The Government began easing COVID-19 lockdown restrictions last month – and results from the British Chambers of Commerce Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker revealed the majority of firms surveyed were in a position to partially restart operations in line with easing.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick also announced the reopening of the property market in mid-May. Many businesses are now preparing to return to work – and some have already headed back but with strict COVID-19 safe measures and policies in place.
Here we chat to a range of organisations in sectors including security, cleaning, property, legal and finance, to find out their take on preparing staff and the workplace for the return to the ‘new normal’
Jay Bhayani, MD Bhayani Law
The last few weeks have been turbulent ones for us all, whatever the sector. As specialists in employment, HR and Health and Safety we have dealt with hundreds of questions around sickness, furlough, redundancies, TUPE transfers, disciplinary and grievance issues amongst others.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Furlough)
The furlough scheme has been extended to October 31 2020 with flexible furlough coming into play from August. It is likely that government will expect to see a gradual introduction of employer contributions to the furlough scheme and will allow employees to return to work part time whilst still offering the furlough scheme.
Can I force staff to return to work?
There will be some who will refuse, some who prefer to be on furlough as long as possible and some who have genuine concerns for their safety. In law, an employee is protected from detriment and dismissal if they refuse to attend a workplace where they are in “serious and imminent danger”. The employee’s belief must be genuine and reasonable. So, your job over the next few weeks is to ensure that you can provide a safe place to work.
How do I make my premises safe?
The government guidance is set out here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19. The starting point is five steps to demonstrate to staff and visitors that you are doing this:
- Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment
- Develop cleaning, handwashing and hygiene procedures
- Help people to work from home
- Maintain 2m social distancing, where possible
- Where people cannot be 2m apart, manage transmission risk
Our checklist will help you conduct some workforce planning:
- In what order do you need employees to return? Stagger the workforce and work out how you will transition from home working to business premises
- Bring back staff from furlough – on same terms or altered terms and conditions e.g. pay or hours may need to reduce
- Make sure contract variation letters or new contracts are given to staff to reflect any changes
- Check holiday entitlements and ask staff to take holidays during furlough where possible to avoid a sudden rush
- How will you respond to those who can’t return to work if they are shielding, self isolating, have childcare commitments or concerns for their safety
- Have staff suffered bereavement or family illness while on furlough and need continued time off?
- How will you manage mental health needs? These have risen and for some it will require a carefully managed and phased return with reasonable adjustments
- What are your staffing needs going forwards? Redundancies must be undertaken with advice on processes to include consultation, fair selection, non-discriminatory approach and considering all alternatives. This will avoid expensive tribunal claims.
Rick Bailey, MD, IPM Group Ltd
Operating in the security and investigations industry, it’s in our nature and skill set to evaluate situations and conduct forward planning. We knew immediately we were essential, key workers and were providing vital services for businesses during a lengthy shut-down period. Our support for businesses who became dormant, together with other key businesses continuing to operate, would become vital to their long-term continuity.
IPM Group had many crisis meetings following the news of the impending outbreak and implemented a plan well before lockdown. We deep cleaned and sanitised our offices and introduced new policies regarding sanitisation of shared workstations and staff hand sanitising. We ensured our workers were – what became known as – social distancing and reduced the number coming into the offices, enabling as many as possible to work from home.
Our practical Six-Step Return To Work Safely Strategy has been designed for businesses to support them to reopen safely when the time is right. The steps are social distancing screens, markers and signage; temperature screening technology; COVID-19 secure deep clean; PPE and sanitiser supply; regular enhanced cleaning; and data monitoring. These can be taken in succession or businesses can choose different options to meet their needs, making IPM a one-stop solution.
IPM continue to monitor our own performance, follow new daily guidance from the government, and implement the guidelines where necessary. We continue to do deep, enhanced cleaning and have installed a thermal imaging camera which assesses each staff member’s body temperature when entering our offices to ensure it is at a safe level.
We’ve invested in technology to allow meetings over the internet, additional IT hardware, and a regular supply of PPE and safety equipment for all staff. We advise any business to do a new risk assessment, which if they require assistance we can help with, along with help implementing and adapting our six-step process.
IPM have been proactive reaching for new targets and sectors, as well as offering local support for charities and the vulnerable. We have worked with local councils to support and secure the homeless, on a regional basis with national brands such as Aldi to help manage the initial panic buying, and designed the inteliPod for the construction industry – the first facial recognition, thermal screening and touchless solution, making it a much safer access control unit.
We have moved into the sporting and educational sectors with our return to work/school steps by offering free educational webinars, and are currently installing our thermal body temperature screening cameras in schools and football training grounds allowing pupils and professional footballers to return to a safe environment.
It is invaluable for any business to continue to be flexible and adaptable, to review procedures and make short to mid-term business plans. We encourage everyone to follow new government guidelines and continue to monitor and assess risk. Updating safety measures and tweaking your approach to the current climate is the most important way to keep your team communicating and working efficiently and safely.
We have become a much more flexible and dynamic business during this testing phase of our development and strongly advise any business to follow our strategy, ethos, and guidance to not just survive, but potentially thrive.
Killis MD, Tibor Killi
COVID-19 has caused a stir across the globe, from changing the way we work, to the way we shop, and coordinate around public spaces. The unprecedented lockdown across the UK has encouraged businesses to work remotely – making the most of digital communication and services. As lockdown is being gradually lifted, individuals are returning to using public spaces, retail, leisure and hospitality facilities, as well as public transport on a more regular basis, putting themselves and staff at potential risk.
The public are now well aware that COVID-19, along with other viruses, is spread through droplets in the air and on surfaces which is leading people to take extra precautions to limit the risk including wearing face masks and gloves. These are becoming essential in the working environment as a preventative measure.
Killis PPE Division offer a range of face masks, face shields, gloves, coveralls, and other PPE. We are also offering Essential Care Kits, tailored to various work environments, that have a range of products essential to keeping employees safe during this dangerous time, for either inside a working environment or working from home. These packages can be fully branded to your business and are great way to show that the company care about staff safety.
With re-opening becoming imminent, airlines, public transport, retail, leisure, hospitality and other big group space activities will have to win the public’s trust that every reasonable precaution has been taken to protect public health and safety. WHO (World Health Organisation) advises taking extra precautions in public spaces and workspaces to prevent the spread of infections.
Killis offer a full range of hand sanitising solutions for your business, including alcohol-free hand sanitisers, the revolutionary Zoono GermFree range and our sanitising stations, manufactured ourselves in the UK. Zoono GermFree Hand Sanitiser uses a combination of inert ingredients and a formulation giving it unique long-lasting bonding capabilities and providing a 24-hour protective barrier that lasts even through hand washing. To help promote hand hygiene, floor-standing and wall-mounted hand sanitising stations can be positioned around your buildings. These come with a choice of dispenser and backboard and can be fully branded.
Mark Ross, Managing Director, Redbrik Estate Agents
COVID-19 has been one of, if not the, most challenging periods ever faced by the property industry. However, I believe that as a sector, as a business community, and as individuals we should all be better placed to adapt to change as a result.
During the lockdown period the Redbrik team has done just that – adapting, diversifying and not just planning for the future, but actively preparing for our return to the ‘new normal’.
Indeed, the fact that we reached our milestone 5,000th sale during lockdown is testament to the fantastic work of our team responding and reacting to these testing times.
We had already implemented new services such as virtual viewings and valuations, which are proving extremely popular, and meant we were well placed to hit the ground running following the reopening of the housing market last month.
That groundwork has led to a considerable boom of activity Redbrik experienced since Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced the reopening of the market in mid-May, with our team’s diaries getting booked up fast.
We saw an immediate increase in week-by-week valuation bookings of more than 500 per cent in the days after lockdown restrictions were eased.
The number of new applicants registered during week commencing May 11 was also more than double the previous four-week average – indicating that the market is certainly coming back strong.
Our ability to adapt at short notice has been one which I am particularly proud of, especially as we were effectively given 12 hours’ notice ahead of reopening last month.
Although there have been challenges – sourcing PPE has been understandably difficult – our team has been able to rise to them.
All five of our branches across Sheffield and Chesterfield reopened last month and are now subject to appointment-only admittance – with all our branches and staff now fully stocked and prepared with PPE.
We are currently offering valuations both virtually, as well as in person – or a combination of the two. Video viewings and virtual launch events are also now at the forefront of our award-winning services.
In-person viewings can now take place, with no more than two attendees permitted, and owners and viewers must provide and wear their own PPE (gloves and mask).
These have been trying times, but we are excited to continue providing award-winning customer service in a safe environment and our ability to adapt and diversify our services at short notice will continue – as lockdown eases and beyond.
Full details of all our new services and procedures are available on our website – search for our news section at redbrik.co.uk.
Richard Smith, Partner and Head of Commercial Property, Keebles LLP
When the country formally went into lockdown on March 23, we had already made significant changes to how we were working at Keebles following the Prime Minister’s instruction to businesses the week before to work from home if possible.
We had to make immediate alterations to our traditional working practices as we implemented remote working with meetings being moved to video calls and company and client events being postponed.
It was a fantastic achievement how well we adapted in such a small amount of time and is a true testament to the teams across all three of our Yorkshire offices – Sheffield, Leeds and Doncaster – and our fantastic IT team – for ensuring that the transition was as smooth as possible.
Over the last three months, despite the huge amount of change and uncertainty, our teams have continued to go above and beyond for our clients. We recognised early on that companies needed help in understanding the very fast paced information the government was releasing, which back in March and early April was changing day by day. We transformed our online media hub and parts of our website to provide legal and business support for our clients and connections.
Now in June, we’re planning for what the future return to our offices looks like, how best to work client meetings and ensuring that our working practices adapt to the ever-changing challenges ahead. Like many companies across the world, we have embraced the use of technology in keeping connected with each other and our clients as new ways of working look like they will stay with us well into the future.
John Fidler, director of Connect Financial Solutions
From day one of the lockdown our focus was on ensuring our existing clients were looked after and we would be ready for when restrictions were eventually lifted.
We were the same as most businesses when we heard the news – the office was closed and phones diverted, we made sure everyone could work from home using mobiles and laptops. There were no face to face appointments – meetings were carried out on Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
With estate agents being closed, purchase business pretty much stopped straightaway. Most advisers rely on referrals and new business, so they suffered the most.
There was plenty we could do though. We have a loyal client base, so business continued with re-mortgages, product transfers and general financial reviews.
Overall, case numbers were down during lockdown but there were lots of enquiries for moving when things opened again, so we knew there was pent up demand.
Most of our work over the past three months has been maintaining pipeline business, mortgage offer extensions and ensuring clients are in the best position to complete on purchases when lockdown was lifted.
Communication has been key to our clients as lenders pulled a lot of products that were available pre lockdown. Lending at a maximum settled at 90% loan to value but only with a few lenders. Most capped business at 75%-85% loan to value.
And with no physical valuations possible with surveyors off the road lenders had to rely on desk top valuations, which did keep
re-mortgage business moving. Banks are now slowly releasing more products at a higher loan to value.
Importantly we held regular meetings with Mark Ross, Redbrik managing director, updating each other on the housing and mortgage markets. This proved useful as clients were still making enquiries.
We are finding that enquiries are higher than before the lockdown, but the process is slightly slower as stock is put back on the market and agents have the difficult job of arranging viewings safely.
The next few months will continue to be busy with both movers and people re-mortgaging taking advantage of the low interest rates that are available.
