What you need to know about coronavirus and work

The impact of coronavirus is devastating and widespread and having an effect on all aspects of our life including work.

It is a worrying time for all and there is inevitably a great deal of concern about the actions of some employers and understandable fear about what the future holds.

Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been cut, employees have been asked to take unpaid leave, others made redundant and many have been furloughed.

The country has been placed in lockdown and employers and employees issued with work-related advice, some of it clear and some of it not so clear.

Current government advice is for everyone to stay at home, except in specific situations. This includes:

• Only going outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home)
• Staying two metres (6 feet) away from other people (‘social distancing’)
• Avoiding busy commuting times on public transport where travel is essential
• Washing your hands as soon as you get home

Employers are being encouraged to support their workforce to take these steps, which may include agreeing more flexible ways of working. This includes working from home and if you do so you should be paid as normal.

Given how easily the virus can be spread you may well feel it is not safe to go to work for fear of putting yourself and family at risk. Such concerns should be raised with your employer.

No amount of reassurance may be enough to make you feel safe and comfortable to attend work. If this is the case, you may be able to arrange to take time off as holiday or unpaid leave. However, your employer does not have to agree to this.

Should you fail to attend work without a valid reason, even in these circumstances, there is a risk you could face disciplinary action.

There are employees who will be in a group deemed high risk of getting a severe illness if they catch coronavirus. It includes employees with an underlying health condition such as:

Solid organ transplant recipients.
People with specific cancers.
People with severe respiratory conditions.
People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism.
People on immunosuppression therapies.
Women who are pregnant.

For the full list and details see the government website

If you are in a high-risk group you should have received a letter telling you to stay at home and to not go out for 12 weeks. Employers should provide meaningful support if you are adhering to this guidance.

If you live in a household and you are the first to have symptoms, you must self-isolate for seven days. Everyone else in your household must self-isolate for 14 days.

If you are unable to attend work because you have the symptoms of coronavirus and have to self-isolate you must receive statutory sick pay (SSP). Some employers may offer more than SSP.

You can ‘self-certify’ for the first seven days off work and should follow the usual workplace process. If you have to self-isolate due to coronavirus for more than seven days you can get an online self-isolation note from the NHS website.

A range of businesses including pubs, restaurants and theatres have been ordered to close. A series of measures have been unveiled to support affected workers. Financial support for those employees known as ‘furloughed workers’ will be provided to employers through the ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’.

Any furlough agreements should ideally be in writing and include:
• The date furlough starts
• How much the person will be paid
• When it will be reviewed
• How to keep in contact during the furlough

During the coronavirus outbreak, it may not be possible for you to take your holiday entitlement during the current holiday year.

The government has introduced a temporary new law allowing employees and workers to carry over up to four weeks’ paid holiday over a two-year period. This law applies for any holiday you do not take because of coronavirus.

What is normally the busy holiday season is not far away. If your holiday has been cancelled, an employer may still tell you to take the time off. If you want to change when you take this time off, you will need to get agreement from your employer.

You are entitled to time off work to help someone who depends on you (a ‘dependant’) in an unexpected event or emergency. This could apply to situations to do with coronavirus.

Your employer should consider some simple steps to make sure they continue to provide you, colleagues and customers with a ‘duty of care’. This means they must do all they reasonably can to support your health, safety and wellbeing.

If any of the issues affect you please contact us to see how we can help.