Main points from today Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, led the briefing and is deputising for the PM. The PM remains in intensive care.  He was stable overnight, is in good spirits and is receiving standard oxygen treatment.  His progress is being monitored. The Cabinet have clear instructions from the PM and are implementing them. 55,242 total cases.  New cases 3,634 down slightly from yesterday.  Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said it ‘was possible we are seeing the beginning of the change in terms of the curve flattening.’ New guidance for Schools just published this morning with new guidance regarding initial teacher training published this afternoon. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was updated in the morning of Saturday 4th – Read More…

New guidance for Schools just published this morning that we did not want to wait to send out.  It will also be included in our update this evening, following the Government’s daily update. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was updated in the morning of Saturday 4th April 2020. Updated ACAS Guidance states – ‘If an employee is ‘furloughed’ (temporarily sent home because there’s no work), they can still request and take their holiday in the usual way. This includes taking bank holidays.’ However, it remains unclear whether the furlough payment can be used to discharge holiday pay entitlement, with the employer making up the additional 20%.  We believe it cannot, but further guidance is needed.  Our view is based – Read More…

Main points from today Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, led the briefing today. PM remains in hospital as a precautionary step with continuing symptoms of a temperature and cough but continues to lead the Government. 51,608 positive cases, 17,911 patients being treated in hospital, 5,373 deaths up 439 from yesterday.  Too soon to see the effects of social distancing on these figures. Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, joined the briefing after returning from self-isolation and confirmed it was not appropriate to discuss relaxing social distancing measurers until after we are past the peak. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was updated in the morning of Saturday 4th April 2020. An employee can be furloughed and (with agreement of existing employer) – Read More…

Main points from today Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, lead the briefing again today. 4,244 new cases down slightly from 4,324 yesterday. 3,605 total deaths with 684 new deaths. 26 million pieces of PPE delivered yesterday. Nightingale hospital in London completed in 9 days, 4,000 beds. 2,000 critical care beds available (not including the new nightingale hospital). Latest Guidance (employment and business) Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Claim a grant through the coronavirus (COVID-19) Self-employment Income Support Scheme No further guidance today. Latest Guidance (health) Nothing new today online. A question came up today.  An employee with symptoms self-isolates for 7 days and their family self-isolate for 14 days.  The employee returns to work after 7 days and their partner goes to work after 14 days.  – Read More…

Main points from today Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, returned from self-isolation to lead the briefing today. 33,718 confirmed cases, 12,949 admitted to hospital, 2,921 deaths with 569 new deaths. Rate of infection is doubling every 3 to 4 days. 45 million pieces of PPE delivered yesterday. £300 million announced for community pharmacies. £13.4 billion of NHS debt written off. Tests to increase from 10,000 at end March to 25,000 by end April. 100,000 anti-body tests (to test if a person has had the virus) by end of April. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Claim a grant through the coronavirus (COVID-19) Self-employment Income Support Scheme No further guidance today. Latest Guidance (health) Nothing new today. Schools Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on vulnerable – Read More…

Main points from today Business Secretary, Alok Sharma, led the briefing and said the Government was taking unprecedented steps to expand capacity in the NHS. He went on to say ‘Businesses are doing all they can to support people and the Government will do all it can to support them.’ PHE Medical Director said that the tens of thousands daily test for frontline staff would increase to hundreds of thousands in weeks. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Claim a grant through the coronavirus (COVID-19) Self-employment Income Support Scheme No further guidance today. Increasing confusion on whether an employee can furlough an employee on sick leave.  The guidance states:-     If your employee is on Statutory Sick Pay Employees on – Read More…

Main points from today Cabinet Minister, Michael Gove announced that 1000’s of new ventilators are being manufactured in the UK and will be delivered to the NHS next week. RAF helicopters are standing by to assist the NHS. NHS Medical Director, Stephen Powis, said it was ‘early days’ but there had been a plateau in the number of new cases. ‘Green shoots’ that social distancing was reducing the spread but ‘not out the woods’ at all. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Claim a grant through the coronavirus (COVID-19) Self-employment Income Support Scheme The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Guidance states as follows:- Once HMRC have received your claim and you are eligible for the grant, they will pay it via BACS – Read More…

Main points from today •Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, announced a new Government partnership with airlines to fly back more tourists stranded abroad. •Government chartered flights from priority countries to UK over the weekend and more to take place this week. •Up to £75m Government funding pledged to bring UK travellers back home. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Claim a grant through the coronavirus (COVID-19) Self-employment Income Support Scheme Some points to highlight:- •The minimum length of time an employee can be furloughed is 3 weeks. If the furlough period ends prior to this an employer cannot claim the grant. •Furloughed employees must have been on your PAYE payroll on 28 February 2020, and can be on any type of contract, – Read More…

Main points from today Michael Gove led the briefing after the PM and Health Secretary both tested positive for coronavirus and are self-isolating. The Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty has symptoms and is self-isolating. 14,543 people have tested positive, an increase of 2,885 since yesterday. Workers can carry over 4 weeks annual leave into the next 2 leave years. Guidance on the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was published overnight. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Workers who have not taken all of their statutory annual leave entitlement due to COVID-19 will now be able to carry some of it (4 weeks) over into the next 2 leave years, under measures introduced by Business Secretary, Alok Sharma today (Friday 27 March). https://www.gov.uk/government/news/rules-on-carrying-over-annual-leave-to-be-relaxed-to-support-key-industries-during-covid-19 New guidance on the – Read More…

Following the Chancellor’s announcement yesterday the Government has published further information on the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Latest Guidance (employment and business) Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme New guidance was published overnight.  It is unclear if HMRC intends to use this guidance or whether there will be new legislation. Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Who can claim Any UK organisation with employees can apply, including: businesses charities recruitment agencies (agency workers paid through PAYE) public authorities You must have created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 28 February 2020 and have a UK bank account. Employees you can claim for Furloughed employees must have been on your PAYE payroll on 28 February 2020, and can be on – Read More…