National Guidance on Coronavirus and working from home

NJC Circ Coronavirus and Working at Home 17Mar20

Please see the attached guidance.

On 17 March, the NJC Joint Secretaries agreed and issued a joint circular on COVID-19, with a particular focus on provisions for working from home.

The joint circular covers:

• Guidance on ensuring staff well-being is safeguarded during periods of home working

• The potential for flexibility including staff being moved to other duties – but stressing that this must only be done in consultation with unions and without any detriment to staff. It should be done on a volunteer basis as far as possible. Risk assessments will be essential and training must be provided where needed

• Staff who are vulnerable due to health conditions

• Guidance relating to staff who cannot work from home

With regard to the point about staff who cannot work from home, I would draw your attention to this passage from the circular: “Ultimately, in many cases employers will have no option other than to accept that some employees can neither work at home nor be redeployed / seconded etc and will therefore be staying at home on full pay for the duration of this emergency.”

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