Covid regulations: Employees across Wales to face £60 fine if they are not working from home
Employees across Wales could face fines if they are working from their workplace instead of their home "without good reason".
People in Wales have been advised to work from home where possible for months but the new rules are now written in law.
The Welsh Government's new rules means a person could be fined £60 if they go to work when they could work from home.
Meanwhile employers could be fined up to £10,000 if they repeatedly fail to allow people to work from home.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "Additional measures have been introduced to limit the spread of the virus and protect public health.
“Further to our long-standing advice for people to work from home wherever possible, from Monday this will now be a legal requirement to work from home unless there is a reasonable excuse not to. We expect employers to take all reasonable steps to facilitate home working and provide employees with the support they need."
However, Welsh Conservatives are accusing the government of "sneaking new Covid rules in under the radar".
Shadow Minister for the Economy, Paul Davies MS, explained: “Labour ministers have snuck these new rules in under the radar without any proper announcement and that in my opinion is no way to govern and creates huge panic for families, workers and businesses."
“It is vital that Mark Drakeford and his cabinet are clear and frank with the public at every step of the way when announcing new restrictions – and not just discretely usher in new regulations and threaten people with fines."
“That has to change and that is why the Welsh Conservatives have called for the Senedd to be recalled so politicians can fully scrutinise new rules and restrictions.”
The new regulations include a requirement for businesses to take all reasonable measures, including allowing or requiring people to work from home, to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.
The enforcement approach can include premises improvement and closure notices.
A person who fails to comply with a notice could receive a fixed penalty of £1,000 for the first notice, rising to up to £10,000.
The change comes as other restrictions are introduced across Wales, including the closure of nightclubs after Christmas and that all sport must now be played behind closed doors.
The GMB Union has criticised the move and says it will affect the poorest and most vulnerable workers the most.
Senior organiser from the union, Kelly Andrews, said: “We think this strikes the wrong chord. We have major worries that this could lead to bad employers pressuring their workers to work from home without a paper trail and place any financial risk on them."
“Those workers are also the most vulnerable and can least afford to take the financial hit. But the truth is for a lot of families a £60 fine over Christmas will have a severe financial impact.”
The union also raised concerns that bad employers were likely to exploit the rule to protect themselves from fines by placing liability on workers.
According to the Welsh Government, if you live in Wales but work in England you can still receive a fine.
In response, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The First Minister is holding a press conference tomorrow to confirm the outcome of Cabinet discussions. We have always ensured Ministers are available for scrutiny and are in discussions with the Senedd on this matter."
“Further to our long-standing advice for people to work from home wherever possible, from Monday this will now be a legal requirement to work from home unless there is a reasonable excuse not to."
“This change was confirmed in a televised press conference last Friday. We expect employers to take all reasonable steps to facilitate home working and provide employees with the support they need.”