The Business Bulletin
COVID-19: the impact on employees
It seems likely that COVID-19 will, whether in its current form or some mutation of it, be part of our lives for some time to come. The vaccine roll out has been done at some serious pace, but as always, for smaller employers there are perhaps more questions than answers.
Helpfully, Acas has updated its
to self-isolate, and data protection
available in the community and
working safely guidance to provide
issues. After any discussion, any
workforces, using what are known as
further information about workplace
decision should be put in writing –
lateral flow device (LFD) tests.
testing and vaccination for COVID-19.
perhaps in a discrete policy.
The page entitled Testing staff for coronavirus contains a new section
However, the more fundamental question that keeps being asked is:
setting out what it suggests would be good practice for employers to agree
On 6th March 2021, the Department for Health & Social Care announced an extension to the scheme, so that all businesses can now register for LFD rapid testing.
discuss how testing would work,
Can an employer require or force employees to take a COVID-19 test at work or before returning to work?
how staff would get test results, the
In January 2021, the Government
roll out will at some point enable
process to follow if someone tests
confirmed its intention to make rapid,
smaller employers to carry out LFD
positive, pay for staff if they need
asymptomatic testing more widely
tests.
with staff if an employer plans to test employees or workers for coronavirus. They say it is good practice to
26 | Issue 7 – Operations and Resources
Businesses need to register before 31st March and tests will be free until the end of June. It would seem inevitable that the
