Dear colleague,
Following the unexpected news on Saturday we’ve looked at the new Tier 4 guidance which was published Saturday night. This makes it an offence for any of us who live in Tier 4 to leave home unless we have a specific purpose, or a ‘reasonable excuse’. Work is a reasonable excuse but only where we cannot work from home.
While those living in Tier 2 areas are not usually allowed to travel into a Tier 4 area they can do so for work purposes where they cannot work from home.
For those who work in Pippbrook this means that we will revert back to the arrangements we had in place during the 4 week lockdown in November – in summary this can be described as the minimum number of people in the office for the minimum amount of time. So, at the request of their manager, some staff can continue to come in to do specific functions which cannot be done at home and then return home once those functions are complete. The offices will be open from 9 – 1pm to allow this to happen (Thursday cheque runs will also continue as normal). During these hours a first aider and manager will be present in the normal way.
I am really sorry but everyone else must work from home. I know that many of you benefit from coming into the office and I really am sorry that we have had to suspend our booking system and cancel all existing bookings again – please be reassured that we will keep this under continual review and reinstate this as soon as we possibly can.
If you have come in to the office on Monday 21st December please contact your manager to agree what work needs to be done in Pippbrook before returning home as soon as you can.
Patrols and site visits which cannot be done in any other way can continue where they are essential/urgent – your manager will discuss these with you so that you are clear as to what can and cannot be done.
For those based at Park House, Fairfield Centre and Dorking Halls (which closed earlier this week) your manager will discuss the arrangements with you .
Given that the new variant of the virus is more easily transmitted it is really important that while you are working from any council building or are out on a patrol or a site visit you continue to follow the office rules and agreed working procedures, including ensuring that you wear any required PPE at all times. You must remain at least 2 metres away from others at all times and ensure that you wash/sanitise your hands frequently.
I will continue to update you regularly but, in the meantime, please take care of yourselves.
-Karen