BORIS Johnson is set to axe the government’s work from home Covid guidance from July 19’s ‘Freedom Day’, it’s reported.
But the Prime Minister would allow companies and staff to decide when they should return to the workplace, sources told the Daily Mail.
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Remaining lockdown restrictions are set to go once Step 4 of the government’s roadmap kicks in on July 19.
Firms are not expected to rush employees back once the ‘work from home if you can guidance’ is binned.
And it will be up to businesses whether they ask employees to return to the office or continue working from home.
Unlike last summer, where the government urged staff back to the office after the first lockdown, ministers are expected to leave the decision up to employers.
‘GRIPPED BY FEAR’
But the approach could anger some Tory bigwigs who have pushed Mr Johnson to call on staff to return to their workplace.
Home working has hammered shops, pubs and restaurants in town and city centres as commuters stay away.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “Instead of saying “work from home if you can”, they should say “work from the office if you can”.”
“But of course they won’t because they are gripped by fear.”
It comes after as the July 19 date is set to go ahead with Mr Johnson and new Health Secretary Sajid Javid “committed” to unlocking Britain.
Cabinet minister Kwasi Kwarteng said the pair want to see restrictions “fully” dropped on that date thanks to the success of the vaccine rollout.
A Government taskforce is currently looking into the issue of hybrid working – which allows employees to split their time between the workplace and working remotely.
Yesterday, Asda confirmed they will bring in hybrid working so staff can work from home if they want.
HYBRID WORKING
The scheme will be brought in for the supermarket giant’s 4,000 employees at its man Leeds and Leicester offices.
Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC, Capita and British Gas owner Centrica have all brought in hybrid working already.
A Cabinet source told the Mail: “It will be left up to employers working with their employees.
“The reality is coming into the summer probably there will be some people who choose to keep working from home.
“I am not sure if it will be a rush back to the cities because July and August are always quiet anyway.”
It comes as the number of people testing positive for Covid has surged by almost 75 per cent in just a week.
Another 27,125 Brits tested positive yesterday, while 27 more have died of the deadly virus.
Speaking this week, Mr Johnson said: “I know how impatient people are to get back to total normality, as indeed am I.
“But I think I’ve said it before, we’ll be wanting to go back to a world that is as close to the status quo, ante-Covid, as possible. Try to get back to life as close to it was before Covid.
“But there may be some things we have to do, extra precautions that we have to take, but I’ll be setting them out.”
Last month, Treasury minister Jesse Norman said it would be up to individual employers and organisations to decide if they force workers back to the office.
He said: “This is going to be very company or organisation specific and any guidance the Government puts out is going to have to recognise that.
“Patterns of work were evolving before the virus and as in many cases the effect of a pandemic, the effect of the national crisis is to accelerate the process of change and that’s certainly happened.”
