Do it online if you can: but will employees really be penalised by the new Welsh Government rule?

I can think of at least one employer of people in Wales that will hate this:

From Monday (December 27), workers will receive a £60 fixed penalty notice and companies will be fined £1,000 every time they are found not to be working from home, with no good reason for being at their normal place of work.

For employers, this could rise to a maximum fine of £10,000.

The new measure to limit the spread of Covid-19 (in the light of the rise of the Omicron variant) is being imposed by the Welsh government.

Employers will be expected to take all reasonable steps to facilitate home working and provide employees with the support they need.

Unions have raised concerns that employers will be able to protect themselves from fines by placing liability on workers, but I don’t see how this can work.

It should be fairly obvious if an employee is able to work from home, and if an employer if restricting them from doing so.

For example, as a journalist, I’m entirely capable of working from home. I’ve been doing it successfully for 10 days short of 10 years, at the time of writing.

But a previous employer, that wanted to move its branch office to 41 miles away from my home for no very good reason, demanded that I travel that distance every day, even though it was possible that I would have to travel back again (to my patch) during the day, and then return to the office to write up my stories.

I was capable of working from home. My employer was restricting me from doing so.

I honestly think my then-bosses were mystified when I resigned. I went on to better things and the local edition of the newspaper folded. I think other changes had to be made in the firm to cover its losses, although that may just be gossip.

All because an employer refused to allow an employee to work from home.

I’m not suggesting that anyone should quit their job if their employer orders them to attend a workplace that may infect them with Covid-19.

Obviously, being compelled by their boss should be a good enough reason for them to do so. Then the burden of responsibility would fall onto the employer.

If the Welsh Government was really serious about this, though, there’s an obvious answer:

A contact system for whistleblowers.

Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/mike-sivier-libel-fight/

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