Guidance for Employers and Businesses

UK Government guidance for employers and businesses on coronavirus (COVID-19)  

Updated 19th March 2020

What you need to know

• businesses and workplaces should encourage their employees to work at home, wherever possible
• if someone becomes unwell in the workplace with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature, they should be sent home and advised to follow the advice to stay at home
• employees should be reminded to wash their hands for 20 seconds more frequently and catch coughs and sneezes in tissues
• frequently clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, using your standard cleaning products
• employees will need your support to adhere to the recommendation to stay at home to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) to others
• those who follow advice to stay at home will be eligible for statutory sick pay (SSP) from the first day of their absence from work
• employers should use their discretion concerning the need for medical evidence for certification for employees who are unwell. This will allow GPs to focus on their patients
• employees from defined vulnerable groups should be strongly advised and supported to stay at home and work from there if possible

For full guidance please visit the government website at: