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Is your accountancy practice compliant with ‘COVID-secure’ rules?

15th Jun 2020
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IRIS makes accountants more efficient and productive.

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As accountancy practices think about getting staff back in their offices again, there is one vital matter to attend to immediately – compliance with the new COVID-secure rules.

The Government has laid out a range of instructions for businesses in England to keep staff safe if they wish to reopen again.

There’s no doubt that a simple return to the ‘old normal’ is not possible in the changed landscape we find ourselves in, so it’s imperative that accountants look to adapt to ‘the next normal’.

It’s critical that all employers are certain they can adhere to these new health and safety regulations if they intend to resume working in their usual workplaces again.

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Some elements of the guidelines (as they stand in June 2020) will be trickier than others to meet – depending on the size of your business premises and how many staff you have.

The official Government documents that outline the new rules are fairly chunky. But we’ve helped to make the process much easier by summarising the essentials in this handy quick guide for accountants, which you can download for free.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said workplaces must be "COVID-secure" – meaning the risks of employees catching and spreading the virus are minimised as much as possible by adhering to newly created guidelines. He said employers will not be allowed to "get away with" forcing staff to work in unsafe conditions.

There could be serious repercussions for employers failing to undertake the requisite assessments and to follow the guidance. Read about potential penalties here.

Among the areas you need to consider are:

  • Risk assessment paperwork
  • Restricting numbers of staff
  • Staggering hours/making rotas
  • Staff access: Lifts and staircases
  • Virtual meetings
  • Permanent desk spaces

Not sure what you need to do to comply? Need some assistance?

We cover all of the points above and much more in depth in our free-to-download guide, which will help you look forward with certainty.

If you’d like more help understanding the COVID-secure rules and adapting to the next normal, visit our resources hub here or call us on 0344 844 9644.