Covid restrictions: Workers to be fined for not working from home and businesses could be fined up to £10,000

From Monday the 27th of December, employees could receive a £60 fixed penalty notice every time they don't work from home when it is an available option to them.

The enforced rules will include improvement or closure notices for premises, with a business owners liable to be fined £1,000 for not complying, this fine could increase to a maximum of £10,000.

Until now in Wales there have been no official restrictions to stop people choosing to go to work, only guidance to encourage people to work from home.

Wales TUC General Secretary Shavanah Taj expressed "shock and concern" at the decision and said she hopes it is repealed.

She added, "A worker is not responsible for their place of work, their employer is."

"This sets a really worrying precedent that the responsibility is somehow shared, and is at best naïve."

The union GMB said it would affect "the poorest, most vulnerable workers" while the TUC said it was "at best naïve" to think responsibility is shared.

"Additional measures have been introduced to limit the spread of the virus and protect public health," said a Welsh government spokesman.

"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."