Exceptional Development

15/05/2020

MANAGING THE RE-OPENING OF THE WORKPLACE

I am sure that you will have received guidance about re-opening your workplace from relevant bodies or your own HR team.

In case you have not and are looking for some generic tips I have a guide that I can send to you. It contains best practice that is consistent with advice given up to and including the 13th May 2020.

Please contact me if you would like this guide or need any specific help..

14/05/2020

In a statement to the House of Commons, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed that the Job Retention Scheme is to be extended to the end of October.

Sunak confirmed that, until the end of July, the scheme will continue under its current provisions. From August to the end of October, more flexibility will be added to the scheme in order to assist employees in returning to work. In this period, the following changes will take effect:

- Employees will be able to return to work part-time and still benefit from the Scheme
- Whilst 80 per cent of wages will still be paid to furloughed staff, up to the cap of £2,500 per month per employee, the cost will be shared between organisations and the government, as opposed to the government covering the full cost, for staff who do return part-time.

Full details on how this will work in practice is expected at the end of May.

20/04/2020

Wellbeing begins at home

Working from home can be frustrating, lonely and isolating. Now’s a good time to set boundaries and prioritise your wellbeing

https://www.hays.co.uk/blog/-/blogs/7-simple-ways-to-look-after-your-wellbeing-when-working-from-home?subskey=9458418_OT_UK&utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email_7_Cand_Multi_Project_A_WFH_Better_150420

Blogs Landing Page

01/04/2020

Some thoughts on managing your employees when working at home...

As UK staff juggle their personal lives and home working, experts offer advice, including ‘if you think emojis are silly, you need to get over yourself’

31/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees

Lay-offs and short-time working

If an employer does not have enough work for their employees, they may need to consider:
• lay-offs (sending employees home temporarily)
• short-time working (reducing employees' working hours)

These options may help avoid redundancies. But this should be a last resort for employers.

Employers should consider other options first, for example, agreeing with employees to:
• take holiday
• work from home
• work more flexibly
• take unpaid leave

If employers can no longer provide employees with work during coronavirus, they can access government financial support for furloughed workers.

When an employee can be laid off or put on short-time working
By law, employers can lay off employees or put them on short-time working if it's either:
• included in the employee's employment contract
• custom and practice in your workplace, with clear evidence
• a national agreement for the industry
• an agreement between your workplace and a trade union
• agreed by the employer and employee to change the terms in the employment contract

Changing the terms in an employment contract
An employee can agree with their employer to change the terms of their contract to include lay-offs or short-time working.

If it's a permanent change to the contract, the employer must confirm in writing what’s been agreed within 1 month of the change.

If it's a temporary change to the contact, it’s also a good idea for the employer to confirm what’s been agreed in writing.

Time limits
How long lay-offs or short-time working last will depend on what's been agreed in the employee's employment contract.

There's no limit for how long an employee can be laid off or put on short-time working.

Holiday entitlement
Employees continue to build up ('accrue') holiday in the usual way during lay-offs and short-time working.

Pay during lay-offs and short-time working
Employees should get full pay during lay-offs or short-time working, unless:
• it's agreed otherwise
• their contract allows unpaid or reduced pay

Guarantee pay
Employees who are laid off or put on short-time working are entitled to pay for days they do no work at all. This is called 'statutory guarantee pay' and is the legal minimum an employer must pay.
Employers might offer a better guarantee pay scheme. Employees should check their contract.

Statutory guarantee pay
Statutory guarantee pay is £29 a day for 5 days in any 3-month period (increasing to £30 a day from 6 April 2020).
The maximum an employee is entitled to is £145 (£150 from 6 April 2020).

Employees who usually earn less than £29 a day will get their usual daily rate.

If employees work part time, their entitlement is worked out in proportion to their part-time hours.

Eligibility
To be eligible for guarantee pay, someone must be legally classed as an employee.

They must also:
• have been employed continuously with the same employer for at least 1 month
• reasonably make sure they're available to work
• not refuse any reasonable alternative work
• not have been laid off because of industrial action

Claiming benefits
While employees are laid off or put on short-time working, they might be eligible for Universal Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance. Employees may be eligible for one or both of these benefits.

If employees get Universal Credit already, they might be able to get a higher amount.
You can find more information on:
• Universal Credit on GOV.UK
• Jobseeker's Allowance on GOV.UK

Other work
The employee’s contract might allow them to do other work while laid off or put on short-time working.

If they can, employees should:
• agree the work with their employer
• make sure they're not working for a competitor
• make sure they can return to their original job once the lay-off or short-time working ends

Applying for redundancy
Employees can apply for redundancy and claim redundancy pay if they've been laid off or put on short-time working and receive less than half a week's pay for:
• 4 or more weeks in a row
• 6 or more weeks in a 13-week period

Find out more about applying for redundancy during a lay-off or short-time working on GOV.UK.

Avoiding discrimination
Employers must select employees for lay-offs or short-time working in a fair way. They must not treat employees differently because of their age, disability or any other protected characteristic.

Last reviewed
30 March 2020

30/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees

Using holiday

In most situations, employees and workers should use their paid holiday (‘statutory annual leave’) in their current leave year. This is 5.6 weeks in the UK.
This is important because taking holiday helps people:
• get enough rest
• keep healthy (physically and mentally)
During the coronavirus outbreak, it may not be possible for staff to take all their holiday entitlement. They may be getting to the end of their leave year with holiday still left to take.

Carrying over holiday

The government has introduced a temporary new law to deal with coronavirus disruption.
Employees and workers can carry over up to 4 weeks’ paid holiday over a 2-year period, if they cannot take holiday due to coronavirus.
For example, this could be because:
• they’re self-isolating or are too sick to take holiday before the end of their leave year
• they’ve been temporarily sent home as there’s no work (‘laid off’ or ‘put on furlough’)
• they’ve had to continue working and could not take paid holiday

Some employers will already have an agreement to carry over paid holiday. This law does not affect any agreements already in place.
If an employee or worker leaves their job or is dismissed during the 2-year period, any untaken paid holiday must be added to their final pay (‘paid in lieu’).

If someone is temporarily sent home because there’s no work

If someone is temporarily sent home because there’s no work they’ll continue to build up (‘accrue’) holiday in the usual way.

Agreeing how extra holiday is carried over

If employers do not already have an agreement in place, they can decide whether they’ll allow extra holiday (more than the 4 weeks’ paid holiday) to be carried over.
Extra holiday may include:
• the remaining 1.6 weeks of statutory annual leave
• holiday that’s more than the legal minimum

Employees and workers should check their employment contract or talk to their employer to find out what they’re entitled to.

Reaching an agreement

If the workplace has a recognised trade union, or there are employee representatives who work with the employer on these matters, the employer should involve them in agreeing changes.
If any agreement is made, it’s a good idea for it to be in writing.
Employers should get legal advice if they’re not sure whether to allow extra holiday to be carried over.

Bank holidays

If employees and workers cannot take bank holidays off due to coronavirus, they should use the holiday at a later date in their leave year.
If this is not possible, bank holidays can be included in the 4 weeks’ paid holiday that can be carried over. This holiday can be taken at any time over a 2-year period.

Previously booked holidays

If an employee no longer wants to take time off they'd previously booked, for example because their holiday's been cancelled, their employer may still tell them to take the time off.
If the employee wants to change when they take this time off, they'll need to get agreement from their employer.

Using holiday for a temporary workplace closure

Employers have the right to tell employees and workers when to take holiday if they need to.
An employer could, for example, shut for a week and tell everyone to use their holiday entitlement.
If the employer decides to do this, they must tell staff at least twice as many days before as the amount of days they need people to take.
For example, if they want to close for 5 days, they should tell everyone at least 10 days before.
This could affect holiday staff have already booked or planned. So employers should:
• explain clearly why they need to close
• try and resolve anyone's worries about how it will affect their holiday entitlement or plans

Last reviewed
30 March 2020

26/03/2020

UK lockdown

On Monday 23 March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the UK is to be placed in lockdown for at least three weeks.

Available on the government website, guidance instructs that individuals are now encouraged not to leave their home unless in the following four circumstances:
- shopping for basic necessities (food and medical supplies)
- one form of exercise a day
- any medical need
- travelling to and from essential work.

Certain businesses have also been told that they must close. Although a full list is available on the government website, this includes the following:
- all non-essential retail stores
- libraries and community centres
- communal places within parks
- places of worship
- places of leisure including boarding houses for commercial/leisure use, aside from permanent residents and key worker buildings.

Organisations not on this list can remain open for now, however guidance remains that all staff should be permitted to work from home if this is a possibility

25/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees

If an employee needs time off work to look after someone

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

A dependant does not necessarily live with the person, for example they could be an elderly neighbour or relative who relies on the person for help.

There's no statutory right to pay for this time off, but some employers might offer pay depending on the contract or workplace policy.

The amount of time off an employee takes to look after someone must be reasonable for the situation. For example, they might take 2 days off to start with, and if more time is needed, they can book holiday.

If a dependant such as a partner, child or relative in the same household gets coronavirus symptoms, they should receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) as a minimum for this time. They’ll also need to follow self-isolation guidance on GOV.UK.


School closures
As schools in England, Scotland and Wales will be closing, this will have an effect on care and working arrangements.

This may be an anxious time for parents, and employers will need to be planning cover at work.

If employees need emergency time off for childcare or to make new arrangements, they can use:
• time off to care for someone else
• holiday, if their employer agrees

Employers and employees can consider these steps:
• talking to each other early on about time off that might be needed
• agreeing regular conversations so both can plan ahead
• agreeing flexible working instead of taking longer periods of time off, for example working from home or changing working hours to allow for childcare

If any agreement is made, it’s a good idea for it to be in writing

Last reviewed: 20 March 2020

24/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees: Self-isolation and sick pay

Employees and workers must receive any Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) due to them if they need to self-isolate because:
• they have coronavirus
• they have coronavirus symptoms, for example a high temperature or new continuous cough
• someone in their household has coronavirus symptoms
• they've been told to self-isolate by a doctor or NHS 111

If someone has symptoms and lives alone, they must self-isolate for 7 days.

If someone lives in a household and is the first to have symptoms, they must self-isolate for 7 days. Everyone else in their household must self-isolate for 14 days.

If anyone else in the household starts displaying symptoms, the person with the new symptoms must self-isolate for 7 days. This is regardless of where they are in the 14-day isolation period.

Find guidance for households with possible coronavirus on GOV.UK.
Find more advice about self-isolating in England, NHS.UK

Employers might offer more than SSP – 'contractual' sick pay.

If an employee or worker cannot work, they should tell their employer:
• as soon as possible
• the reason
• how long they're likely to be off for

If the employer needs proof: employees in self-isolation need to follow their workplace’s usual sickness reporting process.

Employees can 'self-certify' for the first 7 days off work. This means following their workplace process but not having to get a note from a doctor or NHS 111.

Those self-isolating due to coronavirus for more than 7 days can get an online self-isolation note from the:
• NHS website
• NHS mobile phone app

It’s a good idea to check your workplace’s policy on absence from work.
Employers might need to be flexible if asking for self-isolation notes. For example, an employee with severe symptoms might not be able to get a note straightaway.

Last reviewed: 18 March 2020

23/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees: Working from home

Where work can be done at home, the employer could:
• ask staff who have work laptops or mobile phones to take them home so they can carry on working
• arrange paperwork tasks that can be done at home for staff who do not work on computers

If an employer and employee agree to working from home, the employer should:
• pay the employee as usual
• keep in regular contact
• check on the employee’s health and wellbeing

Find out more about: health and safety for homeworking on the HSE website

If an employee does not want to go to work.

Some people might feel they do not want to go to work if they're afraid of catching coronavirus. This could particularly be the case for those who are at higher risk.

An employer should listen to any concerns staff may have and should take steps to protect everyone. For example, they could offer extra car parking where possible so that people can avoid using public transport.

If an employee still does not want to go in, they may be able to arrange with their employer to take the time off as holiday or unpaid leave. The employer does not have to agree to this.

If an employee refuses to attend work without a valid reason, it could result in disciplinary action.

Last reviewed: 18 March 2020

22/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees

Good practice steps for employers

Employers should consider some simple steps to help protect the health and safety of everyone during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

It's good practice for employers to:
• be especially careful and take extra steps for vulnerable groups, including those who are pregnant, aged 70 or over, or who have a long-term health condition
• hold meetings as remote calls and avoid travel as much as possible
• make sure managers know how to spot symptoms of coronavirus and are clear on any relevant processes, for example sickness reporting and sick pay, and procedures in case someone in the workplace shows symptoms of the virus
• make sure there are clean places to wash hands with hot water and soap, and encourage everyone to wash their hands regularly
• provide hand sanitiser and tissues for staff, and encourage them to use them
• make sure everyone's contact numbers and emergency contact details are up to date
• keep everyone updated on actions being taken to reduce risks of exposure in the workplace
• keep up to date with the latest government coronavirus advice on GOV.UK

Avoiding discrimination

Employers must not single anyone out unfairly. For example, they must not treat an employee differently because of their race or ethnicity.

They should look out for any bullying, discrimination or harassment happening in their workplace and address it immediately.

Last reviewed: 18 March 2020

21/03/2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for employers and employees
If someone has coronavirus symptoms at work

If someone becomes unwell in the workplace with coronavirus symptoms, they should:
• tell their employer immediately and go home
• avoid touching anything
• cough or sneeze into a tissue and put it in a bin, or if they do not have tissues, cough and sneeze into the crook of their elbow
• use a separate bathroom from others, if possible
If the unwell person lives alone, they must self-isolate for 7 days. If they live with others and is the first to have symptoms, they must self-isolate for 7 days. Everyone else in their household must self-isolate for 14 days.

If anyone else in the household starts displaying symptoms, the person with the new symptoms must self-isolate for 7 days. This is regardless of where they are in the 14-day isolation period.

You can get more advice or help by either:
• using the NHS 111 coronavirus service website
• calling 111, if you cannot access the NHS website
• calling 999, if someone is seriously ill or life is at risk

It’s best for the unwell person to use their own mobile phone or computer to access these services.

If someone with coronavirus comes to work

If someone with coronavirus comes to work, the workplace does not necessarily have to close, but they should follow cleaning advice.

See advice for cleaning workplaces on GOV.UK

Last reviewed: 18 March 2020