Only 12% of business leaders reckon all their staff will return to work premises once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, according to a new survey.

Almost a third said they were considering downsizing office space, while 40% predicted an equal mix of staff working in the office and remotely.

The survey, conducted for the Institute of Directors in Ireland, also found that 30% of bosses think implementing Government-approved social distancing measures will be difficult, although over 70% said the official ‘return to work’ plan was either adequate or well judged.

A large majority believe a recession is imminent, but most think it will be a short-lived.

The results underline Fórsa’s call for organisations to give proper support to staff who work remotely. In a recent guidance note, the union said employers were obliged to meet health and safety requirements for home workers, and to maintain regular and meaningful contact with staff working away from the workplace.

The Fórsa advice, Working at home: Staying safe, connected, healthy and productive, says employers should:

• Arrange regular phone and video-call contact with staff
• Give clear instructions and feedback on work
• Give regular updates on what’s happening and planned in the organisation, including plans for ongoing remote working or returning to work
• Advise their staff to make immediate contact if they have an accident at work or if work equipment is faulty or needs maintenance, and
• Have emergency contacts and procedures in place.

In a submission to the Oireachtas Special Committee on the Covid-19 response earlier this month, the union also said employers must seek agreement if they wanted to maintain some or all of their remote working arrangements.

“Employers now have a responsibility to engage with staff representatives to foster an agreed approach to the organisation of working time and location that can accommodate the various circumstances and concerns of their staff,” it said.

The union also said that a national public policy response could be needed. “There may emerge a need for stronger statutory and regulatory safeguards, as the expansion of remote working could otherwise be accompanied by an increase in the insecurity and exploitation associated with the ‘gig’ economy,” it argued.

Read the Fórsa guidance HERE.

If you have questions or concerns about your own situation, you can contact Fórsa HERE.

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact us HERE.