You must complete a return to work risk assessment (as above), which will help highlight what needs to be done to ensure a smooth return to the workplace. It will differ depending on many factors including your industry, size of premises, whether employers want to continue to let staff work from home.

In order to get your workplace up and running, it may be that you consider a staggered return, agreeing who should return and when. This will allow for procedures to be tweaked and amended, as it is extremely difficult to take into account every eventuality, while social distancing is no longer required, it is something that some workplaces feel like they want to continue to implement. Ensuring managers and supervisors are clear on the new policies and procedures is vital and it will help establish new practices as more of the workforce return. Check out our Returning to work and preparing for the future blog for more information on how you can plan a safe and gradual return to the workplace.

After agreeing and implementing practical steps these need to be communicated to your workforce. This is a key part of the return to work process, as if you can establish trust with your employees it will give them the confidence to return. You must also communicate any changes to business operations or their job role as a result of Covid-19 before their return. As employees return after an extended time away from work employers will also need to consider bringing employees back up to speed with Health & Safety and other areas of compliance through refresher training.