Bristol workers who cannot do their job from home are being "encouraged” back to work under the Government’s latest guidelines.
Although pubs and restaurants will remain shut until at least July, many people will be heading into the office this week.
Bosses in Bristol who do want to reopen their businesses will need to carry out a risk assessment with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) though - and place the certificate on display.
To cope with the extra influx, the HSE will receive an extra £14million in funding for extra call-centre workers, inspectors and equipment.
Meanwhile, people who can do their jobs from home will stay there - for the time being at least.
If and when we do return, how could workplaces be different?
The British Council for Offices (BCO), the membership organisation for the office sector, has outlined how it thinks offices could change in a new paper - Thoughts on office design and operation after Covid-19.
"Covid-19 will alter the future of work," said Richard Kauntze, chief executive of the BCO.
“Working from home has provided an effective temporary measure for business, but it is not an effective long-term solution for how we work.
“We are social beings and we work best together, in an office.
"When we’re together, we share ideas, draw inspiration from each other and form valuable, long-term relationships.”
Seven ways your office could be different after lockdown
The introduction of screens to protect receptionists from potential virus-carrying visitors
The replacement of gendered communal toilets with pod-based ‘superloos’ that feature touchless doors, taps and soap dispensers
An increase in bike storage, with workers likely to ditch public transport’s commuter crowds in favour of cycling
Limits on the number of people that can occupy a space, use a meeting room or share a lift at any one time
An end to communal cutlery, coffee pots and water bottles
The adoption of ventilation and humidification systems which create environments that make transmission tough for viruses
Tech-based ‘smart solutions’ such as apps reminding people to use hand sanitiser, to wash hands, or to clean desks, laptops and other technology devices
Neil Pennell, chair of the BCO Technical Affairs Committee, which wrote the paper, added: “While we do not know when we will all be back in the workplace, it’s important to start planning ahead.
“Adaptations can ensure that the risk of virus transmission is reduced and can accommodate our new reality, enabling us all to gain the real benefits that come from working in an office while ensuring we are safe.”
