Are you keen to go back to your workplace or do you prefer to work from home?
During the pandemic, many of us have taken the Government advice and have been working from home.
Boris Johnson is expected to set out the next stages of the Government’s coronavirus response later today, with speculation he could change the official guidance, which still states that people should work from home if they can and which also advises public transport be used only for essential journeys.
The Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said working from home was a ‘perfectly good option’.
Boris Johnson faces resistance from his chief scientific adviser over efforts to get more people back to their workplaces.
The Prime Minister has said employees should be talking to their bosses about “looking to come back to work in a safe way”.
But the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said working from home remained a “perfectly good option” and there was “absolutely no reason” to change the advice which urges people to do it.
Giving evidence to the Commons Science and Technology Committee, Sir Patrick said it was his view – and one shared by the scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) – that “we’re still at a time when distancing measures are important”.
“Of the various distancing measures, working from home for many companies remains a perfectly good option because it’s easy to do,” he told MPs.
“I think a number of companies think it’s actually not detrimental to productivity.
“And in that situation, absolutely no reason I can see to change it.”
There are concerns about the impact of office workers staying away from their places of work, with the knock-on effects felt in shops and cafes which usually benefit from their trade.
On Monday, Boris Johnson said “people have gone to huge lengths to make their businesses Covid-secure”.
What are your views? Have you been working from home during the pandemic? Are you keen to return to your workplace or are you happy to remain working from home?
