Filling the GAP in HR Services: Coronavirus Employer Update
If you are struggling, here are some options:
Reduce all the zero hours people to zero hours, if you have them.
How much you still have to pay other staff? Do still need to make cuts?
Next step would be to fire all staff under 2 years’ service, especially those only on one week’s notice. You do have to pay the notice.
How much you still have to pay other staff? Do still need to make cuts?
Next step would be to fire all staff under 2 years’ service, with one month’s notice. You do have to pay the notice.
How much you still have to pay other staff? Do still need to make cuts?
Final step would be to do a redundancy process with the remaining staff. 3 week consultation period, statutory redundancy pay and notice period to be paid.
Office staff could possibly work from home.
Remaining staff:
Get staff to take holiday (if they don’t agree, then give them twice as much notice as the holiday to be taken, e.g. one day’s holiday, two days notice.)
Get staff to take voluntary unpaid leave – they do not have to agree
Contact us if you would like to do any of the following options:
- Reduce staff hours (e.g. work half days or 3 full days a week) – which is short time working, they do not have to agree.
- Put staff on to one full week working, one week off unpaid, so that you maintain cover
- Lay off staff – e.g. three weeks off, one week on. There is still a payment to be paid, but much lower than normal salary.
Other
At risk groups (over 70s, health issues, pregnant women) should be sent to work from home or just self-isolate for 12 weeks currently.
- Working from home is at normal pay.
- Self-isolation gets paid SSP (two weeks SSP will be reimbursed by the government per employee).
If the government forces businesses to close, then there may be compensation. At the moment that is not the case if you close voluntarily.
SSP up to a maximum of 2 weeks per employee (£94.25/week) will be refunded by the government. No details as to how this will be done yet.
Businesses that qualify for Small Business Rates Relief will be eligible for a £10k grant, paid via local authorities, to help with current situation. Your local authority is supposed to be contacting you about this.
