As Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic continues to affect businesses across the UK, we wanted to take a time out to pull together a set of articles to put some helpful information, handy links and little tips together to help your business through this evolving situation.

Covid-19: Business Support Article 1 – Government Support
Covid-19: Business Support Article 2 – Devolved Government Support
Covid-19: Business Support Article 3 – Supporting Your Team

Supporting Your Team
If still in the workplace you should encourage staff to follow standard hygiene guidance and put measures in place to allow staff to work whilst being able to safely follow social distancing measures.

All staff should be encouraged and supported to follow standard hygiene guidance for all individuals.

Employee health should be supported by implementing the following:
– Immediately move employees to work from home where possible.
– Support employees to keep healthy
– Send home anyone showing symptoms (Continuous cough/High Temperature)
– Make sure any staff sent home following stay at home guidance –
which can be found here
– Encourage any vulnerable team members to stay home
(People over 70 or with underlying health conditions)
– Provide clear guidance & reassurance to employees

Certifying Staff Sickness
Employees should let you know as soon as possible if they are unable to work.
If a staff member or a member of their household is showing symptoms of Covid-19 or has been instructed to isolate, therefore your employee will need to stay at home, their sick pay should start from day one of this absence.

After the usual legal period of seven days in which an employee can self-certify, it is being advised that you should use discretion around the need for medical evidence as to this period of self-isolation.

You will not require employee evidence to reclaim statutory sick pay. You can find more information on certifying absence from work here.

Planning for absences
It is also worth thinking about and putting into place alternatives should staff be unable to come into work. Think about the following:
– Are you able to run your business with staff working from home?
– If so, what services can you deliver?
– Can you strain staff in other areas to help spread cover for staff absences or
to cover demand in other areas of the business?

Working from Home Support
If staff aren’t used to working from home yourself or working away from your team it can be a big change.
LinkedIn has some useful tips and videos on how to get the best out of working away from the office. Take a look here.

Wellbeing – Leapers aims to support the health of the self-employed and have put together a whole section on their website with handy guides on health and wellbeing through the Coronavirus crisis. You can find it here.

Technology – With large companies employing staff across the world a host of technology is available to help you connect with your team away from the office.
– Instant Messaging – Slack & Flock are both good for instant messaging
and sharing files with your staff
– Managing Projects – Trello is a good platform for managing projects
between teams
– Video Calling – Skype & Zoom lead the way for video calling functionality and
allow you to hold video meetings on a one to one, team or even as a whole company
– Team Functionality – If your business is run on a Microsoft computer
system there’s a good chance you have access to Microsoft Teams. This application
will let your team access video call, instant messaging, voice call and sharing files
direct from your computer system.

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