‘Workers must return to offices’

CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak wants workers to return to the office when coronavirus restrictions are lifted on July 19, it has been reported.

Sunak has insisted there was a benefit of workers being with their colleagues, particularly for the young.

“I think for young people, especially, that ability to be in your office, be in your workplace and learn from others more directly, is something that’s really important and I look forward to us slowly getting back to that,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

He also added video communication services such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams are “not great” for workers starting out and in-person interactions are “really valuable”. In less than a week, there will no longer be any official government guidance regarding working arrangements. As part of the last stage of the roadmap out of lockdown, the choice has been left to employers.

Sunak said it was not for the government to “start mandating exactly what people should and shouldn’t do in this circumstance.”

“Ultimately I trust people and businesses to make decisions for themselves,” he said. Sunak said it was still the intention to make the easing of restrictions irreversible, saying “even with rising case numbers, the hospitalisation numbers are at a manageable level”.

The Trade Union Congress last Thursday (8) raised concerns over workers’ safety saying the government had undermined public confidence by announcing the end of face mask obligations without consultation.