Main points from today
- The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced that the Government’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions.
- The Government will pay two thirds of employees’ salaries, up to a maximum of £2,100, to protect jobs over the coming months.
- Cash grants for businesses required to close in local lockdowns also increased to up to £3,000 per month.
Latest Guidance (employment and business)
The latest news article is here – Job Support Scheme expanded to firms required to close due to Covid Restrictions
- Employers will not be required to contribute towards wages and only asked to cover NICS and pension contributions.
- It is estimated that around half of potential claims are likely not to incur employer NICs or auto-enrolment pension contributions and so face no employer contribution.
- Businesses will only be eligible to claim the grant while they are subject to restrictions and employees must be off work for a minimum of seven consecutive (calendar) days.
- The scheme will begin on 1 November and will be available for six months, with a review point in January.
- In line with the rest of the JSS, payments to businesses will be made in arrears, via a HMRC claims service that will be available from early December. Employees of firms that have been legally closed in the period before 1 November are eligible for the CJRS.
- In addition to expansion of the JSS, the Government is increasing the cash grants to businesses in England shut in local lockdowns to support with fixed costs. These grants will be linked to rateable values, with up to £3,000 per month payable every two weeks, compared to the up to £1,500 every three weeks which was available previously. This could benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses, including restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bowling alleys and many more.
- Further details on the expanded JSS can be found Job Support Scheme Expansion for Closed Business Premises
- Further guidance on the scheme will be set out by HMRC in due course.
Latest Guidance (health)
No new guidance today, although we expect the detail relating to the ‘traffic light’ system to be released next week. This is confirmed in guidance from the National Education Union (see below).
Schools
A question from today is whether a supply teacher is entitled to be paid by the School if self-isolating. The answer is no. If they cannot work from home, then a supply teacher who is self-isolating in accordance with government advice would, if eligible, be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay from their agency.
Guidance for full opening: schools.
Supply teachers and other temporary or peripatetic teachers
Schools can continue to engage supply teachers and other supply staff during this period. We recommend that schools consider using DfE’s and Crown Commercial Service’s agency supply deal when hiring agency workers, as this offers a list of preferred suppliers that must be transparent about the rates they charge.
Schools can get direct support from Crown Commercial Services on how to use the agency supply deal by emailing with the school’s details and contact details.
Supply staff and other temporary workers can move between schools, but school leaders will want to consider how to minimise the number of visitors to the school where possible. Where it is necessary to use supply staff and to welcome visitors to the school such as peripatetic teachers, those individuals will be expected to comply with the school’s arrangements for managing and minimising risk, including taking particular care to maintain distance from other staff and pupils. To minimise the numbers of temporary staff entering the school premises, and secure best value, schools may wish to use longer assignments with supply teachers and agree a minimum number of hours across the academic year. This advice for supply teachers also applies to other temporary staff working in schools such as support staff working on a supply basis, peripatetic teachers such as sports coaches, and those engaged to deliver before and after school clubs.
Advice from the National Education Union:-
Coronavirus – guidance for supply educators
I have started working in two schools. I have been told by one school I must self-isolate for 14 days due to an outbreak of coronavirus at that school. What should I do?
First and foremost, you must not attend the second school. You should inform them as to what has happened. You can claim statutory sick pay if you are self-isolating because you’ve been notified by the NHS or public health bodies that you’ve come into contact with someone with coronavirus. You should try and get this in writing.
General Guidance
The general coronavirus guidance starts here:-
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
