Updated: 3 March 2022
- From 29 June 2020, after three months of national lockdown, we were pleased to begin our gradual and safe return to BKL office life
- From 21 December 2020, we paused our return in line with the new Tier 4 restrictions in London. We extended that pause in line with the national lockdown that started on 5 January 2021. From 29 March 2021, we were pleased to resume our return to the office, safely and gradually as before
- From 17 May 2021, we were pleased to welcome visitors back to the office for COVID-secure meetings in our brand new meeting rooms
- We continued to follow the Government’s advice to remain cautious and to make our return from homeworking to the office a gradual one. On 4 October 2021, in following the easing of restrictions, our office returned to full capacity
- Between 13 December 2021 and 23 January 2022, we are working from home where possible. We are balancing Government guidelines, staff wellbeing and client service.
- With a major refurbishment of our office having been completed for our 40th anniversary in 2020, we were pleased to complete a safe return to the office on 24 January 2022, following the end of the Government’s ‘work from home if you can’ advice.
Based on the Government’s guidelines for assessing and minimising the risks involved, we’d like to share some details of the steps we took to ensure our workplace was COVID-19 secure while restrictions were in place.
Thinking about risk
- We carried out a workshop, staff survey and risk assessment
- Based on these, we developed an action plan for returning to the office safely
- We shared the results of our staff survey and this action plan with all our staff, as part of our continual communications with them about coronavirus and the office
Who should go to work
- We stated that anyone who had been identified as vulnerable would not be allowed to return to the office
- We did not ask anyone who had been advised to stay at home, or who felt uncomfortable, to return to the office
- We discouraged those who must use public transport from returning to the office
- On arrival, before entering the working area, each member of staff had their temperature taken using a contactless thermometer. Anyone with a high temperature will return home and arrange a COVID-19 test
Social distancing
- To maintain social distancing at work wherever possible – including arrival, departure, workstations and common areas – we communicated with all staff, prepared detailed plans and put up signage throughout the office
Cleaning
- Our office was deep-cleaned ahead of our return on 29 June 2020, and is cleaned at the end of each working day
- To help prevent transmission of coronavirus, we have provided hand sanitisers and cleaning products throughout the office and made it clear to our staff what should be cleaned after contact
- Post and other deliveries are handled only by specific staff
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and face coverings
- We support our staff in using face coverings safely if they choose to wear them in the office. Our staff are aware that face coverings are mandatory on public transport, shops etc
Our people
- To reduce the number of contacts each of our staff has at work, we limited the maximum number of people in the office
- To avoid unnecessary travel, meetings with our clients etc have been via phone and video (Microsoft Teams). Teams has also been keeping our staff in touch with each other, since before lockdown: find out more here
For more information, please get in touch with your usual BKL contact or use our enquiry form.