Key Features: Updates to the Work Safely Protocol
Following on from our post The Phased Return to the Workplace , further guidance has been given into the recent government changes effect on the Work Safely Protocol. The Protocol sets out the minimum public health measures required in every place of work to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
While employers are still expected to comply with their normal health and safety obligations, employers should note that from 22 October 2021 the requirement to work from home will be removed and the statutory regime in place to protect public health will be wound down. Further guidance is expected in advance of that date. So what are some of these key changes:
From 20 September 2021:
- Businesses can begin a phased and staggered return to workplaces for specific business requirements
- Two metre social distancing, the wearing of masks in certain circumstances, hygiene measures and appropriate ventilation remain in place
- Appropriate attendance levels should be maintained in accordance with the Protocol
- Staggered arrangements should be considered, such as non-fulltime attendance and flexible working hours
- Each workplace must have a Lead Worker Representative that works with the employer to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, and
- The requirement for self-isolation / restricted movements will continue for those with symptoms, who should immediately seek a test, those with positive test results, and close contacts of confirmed cases, unless fully vaccinated with no symptoms
From 22 October 2021:
- Depending on continued satisfactory vaccination rates, the Government intends to remove further statutory restrictions from this date. In particular, the requirement to work from home will be removed, allowing a return to physical attendance in workplaces on a phased and cautious basis, appropriate to each sector.
- Remote working will become a regular feature of Irish working life as the Government continues to implement Making Remote Work, Ireland’s National Remote Work Strategy, and
- Legal requirements in relation to social distancing and mask wearing will no longer apply in the majority of circumstances. An emphasis on personal responsibility will be encouraged. This means that employees cannot insist on compliance with social distancing, mask wearing or the provision of sanitising equipment or products in the workplace
With employee's returning one of the most important actions for employers to take is to review their risk assessments and health & safety policies. In order to pinpoint how and where could the virus be transmitted in your workplace you must look at the hazards, evaluate the risks and put control measures in place and The Health and Safety Authority has produced checklists to assist in the reopening of workplaces.
In conclusion, the return to the workplace should be conducted in a cautious manner and in consultation with employees. The government is moving towards a focus on personal responsibility from the 22nd of October 2021 and the Government will consult with employers in advance of this date to prepare guidance for the next phase of easing public health restrictions.
Related Articles:
- The Phased Return to the Workplace
- Let's Get Topical - The Vaccine Policy
The Essential Elements of a Hybrid Working Policy
Following on from our previous post 'Your Must Have Hybrid-Working Checklist' having hybrid working policies and agreements in place is essential when returning employees to the office and agreeing a split between working form home and in the office. We see the important elements of a hybrid working policy to be the following:
1. Detail the split between attending work and working remotely
Your hybrid working policy should detail the split between attending work and working remotely and state what number of days an employee will spend attending the workplace and working remotely. The number of days will depend on but is not limited to some of the following;
- the nature of the employees role
- what is happening within their role and team at any particular time
- individual circumstances
- the needs of the business, including space available at the businesses work locations
2. Working Hours
The working hours the employee must work in the office and at home must be stated, for example: For days on which the employee is attending the office, their normal hours of work are set out in their contract of employment.
Ensure you also detail that while working remotely, they must be available and working during their normal hours of work, as set out in their contract of employment while also listing the break and lunch times and being clear that they must avoid overworking, down time from work is essential.
3. Safe-Working While Working Remotely
Detail the procedure your employees must follow should they have any health & safety concerns while working at home, for example; if any work-related accidents occur in your home.
4. Remote Working Procedures
This section of the policy is where you will detail:
- Sickness Absence
- Compliance with Policies
- Technology & Equipment
- and a reference to data protection
Bright Contracts have recently updated the software to include a hybrid working policy which can be found under the 'Terms & Conditions' section of the handbook. If you'd like to preview this content prior to consider purchasing a licence you can do so here.
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- Your Must Have Hybrid-Working Checklist
- The Link Between Hybrid Working & Employee Engagement
Your Must Have Hybrid-Working Checklist
The coronavirus pandemic has completely changed how we live, not just in our personal lives but the way we work too. With hybrid-working becoming a dominant feature in the workplace for everyone businesses are now faced with developing a hybrid policy, creating agreements with their employees and ensuring the success of these arrangements. We believe that preparation is essential for employers when implementing hybrid working which is why we have developed a checklist for employers which can be followed when looking an the implementation of a hybrid model:
Step 1: Look at what works best for your organisation
Step 2: Communicate your intentions
Step 3: Written agreements
Step 4: Implement your hybrid policy
and 5: Refer back to your covid-19 response plan
- Step 1: Hybrid working can bring huge benefits in terms of productivity, flexibility and employee wellbeing – but it’s not the best option for everyone.Think carefully about what your organisation has learned during the pandemic and how your people feel about it. What have been the benefits of working at home and the disadvantages of not being together in the workplace? If hybrid working does appeal, think about what would be the best blend – more home working or more time in the office. Ensure you also look at your HSA health & safety checklists for office and home working. The HSA has these checklists available on the HSA website.
- Step 2: Once you’ve worked out what could work best for your business, make sure you communicate your plans to your employees. Do this well in advance of any change so employees have a chance to feed back their views.
- Step 3: You must ensure you have written agreements in place with your employees which communicates what is expected of them in order to avoid any confusion and any possible future disputes. Bright Contracts have template hybrid working letters available on the Bright Contracts website which can be downloaded here and edited to suit your businesses hybrid model arrangements.
- Step 4: Once written agreements are in place next you need to implement a hybrid working policy within your organisation which we have just made available on our Bright Contracts Software. We hope this provides organisational leaders and business owners a simple but effective framework to make hybrid working a successful reality. With government guidelines on safe working constantly changing in response to the pandemic, hybrid working policies need to be reviewed much more regularly than most other policies
See our follow up blog post 'The Essential Elements of a Hybrid Working Policy' to read what your hybrid policy should detail.
Bright Contracts has a hybrid working policy available in the software which is available under the 'Terms & Conditions' tab. If you'd like to see a sample of this content you can do so by downloading the software and availing of a free trial. we have also recently upgraded our software to include hybrid working in the employment contracts which can be viewed in the contract section fo the handbook under the heading 'Places of Work'.
Related Articles:
- Hybrid Working: Know The Basics
- The Link Between Hybrid Working & Employee Engagement
The Phased Return to the Workplace
The 1st of September marked the day the Irish government agreed Ireland’s plan for the next and final phase of our countries response to the COVID-19 pandemic: 'Reframing the Challenge, Continuing Our Recovery and Reconnecting, this response sets out the phased lifting of the majority of remaining restrictions. With over 88% of the over 18 population fully vaccinated and 92% of adults having received at least 1 dose and subject to the continuation of this progress, Ireland will enter a final phase on the 22nd of October, which is likely to last until at least next Spring. This next phase will see the majority of restrictions lifted and replaced by guidance to enable us to work together to protect ourselves.
Depending on the up to date data on COVID-19 up to the 22nd of October, the plan indicates that further restrictions are scheduled to be lifted such as the requirements for physical distancing however, the wearing of mask indoors in healthcare settings, retail and on public transport is likely to remain.
The Government’s plan also confirms that from the 20th of September a return to workplaces for specific business requirements will commence on a phased and staggered attendance basis. The plan states that employers should develop or finalise their long-term hybrid working and return to work policies and have plans in place regarding their operational requirements in line with the public health advice. They also state that the Work Safely Protocol will be further updated to ensure that appropriate guidance is provided for the next phase of reopening including the return to offices. Once the Protocol is updated, we will provide you with a further update.
With employee's returning one of the most important actions for employers to take is to review their risk assessments and health & safety policies. In order to pinpoint how and where could the virus be transmitted in your workplace you must look at the hazards, evaluate the risks and put control measures in place. As previously mentioned in our previous blog post Hello Update! - Additions to the Return to Work Safely Protocol ventilation of enclosed workplace settings should be considered as part of the workplace risk assessment.
So what can employers do right now?
Employers will be required to reinforce safe working practices with the next key development being to see what is contained in the updated Work Safely Protocol when it is published shortly. While we all await the update to the protocol employers should develop their hybrid-working policies, ready their hybrid working letters confirming hybrid arrangements, both of which are available in our Bright Contracts software.
Bright Contracts has recently been updated to cover these consideration points for our customers to include in their employee handbooks, which can be found under the terms and conditions tab.
Related Articles:
- Hybrid Working: Know The Basics
- The Link Between Hybrid Working & Employee Engagement
Introducing Contracts & Handbooks to Existing Staff
Introducing a contract of employment or a handbook for the first time to current employees, can be a difficult, tricky matter. Employees may view the new documentation as an intrusion, representing a new set of rules and regulations that threaten to make their lives uncomfortable. However, this does not have to be the case, you can introduce new documentation without alienating your work force. The answer lies in good communication and clear and concise documentation.
Here’s our step-by-step guide to introducing your new Bright Contract’s employee documentation to existing employees.
1. Hold an Initial Group Meeting
The purpose of this meeting will be to:
- Notify employees of the introduction of the new contracts of employment and staff handbook.
- Explain why they are being introduced.
- Give a brief overview of what is contained in both documents:
- Contract of Employment: confirms the employee’s basic terms and conditions and is fully compliant with the Terms of Employment Act
- Staff Handbook: gives a brief overview of the type of policy that is contained in the Handbook, for example you may wish to highlight a Dress Code policy
If you are a small company, hold a company-wide meeting, inviting everyone. If your employee numbers mean this is not feasible, hold department or team meetings, ideally meeting with all affected staff on the same day to ensure a consistent message is being delivered to all staff thus preventing any misunderstanding, or false narratives starting. For any employees who are not present for the meeting ensure to debrief them as soon as possible.
At the Meeting
Ensure Top Management are Involved
It is extremely important that senior management are actively involved in introducing the new documentation to show this is a company-wide initiative, supported at the highest level.
Explain Why you are Introducing the Documentation
Give clear reasons why the business is implementing the documentation, for example:
- We want to promote a culture of consistency and fairness in our company, where everyone knows the protocols and knows what is expected of them and what they can expect from the Company.
- We want to ensure we are fully compliant with employment law legislation
Emphasis the Value to the Employee
Explain to employees that they have legal rights and that the policies set out in the handbook demonstrate that the company is complying with the law and honouring their rights.
Promote the handbook as a point of reference for employees for confirmation on how a particular issue will be dealt with e.g. probation, disciplinary procedure etc.
2. Distribute the Documentation
Contracts of Employment
The Contract of Employment is a confidential document between the employer and the employee therefore all communications regarding the contract of employment are to be kept confidential. Therefore we suggest the following:
- Issue 2 copies of the contract of employment to the employee in a sealed envelope
- Give the employee a timeframe to read, review and sign the contract
The Staff Handbook
Following the meeting the Staff Handbook should be made available to all employees. Possible ways to do this can include:
- Print and give each employee a hardcopy of the handbook
- Print a number of handbooks and place them in communal locations in the place of work, e.g. the staff room
- Email the handbook to each employee
- Save and store the handbook in a communal location on your local drive, where it is easily accessible by all
Give staff a timeframe, e.g. 2 weeks, to read the handbook and formulate any questions they might have.
Both the staff handbook and contract of employment in Bright Contracts are available to be printed and exported as a PDF for distribution.
3: Be Prepared to Take Questions
Employees are likely to have questions, be prepared and open to answer any questions or clarify any points that employees might have. Keep open honest communications, listen to the employee’s comments, they may raise some valid issues that need to be addressed. Or employees may simply need clarification on a particular term. (The information snippets on your Bright Contracts program may help you address some employee concerns.)
Once you have had the initial staff/team meeting, it is not necessary to have further team meetings. Conversations at this point tend to be personalised, it is therefore recommended that queries are discussed individual and privately with each employee.
4: Collect Signed Documentation
Employees should sign both copies of the contract of employment, returning one to you and keeping a copy for themselves. Once the signed contract is returned, it should be placed on the personal file for future reference.
If the terms and conditions of employment (e.g. pay, hours etc.) have remained unchanged it is not essential to seek signed agreement from existing employees, however it would always be preferable. If an employee refuses to sign a contract after open discussions and no changes to the basic terms have been put forward, make a record on their file that they were given the contract and were given opportunity to discuss and fully understand the contracts, include dates and evidence of the communications.
If the terms and conditions of employment are being changed then it is important for employers to seek agreement from the employee before implementing any change. In this situation the employer should receive a signed copy of the revised contract.
There is no requirement to reach agreement with the employee on the Staff Handbook, however it can be useful to ask employees to sign to confirm that they have received and reviewed the handbook.
Related Articles:
- Hybrid Working: Know The Basics
- The Link Between Hybrid Working & Employee Engagement
