Hospitality sector welcomes relaxation of work from home rules in Scotland

By James Lawrence

Published: 26 January, 2022

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday (January 25) that office workers would be allowed to return to their desks from 31 January, a move that has been enthusiastically welcomed by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.

Colin Wilkinson, SLTA managing director, commented: “This really is excellent news for Scotland’s licensed hospitality venues as having people back in their offices and workplaces will breathe life back into our city and town centres.”

He added: “This, coupled with the relaxation of rules surrounding table service and physical distancing in licensed premises, very much gives our industry hope for a more normal 2022.”

The Scottish government also confirmed that adults will no longer have to wear face coverings for parties, or indoor events for children under five from January 28.

However, Wilkinson expressed disappointment that there was no mention of Covid-19 passports, which remain a requirement in nightclubs. “Nightclubs have been hit hard during the pandemic and our understanding from today’s announcement is that this remains in place for these premises,” he said.

“This will continue to have a negative effect on these late-night businesses who desperately need to start to rebuild for the future. We also eagerly await the outcome of the Scottish Government’s consultation on a new pathway for dealing with Covid variants in the future, something announced over three weeks ago and only in general consultation now.”

Meanwhile, the Welsh government has said that self-isolation rules will be cut to a minimum of five days from January 28, in a bid to help businesses struggling with chronic labour shortages.

Printer friendly version