Almost half of the 212 Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) members surveyed on social media in July revealed they felt their workplace had been made Covid-19 secure ahead of a government-backed return to offices this month.
According to the CII survey, almost one in three said they felt partly protected from catching coronavirus while 15% (70 professionals) said they did not feel safely able to work in the current climate.
Roughly one in 10 of those polled said they did not know if they felt safe or at risk continuing to work this summer.
Commenting on the results, Keith Richards, managing director of engagement CII, said the insurance profession responded quickly and effectively to lockdown in March to ensure essential services and support for customers remained available, but the recovery journey has started amid uncertainty and so it is essential that employees can have confidence that the transmission risk had been managed so that they could as safely as possible carry out their work.
He said: “Before reopening offices, a Covid-19 risk assessment should have been carried out in line with Health and Safety Executive guidance and measures would need to be taken to manage the transmission risk. For individuals to decide whether they feel safe it is vital the results of this risk assessment are shared with the workforce.”
“I would urge anyone concerned about their safety to review the government’s Covid-19 guidelines and discuss with their employer and colleagues what more they feel could be done so that they will feel as safe as possible at work.”
Richards added: “Many in the profession have proven that during these challenging times they can work as effectively from home as they do in the office but for those with tasks that must be done in the office, the risk of catching coronavirus can be reduced by travelling to work at quieter times of the day, reducing how much face-to-face contact they have with others and always maintaining social distancing.”