UK workers still ‘anxious’ about returning to the workplace

Latest research suggests many workers in the UK are still anxious about returning to their normal place of work. The survey carried out by YouGov found that around one in four (26%) staff who’ve been attending their workplace during the health pandemic say that their employer is “putting pressure on them” to do so.

The survey of 1080 employees also revealed that around one in five (21%) people who’ve been going to work premises during the COVID-19 pandemic “aren’t satisfied with the health and safety measures put in place by their employer”.  Furthermore, nearly half (49%) of people who are not currently working from the usual workplace are “anxious” about returning. This figure rises to 57% of staff with a non-physical health condition and 48% of employees with a physical health condition.  In fact, one in ten (12%) workers don’t trust their employer to provide a safe environment when they eventually go back.

GRADUAL RETURN

Commuting is another worry for UK workers. Over a third (35%) of all workers who were surveyed said they “feel anxious about travelling to work”. This increases to 60% for those who live in London. The “lack of information” was also a concern. Around 55% of staff said their employer had given adequate information about changes regarding their return to the workplace. Only 44% said that their employer has adequately consulted with them about returning to their normal place of work. This fell to 28% of people with a disability.

Given worker concerns, return to work must be gradual and meet various “key tests”, according to the UK’s professional body for HR and people development CIPD. In response to the Prime Minister’s press conference on the return to work, CIPD’s Chief Executive Peter Cheese stated, that the “announcement signalled that the return to work will increasingly be at the employer’s discretion, but consultation with employees is essential to ensure they have a say in how and when they return”. However he said that it’s “vital that organisations consider the physical safety and mental wellbeing of their people before returning them to the existing workplace”.

THREE KEY TESTS

He believes that three key tests must be met. “They should first consider if they can meet three conditions: is it essential for them to be in the workplace to do their job, is it sufficiently safe and is it mutually agreed with workers. Even with those measures in place the return to workplaces must still be gradual so that social distancing can be maintained. A return to work doesn’t necessarily mean a return to the old workplace.” 

CIPD’s recent survey reveals that home workers are as productive as other workers and plan to double the proportion of staff who work from home regularly once the crisis is over compared to pre-pandemic levels, as reported. “We have a long road ahead to get Britain back to work, but by engaging with staff and taking the time to think through workplace protections, businesses will be in a much better position to bring people back at the right time and in the right way,” added Cheese.