Workplace Safety Regulations

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 29 September 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 1:37, 29 September 2021

Well, the Member sets out some of the impact on some people who have worked from home. And I recognised it in my first answer—there are reasons about people's well-being where people may want to return to the office for some of the week. But the guidance and the advice from this Government is to work from home where you can. And the reason for that is that the clear advice we have is it makes a really big difference to preventing the spread of COVID, and, as we've said time and time again, the pandemic is not yet over. This is about how we manage to get to the end of the pandemic without having unnecessary harm. So, actually, this isn't about simply saying everyone should come back to work in the office as if the times were past and we were back in pre-pandemic working. But, equally, for some people, working from home has been a real improvement in their quality of life—in balancing responsibilities outside work, as well as with work. There are many businesses who recognise they've actually had productivity gains from people being able to work remotely as well. And in my conversations with business groups, they're very clear that the old ways of working are not likely to return in exactly the same way. There are productivity gains from people who will want to carry on working from home for some of the week, even when the pandemic is over, as well as wanting to be in an office. So, it's the balance of all of those things, but, at this point in time, I reiterate again, the advice from this Government, supported by public health, is to work from home wherever possible. Of course, you'll note that, across our border, whilst the UK Government aren't currently giving that advice, they recognise that it may be something they ask people to do if the pandemic continues to take off in England as well.