Coronavirus Help • March 24, 2020
FLOWCHART: Do I have to close?
Written by Jennifer Ormond
Yesterday evening (23 March 2020) the Prime Minister announced “Travelling to and from work [is permitted], but only where it is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home”.
Very shortly thereafter, the Government published the guidance on staying at home which said “Travelling to and from work [is permitted], but only where this work absolutely cannot be done from home.”
Then Government tweeted “The only reasons you may leave home [are]: … to go to work (if you’re a key worker)” which suggested that any premises which are not key workers must close and that is the employee was not a key worker, he should not go to work.
Then the Mayor of Manchester tweeted “…Have now spoken to No10 & had it confirmed that people CAN leave home to work – as long as they fully observe the 2m distancing rule. Seems to me to be in conflict with the big #StayAtHome message. But that’s the official policy….”. If he is right, that suggests that people can go to work provided their work cannot be done from home. This favours those employers who insist that their employees come in.
We are hoping for clarity in the form of legislation soon but the regulations were only laid before Parliament yesterday to implement last Friday’s instruction to close bars, pubs and restaurants so there is a time lag in changing guidance to law.
So, in a nutshell: if your employee’s can carry out their work in the workplace and remain 2m apart, they can come in to work.
Please check along with our easy to follow flowchart:

You might also like…
Do I need to do a fire risk assessment?
Fire risk assessments are a fundamental legal requirement in the United Kingdom that could, to be blunt, be the difference between life and death. Understanding your obligations under UK fire safety legislation is crucial for anyone responsible for premises,...
Why Health & Safety matters – protecting people and business
Health and safety in the workplace is often considered to be bureaucratic hurdle, a mine field of red tape and a mountain of obstacles to you running your business. In reality, it is a health and safety is a vital part of running any successful business....
October 2024 HR Newsletter
October is here and, while Halloween is just around the corner, there’s nothing scary about our latest HR newsletter! 👻