Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is providing support to employers to ensure that their clinically extremely vulnerable or severely immunosuppressed employees can work from home if they wish to and are able to.

People previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable are advised to follow general guidance while considering additional precautions to reduce the risk of infection. The latest guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

On 24 December 2021 updated public health advice was issued for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19. This guidance is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

Guidance issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recommends that employers should give additional consideration to people who may consider themselves to be at higher risk and to workers facing mental and physical health difficulties. Employers should also consider other workers who are at higher risk and for whom additional precautions, advised by their doctors, should be considered. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-covid-19/offices-factories-and-labs#offices-2-2