Covid-19

Unsurprisingly, my article this month is about the Corona Virus.  I have summarised below some of the most common questions clients have asked me over the last few weeks:

• Do employees get full pay or sick pay if they contract coronavirus? 

Treated it in the same way as any other sickness absence: if you normally only pay statutory sick pay (SSP), then this is what the employee should receive.  Pay contractual sick pay if you operate it.

• What if an employee has been told to self-isolate?

It’s good practice to treat it as sick leave, follow your usual sick pay policy (or agree to holiday leave). You could also advise employees to work from home if possible, otherwise concerns about lost pay could lead to potentially infected people coming into work.

• What happens if schools close?

If employees can work from home they would be paid as usual. Employees could take time off as holiday instead.  If an employee is unable to work from home, they could be granted unpaid emergency time off or unpaid parental leave. Strictly speaking, time off for dependants is only meant to cover a period of a few days, but employers should be flexible where possible in this situation.

• What are short-term working and lay-offs?

Lay-offs: employer asks an employee to stay at home and not attend work or be paid for a temporary period.
Short-time working: the employer requires their employee to work less than their regular contractual hours, for example a three-day week.
Be careful, you need an express contractual term to enforce this, otherwise you need to consult and gain consent.

I hope this article is helpful.  We are living in very strange times indeed.  Look after you and yours.

Ruth George - HR Consultant
ruth@ruthgeorge.com; 07899 920075
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This is not legal advice and is provided for general information only. © Ruth George HR Consulting.