Covid: Should I be working from home or going back to the office?

People will no longer be asked to work from home, when restrictions are lifted in England on 19 July. Prime Minister Boris Johnson recommended a "gradual return to work".

However the Scottish government wants people to keep working at home until at least 9 August, where possible.

Mr Johnson said employers in England will "be able to start planning a safe return to the workplace", as part of the 19 July changes.

The government wants to help companies which have struggled during lockdown, such as those in city centres which rely on office workers.

It's also keen to cut the cost of paying furloughed staff by encouraging businesses to reopen.

Scotland will move to Covid level 0 on Monday 19 July.

The government had previously said it expected people to begin returning to the office at this point.

However, it has decided to postpone this until the country moves beyond level zero. It hopes this will be on 9 August.

Until then employers are asked to continue to support homeworking where possible.

You can ask to keep working from home, but that doesn't mean your employer has to agree.

However, the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) - which represents HR professionals - says there could be much greater freedom and flexibility in how, when and where people work in future.

"People generally want a mix of workplace and home working, and the possibility of more choice in their working routines, meaning hybrid working can provide an effective balance for many workers."

The CIPD adds that the day restrictions end "shouldn't signal a mass return to workplaces" and "it should be down to individual organisations, consulting with their people, to agree working arrangements".

In England, the current guidance says employers should complete a Covid risk assessment, and take steps to prevent transmission, including:

All retail staff and customers must wear face coverings, unless they're exempt.

Regular lateral flow testing for Covid is already widespread in many sectors, and anyone in England or Scotland can also order tests directly.

There's more detailed guidance for specific industries including construction, hospitality and manufacturing.

Similar advice is available for employers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If employees feel unsafe, they can contact their local authority, Citizens Advice or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE has carried more than 200,000 inspections to check companies are following Covid rules, and can force firms to take action if not.

Once the advice changes, the CIPD says that employers should continue to ensure they have the necessary measures in place to give confidence to workers that their workplace is safe.

"This can include changes to desk spaces, shift patterns to help workers avoid busy times on public transport and use of one-way systems to reduce staff contact while the risk of infection remains", it says.

Much of the risk depends on how crowded it is, and your distance from other people.

Wearing a mask helps, as does keeping windows open, and avoiding peak journey times where possible.

Previous advice, that millions of "clinically extremely vulnerable" people should shield, has now ended.

Many continue to work from home, but if your job cannot be done remotely, your employer can ask you to return to the workplace.

However, they still have a responsibility to keep you safe, so you should raise any specific concerns you have about going back.

In addition, if you are disabled, your employer has an extra responsibility to make and pay for "reasonable adjustments".