Flexible working, face masks set to continue in UK

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - British Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng on Monday said that flexible working in the UK was "here to stay."

"I think flexible working is something that is here to stay," Kwasi told BBC Radio 4.

"I think it's up to employers and employees to come to their own arrangements, depending on the needs of the company, the needs of the business," he added.

"I don't think it makes sense to have a government diktat telling people exactly how many hours they're going to spend in the office and exactly how many hours they're going to spend at home."

Kwarteng's comments came as the government once again is trying to coax people back to their offices, often located in city centers that rely on commuter travel to drive their local economies. Owners of commercial property would also stand to benefit from a return to the old normal.

But, people have not been going back in high enough numbers for some senior figures, who have issued increasingly strong comments to local media, from arguing that pay should be cut for workers who do not return to the office, to suggesting that those working from home will miss out on promotions.

As for his own officials in his department, Kwarteng said: "I'll be encouraging them to come in but, of course, there'll be a degree of flexibility."

As flexible working seems to be becoming the new normal, so too do face masks -- at least in Scotland.

John Swinney, Scotland's deputy first minister and minister for COVID strategy, told the BBC on Monday that face mask usage could well continue throughout the winter.

"We still have measures in place to provide protection, for example through the use of face coverings, which we consider to be a significant obstacle to the circulation of the virus," Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland.

"When I have travelled in Asia, there's a common use of face coverings by individuals to protect others and protect themselves, and it becomes part of the cultural activity of particular countries.

"I don't know if that will happen here but some people will feel safer as a consequence of wearing face coverings. But certainly over the course of the winter, I would expect face coverings will remain a significant part of our lives."

British government data released on Monday showed that there were a further 25,161 cases across the UK over the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to over 6 million. There were also a further 37 deaths, bringing the total to 130,357.

Up to and including Aug. 8, over 47 million people in the UK, 89%, have received their first dose of vaccine, and over 39.5 million people, 74.8%, their second dose.