What are the regulations?
Businesses have new regulatory considerations in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a fair chance that in the future, many new regulations in times of national crisis will arise building upon previous legislation, tailored to the new situation. Business owners who prepare for such eventualities will be in a position of advantage over those who have not. This section will be considering these provisions under the law, especially how they affect current businesses and what businesses can do in the future.
The most relevant piece of legislation to come out in recent times is the Coronavirus Act 2020 , one of the fastest ever to receive royal assent (a constitutional process to allow laws to be implemented). This Act is to last for a period of 2 years, from 2019 to 2021. Generally, businesses must now consider the following in light of the pandemic:
They must implement new safety and hygiene procedures if their businesses require a physical presence.
- Employees and workers will be able to take emergency volunteer leave (a form of unpaid leave new to the current situation). Businesses will be compensated through a government fund established to repay the loss of earnings incurred as a result of the lack of work done. Volunteers apply through an appropriate authority for businesses to claim compensation.
- The Coronavirus Act 2020 requires businesses to adopt further regulations for statutory sick pay, making it available to claim from the first day of incapacity.
- Employers with less than 250 employees may reclaim the costs of statutory sick pay of COVID-19 related sickness absence, from the 14th March 2020 retrospectively.
- The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 imposes the same duty of care on employers to ensure that all employees are following health and safety procedures, such as risk assessments, even if they are working from home.
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