In a letter sent to the Prime Minister, businesses have asked for vital clarification about what the lifting of lockdown restrictions will mean for firms “in practice”.Â
Lobby group, London First, has penned a letter to the Prime Minister asking the Government to provide “clear direction” on the return to the office and what the end of lockdown restrictions will mean for businesses.
Representing over 50 firms, including BT Group, Gatwick and Heathrow Airports and Landsec, the letter calls for “unambiguous communication” as businesses prepare for the economy to fully re-open later this month.
It expresses that the Government needs to ensure that, when the stage four restrictions lift, public transport is safe, offices are safe, and work-from-home is no longer the default.
This, it claims, will allow employers to move forward with plans for new ways of working, considering the needs of their staff, clients, and customers.
The letter also echoes past views shared by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the need to return to collaborative working in offices, at least part-time post-pandemic, despite the new ways of working which have emerged over the past year.
It also pushes for a stop to full-time homeworking and instead says the Government must undertake a promotional push to attract commuters and holidaymakers back to the capital.
It further calls for a reskilling programme which would help people in London return to work.
These calls to action largely offer a different perspective compared to previous data which showed that the top 50 firms in the UK are not planning for a full-time return to the office.
This comes as the Prime Minister is preparing to outline the final stages of the Government’s roadmap today, which is predicted to see COVID-19 restrictions completely lifted from the 19th July.
As part of this, Mr. Johnson is expected to offer new guidance on how working from home and social distancing is set to change from this date.
The Prime Minister stated that the UK public “must learn to live with the virus” and “exercise judgement”.
Monica Sharma is an English Literature graduate from the University of Warwick. As Editor for HRreview, her particular interests in HR include issues concerning diversity, employment law and wellbeing in the workplace. Alongside this, she has written for student publications in both England and Canada. Monica has also presented her academic work concerning the relationship between legal systems, sexual harassment and racism at a university conference at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.