.

Taking into account profit from 1 January 2024 to 5 April 2024:

Profit (£15,000) × the number of months in the transition part (3) ÷ the number of months in the accounting period (12).

This equals a taxable profit of £3,750 for the transition part.

Deduct your Overlap Relief

The profits of the parts are your ‘standard profit’ and your ‘transition profit’. Your standard profit will be taxed as normal. If you have a standard loss this will reduce your transition profit.

You should deduct any Overlap Relief from your transition profit.

Work out how much of your transition profit after Overlap Relief to tax in 2023 to 2024

Your transition profit after Overlap Relief will be spread over 5 years, starting with the tax year 2023 to 2024 and ending with the tax year 2027 to 2028.

There are boxes on your Self Assessment tax return where you should report:

  • your transition profit
  • your Overlap Relief
  • how much of your transition profit after Overlap Relief should be taxed in 2023 to 2024

At least 20% of your transition profit after Overlap Relief must be taxed in 2023 to 2024. If you want more of your transition profit after Overlap Relief to be taxed in 2023 to 2024, enter the higher amount on your 2023 to 2024 tax return and use the ‘Any other information’ box to explain this. 

Your remaining transition profit after Overlap Relief will be spread equally over the remaining 4 years. You should keep a record of this to help you complete your tax returns for later tax years.

If your business ceases on or before 5 April 2027, any transition profit after Overlap Relief that has not yet been taxed must be taxed in the year your business ceased.

If you are a farmer or creative artist, transition profit should not be included when calculating your averaging adjustment. 

Get help to work out your transition profit

This calculator will be published in April 2024. Sign up for email alerts on this page for any updates.

You can get help to work out your transition profit and other figures you will need to complete your 2023 to 2024 tax return.

You will need details of: 

  • your overlap relief amount
  • your accounts for any accounting period that falls partly or wholly within the period from the end of your 2022 to 2023 basis period to 5 April 2024, or your accounting date if it is on or between 31 March and 4 April 2024
  • any adjustments you need to make to your net profit or loss to reach your taxable profit or loss for each accounting period
  • any other adjustments you need to make to your taxable profit for the year

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Woman working from home

The UK is the work-from-home capital of Europe. Now let’s work on getting it right

Christine Grant

A head start on remote working, and low unemployment, left us in prime position. But we need to ensure all are supported

  • Prof Christine Grant is an occupational psychologist

M ore than two years on from the end of the last Covid lockdown, the UK has embraced working from home – to the extent it is now the work-from-home capital of Europe . A recent survey showed UK employees work from home for an average of 1.5 days a week, compared with an international average of 0.9 days. In 2019, about 12% of UK employees were working from home to some extent; by 2022 it was between 25% and 40% , depending on the time of year.

In other areas, the British workplace isn’t particularly flexible or easygoing: we consistently report some of the longest working hours in Europe. So how have we managed to end up in top position? It’s likely to be a combination of factors. First, the UK was already within the top five countries for remote working before the pandemic. By 2021, more than half of Brits were saying they’d like to work from home at least some of the time – and given the UK’s low unemployment rate , employers are incentivised to offer remote or hybrid working where possible to attract and retain staff.

In a recent LinkedIn poll, a third of UK office workers said they would quit if they had to return to the office full-time. Meanwhile in Spain, where unemployment is at 11.6% , workers do an average 0.9 days from home. It has helped, too, that trade unions and organisations such as Acas and the NHS have shown their support for working from home, and provided resources and guidance.

Caution should be exercised, however, in comparing mandatory working from home during the pandemic to WFH when employers have more time to work closely with individuals to ensure that the practical and psychological needs of home working are fully considered. Post-pandemic, hybrid working (working partly on site and partly from home) is the most common – at 28% , whereas 16% of people are working from home only. Eight in 10 of those who worked from home during the pandemic indicated they planned to continue in a hybrid pattern.

There are well documented concerns about WFH full-time – from fuel bills to social isolation. Younger workers are more likely to prefer travelling into work to meet people, and to benefit from networking and mentoring. A hybrid approach can help those issues and retain productivity alongside wellbeing for workers.

But it also requires managers and leaders to adapt, and poses some challenges for employers in terms of ensuring staff are fully transitioned and trained to work in this way. Line managers, who are key to the success of managing and monitoring working from home, need to focus on developing trusting relationships and utilising all types of communication methods, including on- and off-site training, and appropriate accommodations where necessary.

What has been ignored with the recent demands from CEOs for workers to return to the workplace full-time is the impact this can have on a more inclusive and diverse workforce and culture. For those with disabilities, working from home either partly or fully has been enormously helpful in terms of flexibility and control over their working environment. In an NHS survey of disabled staff, 84% wanted to retain at least some form of flexibility and remote working.

Technology, including virtual means to communicate, artificial intelligence and other new tools, are likely to add to the ability to work across many locations and at any time. Getting the mix of home and office working right for different groups of workers can provide a means to be inclusive, improve wellbeing and ensure the organisation benefits from employees strengths and talents.

The future will bring even more different and perhaps radical ways of working; now is our chance to look forward, rather than yearning for old styles of working that no longer fit our society.

Prof Christine Grant is an occupational psychologist at the Coventry University Centre for Healthcare Research

  • Working from home
  • Work & careers
  • Coronavirus

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  1. When does work from home guidance end in the UK?

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  5. Government ends working from home guidance

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  6. Out of office? How working from home has divided Britain

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  7. Covid: Work-from-home guidance reintroduced in England

    People in England should now work from home if they can, as part of the government's Plan B guidance to curb the spread of Omicron. The change brings England in line with Scotland, Wales and ...

  8. Should I be working from home now?

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  9. Homeworking in the UK

    The UK government first asked people to work from home if they could on March 16 2020. Guidance and legal requirements on homeworking throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic varied between administrations but England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all ended the legal requirement to work from home at the end of January 2022.

  10. Covid: Work-from-home guidance reintroduced in England

    People in England should now work from home if they can, as part of the government's Plan B guidance to curb the spread of Omicron. The change brings England in line with Scotland, Wales and...

  11. Back to the workplace: Your rights if you've been working from home

    With guidance to work from home set to end in England from 19 July, Citizens Advice sets out your need to knows if you're asked to return to your normal workplace. I've been working from home, can my employer ask me to return to my normal workplace? The short answer is yes.

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    ASDA Chairman reacts to the end of working from home Figures published by location technology firm TomTom show the level of road congestion at 8am in London and Manchester was higher than at the same time last week, but was relatively stable in several other major English cities.

  13. End of work from home guidance: considerations for employers

    From 19 July 2021, the Government will no longer instruct people to work from home, however the Government expects and recommends a "gradual return over the summer". While the end of the work from home guidance removes working from home as the default position, it is not likely to placate employee concerns over returning to the office.

  14. When will working from home end in the UK?

    At present, the latest government advice on working from home is to remain doing so unless it is impossible to do so. The review on returning to work offices is due to be completed by 21 June, and will examine social distancing requirements, the use of face masks and requirements to work from home.

  15. Covid: Working from home guidance changes from July 19 in ...

    Shelly Asquith, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy Officer at the TUC, says employers must engage you on any changes made to Covid risk assessments. "Employers still have a legal duty to protect ...

  16. UK

    The UK government is no longer asking people to work from home if they can. Instead the government advises that staff should now talk to their employers to agree arrangements to return to the ...

  17. When does the work from home rule end in the UK?

    The work from home rule is expected to end at the beginning of February. It's very much still in place for the moment though, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon suggesting that Scotland will return to a "more hybrid approach" from the beginning of next month. Credit: Getty (Image credit: Getty Images)

  18. Working from home UK statistics 2024

    In June 2021, 44% of those aged between 30 and 49 worked from home because of COVID-19 ( source) 38% of workers earning £40,000 or more, and 32% of those earning between £30,000 and £40,000, hybrid worked between 27 April and 8 May 2022 ( source ), as lower income earners are less likely to work from home.

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  24. Work out your transition profit

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