How will coronavirus affect employers?

On Budget Day Mr Sunak revealed new measures to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, meaning statutory sick pay (SSP) will be extended to all of those who are eligible and asked to self-isolate, even if they are not showing symptoms.

Please read our customer FAQs to find out how this will affect employers:

How does sick pay (SSP) work with coronavirus?

If your employee has been advised by Public Health to self-isolate because they fall into one of the below categories, they will be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay, which is currently £94.25 per week.

These include:

• They have been diagnosed with coronavirus
• They have coronavirus symptoms
• They have been advised to self-isolate by a doctor of NHS 111
• Someone within their household has coronavirus symptoms (in this case everyone within the household must self-isolate for 14 days)

What if my employee self isolates as a precaution?

If your employee chooses to self-isolate as a precaution but does not fall into one of the above categories, they can take this time either as holiday or unpaid leave.

Who is liable for sick pay (SSP)?

The Government have announced that they will reimburse SSP (currently a flat rate of £94.25 per week) for a period of 14 days for small businesses. Sickness unrelated to coronavirus will follow the usual rules and will not be reimbursed by the government.

What happens if my family and/or I need to self-isolate?

If you request that your employee doesn't attend work (either as a precaution or due to a member of the family falling ill with coronavirus or coronavirus like symptoms), the employee should be paid their full standard salary.

What are the rules around pregnant women who are being advised to self-isolate for 12 weeks?

If your employee is pregnant and self isolating as a result, our HR advisors strongly recommend that you pay your employee's full pay during this time. However, this is still a very grey area, and we can appreciate the financial burden this may have, so therefore SSP can be paid instead. Once we have more confirmation on this subject we will update this page accordingly.

Where can I keep up to date on new Government measures related to Covid-19?

We recommend staying up to date via ACAS and GOV.

What can I do if I'm struggling to pay my tax liabilities?

If you are concerned about not being able to pay your tax due to coronavirus, there is now a dedicated helpline to support businesses and self-employed individuals with outstanding tax liabilities and other tax affairs - please call 0800 0159 559.

Further details on other Coronavirus measures can be found on GOV.UK.