All your questions answered about the APS returning to work

So what does this mean going forward with COVID safety and legal rights?

The answer to this one depends on circumstances. Deakin University epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett says there is never a guarantee you won't pick up an infection at work, but you can minimise the risk.

Employees can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the office with easy measures like wearing a mask, social distancing where possible and keeping up with personal hygiene like hand washing. All the things that have been promoted since the pandemic began.

"I think a combination of people being aware of symptoms and wearing masks and just being conscious of those basic things like keeping your distance, not crowding together in the tearoom when you're preparing your lunch," Professor Bennett said.

"What we hope to see from our experience of COVID is that we don't have people attending work that are symptomatic, if people who are symptomatic don't come into work that will help keep work safe.

"The same goes for the flu, if that goes through a workplace you can have 10 per cent absenteeism very quickly so it's quite economical to encourage people to work from home whilst they have symptoms."

Booster doses are another important addition to ensuring there is less transmission, in addition to many likely having more immunity if they caught Omicron over the summer.

"The more people who have the booster dose, the better because that can also reduce infection risk and that then keeps everyone a bit safer. Even the Omicron wave gave some protection against those who caught it on top of the vaccination."

Every department is different.

The Australian Public Service Commission said a single approach for the Australian public service was not practical given the diversity of working environments. Each agency has a different approach that works best for their workers.

"Agency heads remain responsible for making COVID-related decisions affecting their workplaces, including working-from-home arrangements, while ensuring business continuity," a spokesperson said for the commission said.

"Agencies are responsible for managing the risks associated with potential workplace exposure for all of their employees, taking into account the epidemiological environment, the specific circumstances of the workplace and their employees."

While this is vague, the commission still puts a heavy emphasis on the need for flexibility.

Its most recent returning to work circular says, "Where flexible working arrangements cannot be accommodated, agencies should consider whether the employee can temporarily undertake a different (more flexible) role, either within their agency or in a different agency."

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It will depend on the situation.

Cameron Roles, a senior lecturer in labour law at the Australian National University, says there are obligations on both sides.

An employer is able to direct an employee to undertake a lawful and reasonable direction provided they have authority within the agency to do so, so that generally means the department can compel you to return to the office.

"An important caveat is that an employer both at common law and under work, health and safety legislation, has to provide a safe workplace," Dr Roles says

"Obviously no workplace can be entirely risk free, but if the employer has done what it should have done to ensure that the workplace is as far as reasonably practicably safe, then sure they can request that the employees can come back to the office."

You should still wear a mask because it help will keep you and those who work around you safe.

From Friday, February 25, you no longer need to wear a mask in the office, following a further easing of restrictions in the ACT.

But Professor Bennett says they provide extra safety for both the wearer and others around that person.

"It's important to remember that not having a rule to say you have to wear masks doesn't mean you can't," she says

"If you have a proportion of workers wearing masks at least part of the time then that will actually reduce the risk for everybody to some degree."

READ MORE: Confused about new mask rules? Here's when you do and don't have to mask up

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