Employment: Coronavirus

(asked on 23rd June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to promote awareness by employers of the potential for prolonged covid-19 symptoms.


Answered by
Paul Scully Portrait
Paul Scully
This question was answered on 29th June 2020

Someone’s ability to do their job can be affected by health conditions such as covid-19 symptoms. Several laws are relevant when managing sick leave and return to work. These include the Equality Act, the Employment Rights Act and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act.

During the Covid-19 crisis, the Government has worked with a wide range of businesses, trade unions and representative organisations to issue guidance on safe return to work. This guidance has been regularly updated in line with scientific advice.

In line with employment and health and safety law, guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive sets out that employers should have policies and procedures on managing sick leave. They should develop these in consultation with workers and their representatives. The guidance states that employers should:

- record and monitor sick leave to help them identify trends and manage risk

- train their managers on how to manage sick leave and return to work

- keep in contact with workers who are off sick, ensuring the conversation remains focused on their health, safety and wellbeing and their return to work

- consider making workplace adjustments to help workers return to work. This could include shorter hours, flexible or part-time working, or adapting work equipment

- review their health and safety risk assessment where a worker’s health condition makes them or others more vulnerable to workplace risks

- get professional advice on issues such as fitness to work or workplace adjustments, for example from an occupational health provider.

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