Office staff 'could be given default right to work from home' under possible new plans
17 June 2021, 08:12 | Updated: 17 June 2021, 08:14
Millions of office staff could be given a 'default right to work from home under post-pandemic plans being looked at by ministers.
Workers could be permitted to work from home for good after the pandemic, it has been claimed.
A report by the Daily Mail suggests that staff could have a 'default' right to work form home if they wanted (where possible), and it would be illegal for companies to insist on them coming to the office unless they can show it's necessary.
The publication claims that the government will consult on the plan - which is part of a drive to promote flexible working - over the summer.
- Boris Johnson confirms England's lockdown easing will be pushed back to July 19
- Holidays to amber list countries 'could be opened up to Brits with both jabs'
- Runny nose now among the most common symptoms of Delta Covid variant, experts say
A Whitehall source told the Daily Mail: "We are looking at introducing a default right to flexible working. That would cover things like reasonable requests by parents to start late so they can drop their kids at childcare.
"But in the case of office workers in particular it would also cover working from home – that would be the default right unless the employer could show good reason why someone should not."
A senior source is said to have claimed that Boris Johnson still believes in the benefits of a return to the office.
Currently, Brits are still being advised to work from home where possible.
A return to the office would have potentially been part of stage four of lockdown-easing, but this has now been delayed from June 21 until July 19.
Watch the trailer for season one of Sweet Tooth on Netflix
In a press conference earlier this week, Mr Johnson said that delaying the date by four weeks would 'give the NHS a few more crucial weeks to get those remaining jabs into the arms of those who need them'.
