The Prime Minister urges employees to work from home if they can

Following recent spikes in coronavirus cases across the UK, the Government has urged anyone who can work from home should.

As the Chief Medical and Science Officers warned that we could see cases rising to 50,000 a day by November if no changes are made, new measures have been introduced.

The Prime minister stated the following in Parliament today, “we’re once again asking office workers who can work from home to do so.”

“We always knew that while we may have driven the virus into retreat the prospect of a second wave was real and I’m sorry to say that we’ve reached a perilous turning point,” he added.

What does this mean for SMEs?

The Prime Minister stressed that this is not a return to the full lockdown of March and that they’re not urging people to stay at home.

For those who can’t work from home, it was outlined that, “in key public services and all professions where home working is not possible such as construction or retail, people should continue to attend their workplaces.”

However, today’s statement also further emphasised the importance of a COVID-secure workplace.

“In retail, leisure and tourism sectors, our COVID-secure guidelines will become legal obligations and businesses will be fined and could be closed if they breach the rules.”

How can IRIS support?

We’ve helped a wide array of businesses adapt their key functions, enabling them to make the switch to home working.

Our solution, IRIS Hosting, ensures you can access your IRIS software and Microsoft applications from anywhere at any time, which you can find out more here.

If you’re looking for a flexible, cloud-based HR software that can help you manage employees throughout these changes, we can also assist.

IRIS HR Professional provides a modular software that enables you to manage your people processes from any location.

To start a free trial of IRIS HR Professional, click here.

Stephanie Coward

Managing Director, HCM

Stephanie Coward is Managing Director for HCM at IRIS, where she leads the strategy, innovation and growth of the organisation’s HR and payroll portfolio. She is responsible for positioning IRIS as a trusted partner to HR professionals and ensuring its solutions support the evolving needs of modern workforces.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the technology sector, Stephanie brings deep commercial and operational expertise, with a passion for improving the employee experience through technology.

Stephanie is committed to advancing IRIS’ HCM offering and helping organisations build more resilient, empowered workforces.