Ministers fear that chief medical officer Chris Whitty could quit over Boris Johnson's push to get employees back to work, it has been claimed.
Cabinet sources have suggested that England's top doctor could step down if the Government insists that more workers physically return to their offices.
The Government has so far stopped short of instructing businesses to get their employees back - instead simply encouraging them to do so.
Tory MPs have told the Mirror they believe the PM will not demand staff go back despite his concerns about the impact on city centre economies stricken by coronavirus.
Read more on mirror.co.uk