A new government ad campaign will begin this week, designed to encourage people to go back to the workplace.

The campaign will be mostly promoted through regional media, but government sources have insisted that it will not suggest those who do work from home through the COVID-19 pandemic are at risk of losing their jobs, as suspected. It will ask employers to assure their staff it is safe to return to the office as COVID-19 safety measures are implemented.

Business leaders have raised concerns, however. “The Prime Minister needs a credible plan to help more people travel and work safely, not a scare campaign,” said TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady.

“Throughout this crisis millions of people have worked extremely hard from home, often in cramped bedrooms with limited equipment or balancing work with childcare.

“Many now want a better balance of office and home-based working. But before this can happen, ministers must take responsibility for guaranteeing workers’ safety with a fast and reliable test and trace system, and better enforcement of transport safety and workplace risk assessments.”

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General agrees, commenting that the focus should be on building the right environment to get people back into offices and workplaces. She said:

“The UK’s offices are vital drivers of our economy. They support thousands of local firms, from dry cleaners to sandwich bars. They help train and develop young people. And they foster better work and productivity for many kinds of business.

“Remote working has been a resounding success for many firms and employees, and none of these benefits should be lost. Many people have never worked harder, keeping businesses afloat from their desks and kitchen tables. Flexible working is here to stay and needs to remain an option for many.”

Dame Fairbairn does, however, recognise that there are downsides to remote working.

“For young people, learning face-to-face in the workplace is an unbeatable way to build skills and confidence. We must not deprive the next generation of this opportunity. Not everyone has the space to work effectively at home – an ironing board in the bedroom does not make a great workspace. And the mental health challenges triggered by isolation are all too real for many.

“There is also the question of fairness. Many employees, from barbers to brewers, have no option to work from home. We don’t want to see a new divide in our society – between those who can and can’t work from the safety and comfort of their homes. For all these reasons we need more people to feel it is safe and possible to go back into their places of work.”

The Prime Minister is being called upon to build confidence around getting people back into offices and workplaces. Key to this is building confidence in public transport.

Said Dame Fairburn:

“They need to shout louder about safety measures in place, enforce the wearing of face masks on tubes, buses and trains, and support the introduction of flexible season tickets so people can return gradually without financial penalty.”

One thing business leaders seem to agree on is that more flexible working is indisputably a good thing for our economy and quality of life, but we must have a balance. Dame Fairbairn concludes:

“It’s time for the UK to bring its workplaces back to life, or we will look back with regret at the jobs lost, training missed, and communities harmed. We ask the government to work with business to build confidence in returning to offices, starting now.”