PRH UK sends staff home as government gives new Covid guidance on the workplace

UK staffers at Penguin Random House have already been told they should again work from home if they can, following the step-change in government guidance as infection rates of coronavirus rise.

Tougher measures to tackle the virus were unveiled by the prime minister on Tuesday (22nd September) and in England people are now being told to work from home "if they can", after a few weeks of being encouraged back into the office. According to the Office for National Statistics, 62% of adult workers were commuting to their workplace last week, up from 36% in May.

Val Garside, HR director for PRH UK, said in a note to staff on Tuesday afternoon: "Our first priority is to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of colleagues and, as throughout the pandemic, we will follow the government guidance. This means that unless it is essential for you to attend the workplace to undertake your work, you should work remotely."

Garside said it would be effective from Wednesday 23rd September. The office will be closed until Monday 28th September when essential workers will be able to return. 

In recognition that working from home is not easy for everybody, Garside indicated that alternative workspace at the office would be provided for those who are finding a home set-up "extremely challenging". She encouraged those in such situations to speak with their line manager to discuss the option.

At Bonnier Books UK, where a new permanent policy of flexible working has been promised when the coronavirus eases, its guidance to office-based employees remains the same. 

Jonathan Perdoni, c.f.o./c.o.o. at Bonnier Books UK, said: "Our guidance to office-based employees remains the same–everyone is to continue working primarily from home, unless they need to perform business-critical processes that can’t be performed effectively remotely. Any employees returning to our office locations do so on a strictly voluntary basis."

It is understood that management teams will be discussing the matter today (23rd September) at Hachette UK–where staffers have had the option to return to the office since the beginning of this month–and Pan Macmillan–whose staff had been expecting the option of returning to the office from next week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.