Home working will become the government’s official guidance from today, as new Plan B measures are phased into help control spiralling cases of the Omicron variant.
In England, people should return to working from home if they can from December 13.
Speaking during a press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Go to work if you must, but work from home if you can."
Working from home is one of the most effective ways to reduce social exposure, according to the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
It greatly limits face-to-face contact both with colleagues and on public transport and in turn can reduce the spread of infection.
As such, Sage says it has a "strong impact" against virus transmission and the R number, which represents a disease's ability to spread.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, workers have already been advised to work from home if possible to help manage the spread of the winter variant.
However, there are some workers that will still need to go into their place of work to do their job.
Are the new rules coming into force too late? Let us know in the comments section below
Although social distancing limits no longer apply across most of the UK, businesses still have a legal duty to manage the risks to staff and customers.
Employers will have to update their Covid-19 risk assessments on working in the office, to take account of the latest developments.
If there are more than 50 employees in the business then they are expected to publish the risk assessment on their website too.
Safety measures can include reducing the capacity at any one time, improving ventilation, using one-way systems and more frequent cleaning.
If you are working from home then your employer must ensure it is safe for you to work at home, as they are liable for making sure you have a safe place to work.
Can my employer still ask me to go into the office?
“The government guidance is not saying ‘you must work from home’ from Monday, 13 December, 2021,” Pam Loch, solicitor at Loch Employment Law told The Mirror.
“The guidance states that from Monday office workers who can work from home should do so and makes clear that your employer has some leeway to determine whether or not your job can be done at home.
“For example, your employer can decide you cannot work from home because you have to access equipment in the office to carry out your role or you need to be in the office because your job needs to be done ‘in-person’.”
In-person working applies where it’s necessary to be in the office to continue to provide ‘effective and accessible delivery of some public services and private industries’.
“This leaves it open to an employer to make a decision about when that applies unless the government issues more guidance.”
The guidance also states that your employer could decide that home working is not appropriate because they are concerned about mental or physical health difficulties or there is a ‘challenging home working environment’ which means they don’t think you should work from home.
“Taken together, this enables employers to assess and make a decision on a case by case basis to determine if a role can be carried out at home,” Loch adds.
What if your employer insists you must continue to work in the office and you disagree?
Speak to your employer and explain your concerns.
If you have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 and you believe it is a reasonable adjustment to work from home then explain that clearly to your employer.
Loch says: “If you believe you are being unfairly treated and you are not happy with the decision then you can raise a grievance.
“If you believe the office is not safe top work in, then you can contact the Health and Safety Executive with your concerns.”
I need to self-isolate – what should I do?
If your job is one where you still need to go into the workplace, there will be instances when employees will be unable to attend, for example if they are required to self-isolate after testing positive or displaying coronavirus symptoms.
You should notify your employer if you or someone you have been in contact with tests positive for the virus. Once notified, they should not ask you to enter your workplace.
Non-compliance risks a fine, starting from £1,000.
If you don’t qualify for sick pay, you may be able to get a self-isolation payment – this is a one-off £500.
