Guidance on working from home will be relaxed within days, after Scotland continued to make progress in the battle against Omicron.
Nicola Sturgeon said employers will be asked to consider “hybrid” working for staff – a combination of being at home and in the office.
This is different from the current guidance, which backs home working when it is practical.
Work from home guidance was strengthened late last year in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.
However, many businesses have been critical of the move, due to fewer people being in town and city centres to spend money.
CBI Scotland director Tracy Black said: “Hybrid working is here to stay for many firms, and it’s up to them and their staff to work together to maximise the benefits of a balanced approach.
“We should recognise however that for some workplaces, a hybrid approach won’t be possible or desirable - there are also many clear benefits to being in a physical workspace, such as collaboration, on-the-job learning and reducing the negative impact of isolation on mental wellbeing.
“Blanket work from home guidance has also had a significant downside for city centre trade in sectors such as hospitality and retail - with many firms already experiencing diminished demand, the prospect of an upturn in footfall will provide encouragement as they look to trade their way to recovery.”
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “The rescinding of the work-from-home order and the return of commuters and office workers is great news and should give a much-needed fillip to shopper footfall, particularly in Scotland’s larger towns and city centres.
“Now that the work-from-home order is ending, hopefully an indicative date will be forthcoming shortly for the easing of the remaining restrictions and statutory guidance that shops have to follow, including such things as installing perspex screens, maintaining physical distancing in queuing and floor markings.”
The First Minister made the announcement in Holyrood this afternoon, stating: “The current guidance on working from home, strengthened in response to Omicron, will be now be updated.
“Instead of recommending home working whenever practical, the new guidance will pave the way for a phased return to the office.
“It will recommend that, from Monday 31 January, employers should consider implementing hybrid working - following appropriate guidance - with workers spending some time in the office and some time at home.”
Sturgeon said: “We would not expect to see a wholesale return to the office next week – indeed, given that the level of infection, though falling, remains high, a mass return at this stage is likely to be counter productive and set progress back.
“But we know there are many benefits to both employees and employers, and to the economy as a whole, in at least a partial return to the office at this stage.
“Indeed many businesses successfully implemented hybrid working last autumn,” she continued, adding: “So as part of a phased return to the office, we will again encourage employers to consider hybrid working, and look to them to determine how best to manage this transition in consultation with workers and trade unions.”
Eligible businesses in the hospitality, leisure, culture and tourism sectors that were impacted by the necessary public health measures introduced to stop the spread of Omicron are now receiving grant payments.
The Scottish Government stated that it is working with local authorities and other delivery partners to ensure business support funding is paid to all eligible businesses as quickly as possible.
Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “I want to thank businesses and their staff for the continued understanding and willingness to work with the Scottish Government and local partners to respond to the changing challenges we have faced as a result of this pandemic, including responding quickly to the necessary public health measures introduced to stop the spread of Omicron in December.
“Thanks to our collective efforts to stop Omicron spreading, case rates are slowing and so it is possible to resume a measured and proportionate return to hybrid working - this will be welcome news for many thanks to the significant benefits to businesses, to staff and to the wider economy however we must remain cautious.”
Sturgeon has said a requirement for two-metre physical distancing in settings where face coverings are exempt is being reduced to one metre.
The change will apply to settings such as religious services and those carrying out receptionist duties.
Updating MSPs, the First Minister also said that the requirement for secondary school pupils to wear face masks will receive “careful consideration”.
The Scottish Government is not currently updating its guidance on schools, but advisers were considering the issue on Tuesday.
“The advisory sub-group on education is meeting again today.
“We will consider carefully any recommendations it makes, and continue to seek its advice on issues such as groupings within schools, and the requirement for secondary school pupils to wear face coverings.”
Scotland has recorded 23 coronavirus-linked deaths and 8,022 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to latest figures.
It means the death toll under this measurement, of people who tested positive for the virus in the previous 28 days, is 10,222.
There were 1,392 people in hospital on Monday with recently confirmed Covid-19, down 43 on the previous day, with 34 in intensive care, down four.
In addition, on Monday, 15 confirmed Covid patients had been in intensive care longer than 28 days.
So far 4.4 million people have received their first dose of a vaccination, 4.1 million have received their second dose, and 3.2 million have received a third dose or booster, Scottish Government figures published on Tuesday showed.
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