New Ways of Working

07. Do employers have a legal duty to provide covid-19-safe working environments? If so, what practical steps can employers take to satisfy this duty?

08. Can employers require or mandate that their workers receive a covid-19 vaccination? If so, what options does an employer have in the event an employee refuses to receive a covid-19 vaccination?

09. What are the risks to an employer making entry to the workplace conditional on an individual worker having received a covid-19 vaccination?

10. Are there some workplaces or specific industries or sectors in which the government has required that employers make access to the workplace conditional on individuals having received a Covid-19 vaccination?

11. What are the key privacy considerations employers face in relation to ascertaining and processing employee medical and vaccination information?

12. What are the key health and safety considerations for employers in respect of remote workers?

13. How has the pandemic impacted employers’ obligations vis-à-vis worker health and safety beyond the physical workplace?

14. Do employer health and safety obligations differ between mobile workers and workers based primarily at home?

15. To what extent are employers responsible for the mental health and wellbeing of workers who are working remotely?

16. Do employees have a “right to disconnect” from work (and work-related devices) while working remotely?

17. To what extent have employers been able to make changes to their organisations during the pandemic, including by making redundancies and/or reducing wages and employee benefits?

18. What actions, if any, have unions or other worker associations taken to protect the entitlements and rights of remote workers?

19. Are employers required to consult with, or otherwise involve, the relevant union when introducing a remote-working arrangement? If so, how much influence does the union and/or works council have to alter the working arrangement (for example, to ensure workers’ health and safety is protected during any period of remote work)?