Lockdown update: How do I decide whether to return to the office?

Boris Johnson has told employers and employees that they are permitted to return to work in offices from 1 August.

At a Downing Street press conference on 17 July, Mr Johnson said that due to the declining death toll and the R-rate remaining below one (it is estimated to be between 0.7 and 0.9 in different areas of England), measures were being relaxed further.

But the prime minister's guidance does directly go against advice from chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, who said 12 hours earlier that there was "no reason" to change work-from-home advice.

Local lockdowns are also still in place in some places, like Leicester, where there are concerns about spikes in transmission of the virus.

The last update on work guidelines was issued by the prime minister two months ago when he said people could return to work on 11 May, only if they could not work remotely – this included workers in industries like construction.

Other industries were told to remain at home where possible – especially because public transport was still off limits for anyone not making an “essential journey”. That has also changed from 17 July with anyone allowed to use the services.

So how do you decide whether to go back to work from 1 August?

Should I go back to work?

Mr Johnson said that employers and employees do not have to return to work on 1 August and that the government guideline was only there for those who wanted to make use of it.

“It is not for the government to decide how employers should run their companies and whether they want their work forces in the office or not – that is for companies.

“That date could mean of course continuing to work from home, which is one way of working safely,” he says. “Or it could mean making workplaces safe by following Covid-safe guidelines.”

He warned that whatever employers decide to do it should be a decision made in close consultation with employees: “And only ask people to return to their place of work if it is safe.”

“What we’re saying now is that if employers think it would be better and more productive for their employees to come into the office and they can work in a safe way, in a Covid-secure way in the office, then there should be discussions between employers and employees and people should take a decision,” he continued.

Mr Johnson acknowledged how productive many employees have been working from home: “People have discovered a lot of different ways of working, and new patterns of work have been emerging, many companies are seeing opportunities to do things differently,” he said.

Despite this he said if employers want people back, and it can be done safely, then the government supports that decision. “We certainly want to see people coming back to the civil service here in London,” he joked.

Are there arguments against returning to work?

On 16 July, 12 hours before Mr Johnson’s announcement, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said there was no need to change the work-from-home advice.

He told the Commons science and technology committee on Thursday: “I think a number of companies think it’s actually not detrimental to productivity. And in that situation, there’s absolutely no reason I can see to change it.”

Following Mr Johnson’s speech, London mayor Sadiq Khan said the government should not encourage people to return to their workplaces if it means overcrowding the underground.

He told the PA news agency on Friday: “It’s really important if the government is going to be asking people to return to work they do so safely.

“That means making sure they don’t have tubes packed like they were before the pandemic,” he said. “I’d ask employers to make sure start and finish times are staggered to avoid rush hour.”

Mr Khan warned against a return to work causing a second wave of the virus and ensuring all spaces were compliant with new Covid-secure rules.

“We’ve also got to make sure that places of work have the adaptations to make sure they’re safe – hand sanitisers being available, social distancing measures being in place, there being proper signage,” he said.

In an exclusive focus group conducted with YouGov and The Independent office workers expressed their hope that remote working would continue post-pandemic, with many saying they did not want to return to office work five days a week.

Several big businesses, including Facebook and Twitter, have already said they will be using the pandemic as an opportunity to encourage permanent remote working and the closure of large office spaces.