Here are the measures being proposed by Government to get people back to work

Draft documents from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), say extra cleaning should be introduced in office spaces and the use of protective equipment should be considered where maintaining a distance of two metres between workers is not possible.

For workers who have customer-facing roles, plastic screens should be erected to help protect them, while continued home working and staggered shifts should also be encouraged, the guidance says.

The proposals are among a list of guidelines in seven documents drawn up after consultation with executives, trade bodies and unions.

The Financial Times reported that firms will also be told to lay on more parking spaces so that staff do not have to rely on lifts from colleagues.

Under the plans, millions of companies will have to draw up a Covid-19 "risk assessment" before allowing staff to return to work, the documents suggest.

The guidance also says social distancing will have to be maintained, whether on the shop floor, in shopping queues, or in communal spaces.

A Government spokesman said: "The Business Secretary continues to work with businesses, union leaders and the science and medical community so we can ensure workplaces are safe for those who will go back to work once the measures are relaxed and give people the confidence to return to work."

But business leaders said clarity is needed on issues such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and whether firms can be held liable even if they fulfil their obligations to protect employees from coronavirus.

Director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce Adam Marshall said the issue is one of the "key questions we've asked".

He said: "We need as much specificity as possible so businesses can ensure they've taken all the steps they can in order to protect their people.

"And, as much as possible, we want to see consistency across the UK. It would be very confusing and costly for businesses if we saw different nations going in very different directions.

"They (bosses) will want to know that they're not going to be held liable for horrible things that may unfortunately happen if they've done everything in their power to keep their people safe.

"Whereas, by contrast, you'd want to see those employers who didn't take adequate steps face the consequences of that so the question of legal liability is extremely important."

Mr Marshall said there is a need for "clear guidance" on PPE.

"No business wants to be competing with the health services or with the care sector, for example, for PPE," he said.

"We're still waiting for more detail on that and it's going to be hugely, hugely important for a lot of firms because the number of questions we're hearing from businesses about protective equipment grows by the day."

A UK-wide procurement strategy will be "hugely important" in order to source and manufacture the necessary PPE, he added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to reveal a road map next Sunday, detailing exactly how restrictions will be eased in order for Britons to safely return to work.

But the Government has also stressed that the nation's battle with coronavirus will continue after lockdown measures are eased.

Here, we look at what the nation's workplaces might look like once restrictions are lifted.

- Offices Since the lockdown conditions were first imposed on March 23, most of the nation's office workers have become accustomed to working from home.

However, companies that are eager for workers to return to the office will need to make a number of changes in order to ensure the health and safety of staff is not compromised.

According to the BBC, staggered shift times, less sharing of equipment and continued maximisation of home working are among a number of ideas listed as part of a draft government strategy to help businesses prepare for a return to work.

Increased hygiene procedures and the installation of protective screens are also included in the plan.

Meanwhile, it is reported ministers are holding talks with technology firms over the creation of "health passports" which use "coronavirus testing and facial recognition" to prove which workers have had Covid-19.

- Retail Last month, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) published guidance for measures that retail stores could introduce to help with the transition once restrictions are lifted.

The recommended measures include limiting entry and exit points, using floor markings to outline social distancing and keeping changing rooms closed.

The guidance also suggests installing cleaning stations with hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes at the front of stores.

BRC chief Helen Dickinson said the guidance measures would serve to ensure the safety and well-being of both customers and staff.

"Since the lockdown, many retailers have proved how shops can be run safely and effectively in line with the Government's social distancing advice," she said.

"Continued close collaboration with Government, including public support for the steps retailers are taking and adequate notice to get supply chains up and running, will mean that retail businesses can start trading again slowly and safely, and customers can feel confident that they are safe to return to shops."

- Public transport Public transport is one of the biggest issues for many people as they prepare to return to the office.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapp said increased bus and train timetables will be implemented to help the public transport system cope with an influx in passengers while still adhering to social distancing recommendations.

"The first thing is, obviously, we'll expand the number of trains and buses running," Mr Shapps said.

He also pointed to active transport methods such as cycling as a way for people to take more personal responsibility over their welfare.

"The second thing to say is active travel, I think, is a very important part of this, by which I mean cycling, walking and so on," he said.

"There's been a massive increase ... hundreds of percent more people using the existing scheme where you can go to your employer and ask for a bike which you pay back through the loan and effectively before you pay tax, and that's a very popular scheme and I think active transport, active mobility is something we've been doing a lot more of."

- Airports Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye has warned that the nation's major international airports do not have enough space for social distancing to be a solution for safe travel post-lockdown.

"Forget social distancing - it won't work in aviation or any other form of public transport, and the problem is not the plane, it is the lack of space in the airport," he said "Just one jumbo jet would require a queue a kilometre long."

Instead, Mr Holland-Kaye believes mandatory health checks for passengers, increased levels of hygiene and compulsory face masks would be more realistic options to enable airports to reopen and air travel to resume.