Checklist: Reducing the risk of Coronavirus (COVID-19) - guidance for employers (UK)

Introduction

This checklist is intended to provide guidance to organisations on how to manage the workplace safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and an overview of the government’s guidance for ‘Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19’ published on 1st April 2022. It also provides pointers on complying with legal obligations in the workplace in respect of health and safety and respiratory infections, including COVID-19; as well as reviewing remote working policies and practices in this context.

The checklist addresses the following steps:

1. Comply with your health and safety obligations in the workplace
2. Manage employees’ who have symptoms or are at risk from COVID-19
3. Reduce the risk of the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19 in the workplace
4. Review remote working and workplace policies and procedures in the context of respiratory infections including COVID-19

It is presented as a list of considerations to review and tick off as they are addressed. At the end of the document there are explanatory notes to help you with your review, corresponding to each relevant step in the checklist.  It can be used in conjunction with Checklists: Remote working - minimising cybersecurity risks (UK).

Step 1 - Comply with your health and safety obligations in the workplace

Step 2 – Manage employees who have symptoms or are at risk from COVID-19

Step 3 – Reduce the risk of the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19 in the workplace

Step 4 - Review remote working and workplace policies and procedures in the context of respiratory infections, including COVID-19

Explanatory notes

Step 1 - Comply with your health and safety obligations in the workplace

1.1 Consult up to date government guidelines on reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19

The government has removed domestic restrictions in England in relation to COVID-19 and replaced them with public health advice. COVID-19 will remain a public health issue and guidance for workplaces has now been replaced with public health advice.

You should consult the up-to-date government guidance on reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19 as the guidance is subject to change from time to time. See, government guidance on ‘Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace’.

This guidance set outs the public health principles and actions that can be followed in order to:

• reduce the risk of employees contracting COVID-19 and other respiratory infection, such as influenza
• reduce the spread of respiratory infections within the workplace

The government guidance covers the following areas:

• knowing which symptoms to look out for
• what to do if a member of staff has symptoms of a respiratory infection, including COVID-19
• actions to reduce the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19
• management of members of staff who are at risk of serious illness from COVID-19
• conducting a health and safety risk assessment

1.2 Carry out a statutory health and safety risk assessment

It is no longer a requirement for all employers to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their    statutory health and safety risk assessments with some exceptions. For examples, where employers specifically work with COVID-19, such as laboratories. However, as an employer you still need to continue to comply with your all your legal obligations relating to health and safety, employment and equality duties.

Employers have a duty of care to take reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of employees. In the UK, this is governed by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Health and Safety Executive Agency (HSE) sets out basic information for employers to follow in order to protect the health and safety of employees. See HSE guidance on ‘Health and Safety made simple’

As part of your risk assessment, you must:

• identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards)
• decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk)
• take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn't possible, control the risk

The HSE provides free resources to assist with conducting a risk assessment. See Managing risks and risk assessment at work. For examples of what a risk assessment should incorporate see here.

The HSE no longer requires every business to consider COVID-19 in their risk assessment or to have specific measures in place. However, the transmission of COVID-19 is a hazard and it must be managed in the same way as other workplace hazards. Therefore, the government guidance is that employers may still choose to continue to cover COVID-19 in their risk assessments. See, HSE guidance Coronavirus-19 – Advice for Workplaces.

1.3 Consult with employees, or their representatives, on health and safety matters

As an employer, you have a legal duty to consult with your employees or their representatives on health and safety matters. You can do this by inviting feedback on how you will be managing risks such as contracting COVID-19, and listening to any concerns. See HSE guidance: consult your workers

Step 2 –Manage employees’ who have symptoms or at risk from COVID-19

2.1 Be aware of the symptoms relating to respiratory infections that require monitoring

It is important for employers and staff to be aware of the symptoms to look out for so they can take actions to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others. See government guidance

Symptoms of COVID-19, flu and common respiratory infections include:

• continuous cough
• high temperature, fever or chills
• loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell
• shortness of breath
• unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
• muscle aches or pains that are not due to exercise
• not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
• headache that is unusual or longer lasting than usual
• sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
• diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick

It is good practice to encourage employees to report their symptoms to their line manager so that actions can be taken with the workplace to prevent any spread of infections.

2.2 Consider the needs of employees who are at risk of serious illness from COVID-19

You may have employees who are at a greater risk of serious illness should they contract COVID-19. For example, employees who have a weakened immune system. Government guidance is that you may wish to consider the particular needs of employees that fall within this group when making workplace adjustments; such as, introducing screens; changing entry and exits points; and updating your employee policies to take this into account. You should also refer them to the relevant government guidance so that they can make appropriate decisions in respect of their health and safety in accordance with government advice. See, COVID-19: guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk.

2.3 Consider the needs of employees with symptoms of a respiratory infection, including COVID-19

Government guidance does not require you to report workplace outbreaks of respiratory infections (including COVID-19) to your local public health team. However, if your organisation experiences high levels of employees with respiratory symptoms, the actions detailed at Step 3 will help to reduce the spread. These should therefore be promoted and applied more rigorously in these circumstances.

If an employee is unwell and has symptoms of COVID-19,  refer them to government guidance for People with symptoms of a respiratory infections including COVID-19.

The key message under the guidance is for employees is to at home and avoid contact with other people. As an employer, talk to your employees about options, for example if they are able to work remotely;  and support them as far as possible to manage the situation.

2.4 Consider if there are any employees refusing to return to work due to COVID-19 concerns

If an employee refuses to return to work due to concerns regarding COVID-19:

• start the communication process with your employee as soon as possible to address and identify their concerns
• assess if they are at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 (see step 2.2 above) to ensure that you fully meet your obligations as an employer
• ensure that you take any necessary steps to reassure them of the actions that you are taking as an employer to mitigate health and safety risks within the workplace including completing a risk assessment (see step 1.2 above)

If an employee refuses to return to work despite all reasonable options having been considered, you may consider disciplinary action. This is outside the scope of this checklist.

Step 3 – Reduce the risk of the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19 in the workplace

3.1 Encourage and enable employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations

In line with your legal obligations as an employer as outlined in Step 1, consider how best to support and also to enable your employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Supporting your employees in getting a vaccine has many benefits such as:

• your employees can better protect themselves and those around them
• it lowers the risk of your workforce contracting and spreading COVID-19; which reduces the negative impact on your workforce
• protecting your customers when using your services
• bringing your employees back safely into the workplace sooner

As an employer the government guidance encourages you to actively take steps such as:

• Sharing information on the facts around vaccination. See Public Health England’s guidance Covid-19 Vaccine Employer Toolkit
• Showing support for vaccination from senior leadership
• Being open with your employees about what support your business will provide to facilitate workforce vaccination

See government guidance COVID-19 vaccination: guide for employers  

3.2 Provide adequate ventilation and a supply of fresh air to indoor spaces

The risk of employees contracting or passing on COVID-19 and other respiratory infections can be higher in more densely populated indoor places such as a workplace. It is therefore important to optimise ventilation and fresh air.

The HSE provides guidance on how to assess and improve ventilation in line with health and safety requirements under Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Detailed COVID-19 specific guidance for workplaces and public buildings, is provided by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) for those who wish to put additional measures in place including:

• natural ventilation via opening windows and doors
• mechanical ventilation

3.3 Maintain a clean workplace

Keeping workplaces clean reduces the risk of infection amongst employees and can reduce sickness in a workforce. Cleanliness measures may include:

• providing hand sanitiser in multiple accessible locations
• frequent and enhanced cleaning for busy areas
• increased waste facilities and frequent rubbish collection
• enhanced hand drying facilities such as paper towels or electrical dryers
• providing regular reminders and signage to maintain hygiene standards

Step 4 - Review remote working and workplace policies and procedures in the context of respiratory infections, including COVID-19

4.1 Reviewing relevant workplace and employee policies

Any review of your workplace policies and procedures to make changes within the workplace in the context of COVID-19, should be in line with employment law. For example, your sick policy or your disciplinary policy to deal with a situation where an employee refuses to come back to the office due to COVID-19 concerns. See Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees | Acas

Employees are also legally protected from discrimination by the Equality Act 2010. As an employer you have particular responsibility towards different groups of employees.

These are called ‘protected characteristics’. Therefore, it is good practice to give special consideration to this group when applying the government guidance and also when updating your workplace policies. Also see government guidance on discrimination. See government guidance

In the event that you have employees who are working remotely, your employee policies will need to be reviewed accordingly.

Employee policies to review include:

• home/remote working
• grievance/disciplinary
• sick/absence
• cybersecurity, IT and data security
• compliance policies and controls

Any remote working policies should cover the rules and safeguards applicable to remote working, including who can work remotely, what systems are available remotely, what information can be accessed remotely, what access controls are to be applied and how devices and sites are to be configured and protected.

Your cybersecurity policy should be reviewed and updated to support the increased remote working and new compliance processes. See Checklist: Remote working - minimising cybersecurity risks (UK).

4.2 Consider drafting a mobile device/bring your own device (BYOD) policy if one does not exist

Remote workers may not appreciate that when working remotely, their employer’s workplace policies apply to the remote location, as they would the office. Ensure that there is a mobile device/bring your own device (BYOD) policy in place for remote working in order to minimise relevant risks including the potential for data breaches. See National Cyber Security Centre for guidance.

4.3 Arrange IT/cybersecurity training for employees, in particular regarding COVID-19 phishing schemes

Where you have employees working remotely on a regular basis, you should provide them with IT and cybersecurity training (including refresher courses) in order that they are aware of the relevant legal obligations which would protect the business and its activities; and  to ensure that they are able to recognise and report any cybersecurity threats to the business. See: National Cyber Security Centre for further guidance on cybersecurity.

Any training should include training on COVID-19 phishing scams. Increases in the number of employees working remotely means that significantly more businesses will be vulnerable to IT fraud where criminals try and convince the user to provide access to their computer or divulge logon details and passwords.

4.4 Consider reviewing your visitors policy

Review your workplace procedures and policies for visitors, including suppliers and contractors, visiting the workplace with a view to minimising the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Ensure that you offer all visitors clear guidance on your policies either before or on arrival at the workplace. This can be done:

• on the phone
• on your website or email
• on-site signage and visual aids

Ensure that the information you provide does not compromise their safety whilst they are in the workplace. For example, you have appropriate access and exit points and meet any disability requirements.

Additional resources

Living safely with respiratory infections, including COVID-19

Reducing the spread of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, in the workplace

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

HSE guidance ‘Health and Safety made simple’

HSE guidance ‘Managing risks and risk assessment at work’

HSE guidance ‘Risk assessment template and examples’

HSE guidance Coronavirus-19 – Advice for Workplaces

HSE guidance: consult your workers

Equality Act 2010

Government guidance on Equality Act 2010

COVID-19 guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk

COVID-19 vaccination guide for employers for employers

People with symptoms of a respiratory infections including COVID-19.

Public Health England guidance Covid-19 Vaccine Employer Toolkit;

COVID-19 vaccination: guide for employers

Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees | Acas

Bring your own device (BYOD) - NCSC.GOV.UK

National Cyber Security Centre cybersecurity guidance

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