That’s not to say that longer-term adaption is impossible. Seat belts didn’t become a legal requirement for rear passengers until 1987; the use of children’s car seats wasn’t made mandatory until 2006; and despite the dangers of second-hand smoke, the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces didn’t happen until 2007. Now that we understand the risks, these precautions are accepted as the norm. In fact, it’s strange to think of a time when they didn’t exist.

The same can be said of COVID-19. Wearing a mask, counting to 20 while washing your hands, and keeping a two-metre distance from those outside of our household or bubble have all become part of our now-adapted daily lives. That said, standards can begin to slip and complacency can creep in – if this is something you have noticed within your workplace, it may be as a result of COVID fatigue.

Perhaps employees aren’t as diligent about hand hygiene or your cleaning routine as they once were. Maybe they are taking shortcuts to make life easier, such as becoming lax with social distancing or not wearing masks correctly. If your workers become less vigilant, an increase in positive COVID-19 tests is likely to follow; you will then face the issue of workers needing to self-isolate, which can really impact on your business. Above all, there is a real risk of severe illness that both you and your employees have a collective duty to prevent. 

Indeed, the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 places a legal duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that employees and others are kept safe, as well as a legal duty on employees to take reasonable care of the health and safety of themselves and others and cooperate with their employer.

With this in mind, now’s the time to re-engage your workforce. So how can employers encourage adherence to COVID-19 controls, even when staff are fatigued?