The effect of coronavirus
03 March 2020
The CIPP recently published surveys on different platforms, which asked members how prepared their employers were for the potential effects of coronavirus, in light of the fact that the virus is spreading across Europe and the UK.
The question that was posed was:
“Now that individuals who have visited countries impacted by coronavirus and are showing flu-like symptoms have been told to self-isolate for 14 days, do you have a policy that determines whether or not they will be paid for this period?”
News Online –
Yes – 32%
No – 68%
Twitter –
Yes – 18%
No – 82%
Facebook –
Yes – 25%
No – 75%
Instagram -
Yes – 21%
No – 79%
The results all highlight the fact that the majority of businesses do not have policies in place that establish whether workers will be paid in the event that they are instructed to self-isolate. It would be advisable for those companies to seek some employment law advice and to ensure that they do have policies in place that detail what will happen in this scenario.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned that only a third of small businesses have plans in place to deal with disruption relating to the potential outbreak of coronavirus. It has advised firms to think about the impact of employee absences and travel restrictions, along with potential cash flow and supply chain issues.
Some businesses are encouraging remote working, with Twitter and Google advising its employees to work from home this week. The government has warned that everyone will face increased pressures at work and that there may be a scenario in which up to one fifth of employees are off work during peak weeks. It has also confirmed that there will be “case-by-case” litigation for small firms who are unable to pay taxes or other duties due to cash flow issues. This will be run through HMRC’s “Time to Pay” system.
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