Coronavirus, self-isolating, local lockdowns and normal coughs and colds

News on 17 September 2020

Coronavirus has topped the news for the last 6 months and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. We are now entering the normal cough and cold season and as the kids return to school they are helpfully sharing their germs with their friends and their households. Managing normal seasonal illnesses and now COVID-19 is something we are all going to have to adapt to. What this means for you as an employer is that you may need to keep a closer eye on your staff, be a bit more flexible around your sickness absence procedures, and make some changes in work.

While we’ve all had to make lots of changes already, there’s still more to come. At the moment, being flexible is probably going to be the top thing on your to-do list when it comes to dealing with employees and Coronavirus. The bigger picture here is that we are all trying to follow the rules set out by the Government and Public Health Wales to ensure that the spread of the virus is minimised. An employee having to take time off, again, due to Coronavirus may be disruptive to your business, but it is in the best interest for us all that they do.

When it comes to the workplace, we should all be practising social distancing and / or wearing PPE. This should then reduce the risk to your employees. Unless employees have been in close contact* with each other while in work, they should be OK to continue working if a colleague develops symptoms.

* Examples of close contact include:

  • close face to face contact (under 1 metre) for any length of time – including talking to them or coughing on them
  • being within 1 to 2 metres of each other for more than 15 minutes – including travelling in a small vehicle
  • spending lots of time in your home, such as cleaning it

We’re advising people not to jump straight into disciplining people because they need to take time off. If they have taken all necessary precautions and they’ve been advised to self-isolate then there’s nothing anyone can do to change the situation. However, if you have employees who are continually putting themselves at risk by not following the guidance (e.g. the coach load of people who went to Doncaster Races and didn’t follow the guidelines), then disciplinary may be an option. If you do feel that this is something you need to do, then we would advise that you speak to your HR department, or give us a call.

Recently, we’ve been asked questions about what to do in certain situations, so we’ve put together this handy table for you. 

Situation

What to do

When can I return to work

1. You have COVID 19 symptoms

  • High temperature
  • New continuous cough
  • Loss/change of taste/smell

You must

  • Stay off work
  • Get a COVID test
  • Household self-isolates
  • Inform us about test result

You can return to work if the test is negative provided you

  • Feel well enough
  • Have had 48hr fever free
  • Have not been advised to self-isolate by Public Health Wales (PHW)

2. You test positive for COVID 19  

You must

  • Stay off work
  • Inform us about test result
  • Self-isolate for at least 10 days as advised by PHW

You can return to work after 10 days provide you

  • Feel well enough
  • Have had 48hr fever free

This is the case even if you still have loss of taste/smell or a cough as these symptoms can last several weeks.

3. Someone in my household has COVID 19 symptoms

You must

  • Stay off work
  • The symptomatic person must get a COVID test
  • Household self-isolates
  • Inform us about test result

You can return to work immediately if

  • The household member tests negative
  • You have not been advised to self-isolate by PHW

4. Someone in my household has tested positive for COVID 19

You must

  • Stay off work
  • Household self-isolates
  • You may be able to get a test but unlikely if you do not have symptoms
  • Inform us about test result of household member

You can return to work only when

  • You have completed 14 days of self-isolation without any symptoms

5. Contact Tracing has identified me as a close contact

You must

  • Stay off work
  • Inform us
  • You may be able to get a test but unlikely if you do not have symptoms
  • Household does not need to self-isolate but should take extra precautions

You can return to work only when

  • You have completed 14 days of self-isolation without any symptoms

6. I work with someone who is self-isolating due to having COVID-19 symptoms

You can:

  • Continue working
  • Continue following the social distancing rules
  • Continue using PPE

Unless

  • You have been in close contact with the individual

Continue working as normal unless close contact.

 

If you have been in close contact – you have to complete the 14 days of self-isolation without any symptoms 

7. I live with someone who has been identified as a close contact

Although not required by law you can request that you

  • Stay off work
  • You / the close contact may be able to get a test but unlikely if you do not have symptoms

You can return to work when

  • The close contact has received a negative COVID result
  • 14 days have passed without the contact (or you) displaying any symptoms

8. I have been in contact with someone who has been identified as a close contact, but I do not live with them

You can

  • Come to work as normal

Unless

  • You are advised to isolate by PHW
  • The close contact develops symptoms or has a positive test result – then you should follow point 5. above and self-isolate.

 

8. My County has gone into lockdown and I work in a different County.

You can go to work even if the place you live is in lockdown. Travelling to work is a reasonable reason to leave the county

Continue to work as normal

9. Someone in my child’s school has COVID-19 and my child has been told to stay off school to self-isolate even though they have no symptoms. I have no childcare for them.

You can:

  • Be placed on furlough until 31st October (if you have already been on the scheme)
  • Be allowed to work from home during the period of self-isolation
  • Be allowed to take annual leave
  • Be allowed to have flexibility with your working hours to assist with childcare

Continue to work as normal