Are you prepared for a local lockdown?
In recent weeks the government has implemented targeted local lockdowns in areas showing signs of a spike in the spread of coronavirus. While this is preferable to a second national lockdown, it can still be extremely disruptive to your business. Your best strategy is to put plans in place now for dealing with a local lockdown.
Keep an eye on the national situation. The introduction of lockdown measures in the north of England with less than a day’s notice shows how quickly things can change. Even if there is no lockdown in your area, your supply chains may be affected.
Planning and communication are key. Come up with a flexible crisis management plan that sets out how you can keep your business operational with reduced staff. The national lockdown should have given you a fairly good idea of what works and what doesn’t, so you should try to replicate the more successful aspects of your response. If your employees can work from home, it might be a good idea to keep them there for now. This prevents the double disruption of employees returning to the office only to be sent home again.
If appropriate, re-furloughing some of your staff may be an option. Bear in mind that the furlough rules have become more restrictive, and will continue doing so until the scheme ends in October.
Take this opportunity to review your staff contracts. When hiring new staff, consider a contract that gives you more flexibility. This could include a clause to allow lay-offs, requiring employees to take holiday at shorter notice than Working Time Regulation rules, or transferring staff to another site. Changing existing contracts would require consultation if you need to implement these modifications for current staff as well.
Do remember also that quarantine guidelines are still in place. Those returning from some holiday destinations such as France and Spain already have to quarantine and more countries may be added to the list. With the introduction of the Test and Trace initiative, you should expect some of your staff might also have to be quarantined in the coming weeks.
Amid this ongoing disruption, employee well-being is more important than ever. You should continue to check in regularly with remote employees, and make an effort to keep everyone in the loop about upcoming changes.
If you are unsure about contract changes or staffing procedures during a local lockdown, we can help.
Weighing in on fitness
The government has revealed its Better Health strategy, aimed at improving the nation’s fitness after the ‘wakeup call’ of COVID-19. The ambitious plan includes a ban on junk food advertising before 9pm, more accurate labelling of food in restaurants, and the option for GPs to prescribe exercise for overweight patients.
But what is your duty as an employer? While companies in China and Sweden have enforced mandatory workplace exercise, the UK has been more resistant to such authoritarian measures. That doesn’t mean that you should ignore your employees’ health altogether though. A healthy lifestyle has been proven to increase workplace productivity, and good health can boost natural immunity, saving you significant amounts in sick pay.
When discussing fitness with employees, it is important to be tactful. It goes without saying that you should never single out an individual as an example of poor health, but you should also beware of generalisations that could be inadvertently upsetting. Avoid equating obesity with laziness, as some people are overweight through no fault of their own. Handle such conversations clumsily and you could cause ill feeling or expose yourself to the risk of an expensive discrimination case at tribunal.
An easy first step – which aligns with the government’s push for cycling – would be to take advantage of the Cycle to Work scheme. This allows you to loan bikes and other cycling equipment to your employees which they repay tax free over time. As well as improving employee fitness, this could eliminate some of the stress of the rush hour commute.
If you do decide to introduce on-site exercise, remember to keep everyone socially-distanced and COVID-safe.
Are you up to date with the furlough scheme?
The furlough scheme has been a lifeline for many employers and employees, but it has not been easy to understand.
As the scheme begins to wind down, you will be expected to contribute more towards your furloughed employees’ wages if you continue using it. As of 1 August, you should be paying National Insurance and pension contributions for furloughed employees. From 1 September you will also be required to pay 10% of furloughed employees’ wages, increasing to 20% on 1 October.
Confusing as they are, it is your responsibility as an employer to stay up-to-date with the latest rules. Official reports show that furlough fraud has increased 53%. HMRC recognises mistakes will be made but has made it clear that it takes abuse of the scheme very seriously. If you have any doubts about your compliance, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dodging the worker status trap
Courier service City Sprint has just lost a third tribunal relating to worker status. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain successfully argued that the company had misclassified employees as independent contractors when they should be treated as workers.
As you’ll probably be aware, this is the latest in a long line of cases involving the legal status of gig economy workers. A Supreme Court case against Uber is ongoing, with drivers arguing that they shouldn’t be classed as self-employed. If they are successful, they will be entitled to minimum wage and sick pay, forcing Uber to overhaul its entire business model.
This issue is not going away, and while the gig economy has its place, it shouldn’t be used to undermine workers’ rights. Worker status is a complex area of employment law. If you have any questions about the status of those who work for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Power in positivity and presence
The COVID-19 outbreak has made us wary of viral contagion, but what about emotional contagion?
Research shows that negativity can be just as infectious as germs. If left unchecked, it can cause an office-wide outbreak of low morale.
Humans are intensely social, and our feelings are greatly affected by the feelings of others. If somebody in the office demonstrates a persistently low mood, it will soon rub off on everyone else. This can be made even worse by co-rumination – the constant discussion of problems without reaching a solution. Co-rumination can poison the atmosphere of a workplace, leaving your staff feeling unmotivated and hopeless.
So what can you do to turn things around? The answer is also an evolutionary one. When trying to calibrate our emotions, humans will naturally look to a leader for guidance. By coming into work every day looking happy and energised, you can trigger a shift in perspective, “infecting” the entire office with your positive vibes.
Good clean fun
With cleaning high on the agenda as shops and workplaces reopen, some companies are trying a new approach. Tesco has shifted cleaning responsibilities from contractors to floor staff, reporting improved levels of hygiene as a result.
Although effective cleaning takes skill and care, for some it still comes with a certain stigma. That said, other staff will take pride in it, especially if it is used as an excuse for some friendly competition and team building.
Be wary of contractual issues around changing job roles though, including TUPE if taking cleaning in-house. If you can do it, provide proper training, never ask staff to do something you wouldn’t do yourself and ensure that cleaning tasks are allocated without discrimination.