COVID Response
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The new coronavirus disease, officially named COVID-19, has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. As the virus continues to spread extensively, it’s likely to pose a significant challenge to many organisations. In this Employers Update – March 2020, we set out some of the key facts.
The Government has announced that the UK has now moved to the next phase of its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Anyone experiencing fever or continuous coughing are now advised to self-isolate for 14 days. Employees self-isolating will normally be eligible for contractual sick pay or Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced in his Budget 2020 speech that in addition to making Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) available from the first day of sickness absence rather than the fourth, SSP will be extended temporarily to cover:
Employees and workers must receive any Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) due to them if they need to self-isolate because:
The government will refund Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) costs related to coronavirus for businesses employing up to 250 staff. The refund is limited to two weeks per employee.
To see more news about the budget and coronavirus updates Click Here
We have a useful checklist to help manage coronavirus at work, contact us if you would like more details.
We have a template letter to support businesses in advising their staff about absence and pay. This can be provided on request and if needed we can support customisation to reflect your policies.
We have produced some further support and resources for employers having to implement contingency plans.
As measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) escalate, urgent focus is being placed on organisations to enable their employees to work from home or otherwise work more flexibly.
If you would like a set of questions and responses which you can tailor to your organisation, to gauge what preparations and next steps are needed, please email us. We recommend that the questions and responses be adapted to fit your organisation’s usual internal surveying method or system, to best capture and process responses.
We also have available a guide for employers regarding the health and safety of homeworkers, there are links to Display Screen Equipment assessments etc. to facilitate having a safe home working environment.
You may want to check your contract to see if you have the following or a similar Short-Time Working or Lay Off policy in case your resourcing needs change; however it would be worth considering the use of agency or temporary workers, and flexible working and voluntary leave options before taking more significant measures such as short-time working or lay-offs.
The example below is from SYLO’s standard contract of employment.
The Company reserves the right to introduce short time working or a period of temporary lay-off without pay (apart from any statutory entitlement) where this is necessary to avoid redundancies or where there is a shortage of work.
Historically, these polices are rarely used and there may be a risk of legal claims associated with enforcing this clause if not managed correctly. Circumstances are different now, so we suggest you if you need support with the above resourcing & employment decisions including the withdrawal of job offers if this proves necessary.
However, if you do not have a STW provision in your Contract of Employment please do get in touch as it’s highly likely we can do something to support you.
Mind have produced a helpful guide aimed at people with concerns about their mental health, but it includes practical advice about self-isolating and checklist to help people prepare to self-isolate.
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-mental-health/
There is also a government guide to self-isolating: –
Other useful contact information to keep to date
NHS 111 online coronavirus service
UK Government – Coronavirus (COVID-19): UK government response
UK Government – COVID-19: guidance for employers and businesses
UK Government – Foreign travel advice
National Health Service – Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ACAS – Coronavirus advice for employers and employees
World Health Organization – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak
World Health Organization – Getting your workplace ready for COVID-19
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