Self-isolation and your business

"I’ll be complying with the government guidelines. If they say it’s fine, then it’s fine. I think they’re wrong, however, but I’ll follow what they say and then hold them accountable if it turns out they’re wrong. Again."

"We are a digital business that was born working from home, and that has continued to grow whilst working remotely. If we meet up for face to face working sessions, it is not really any different from visiting a restaurant or pub in your social life (safer if anything). So, I don't see any reason for us to act differently towards covid at work as we would in our own lives, i.e. getting on with it normally."

"We intend to return to a common sense policy whereby if our colleagues are ill we will ask them not to come into work and they will be paid at full pay as is our policy. We have consulted with our colleagues who are all comfortable that if someone has tested positive but aren't showing signs of being ill they will come to work with usual protocols of working with a 2 metre gap and our high quality cleaning controls in place."

"Throughout the entire pandemic, we have followed the guidance and will continue to do so as we now learn to 'live with COVID' and will adopt a common sense approach in line with our existing policies. Sick pay will continue to be paid where required and if staff feel they would be best to self-isolate we will of course support them in doing so, including WFH if that is the best answer. We have never mandated that staff should carry out COVID tests as 'proof to work' and see no need for this to be changed. We must put trust in our employees to do the right thing, the same as they would have done before COVID if they felt unwell or unable to work. "As a business, it will be important to continue to monitor the guidance and adapt as needed, we've seen the impact variants can have on quick decision making and it is our responsibility to make sure our staff are comfortable at work, at home and aren't pressured into a situation that makes them uncomfortable."

"As restrictions are lifted, companies need to stop thinking separately about Covid and treat it as part of their usual sickness absence procedure/policy. All absence is dealt with on a case by case basis so this should be no different. Common sense please, surely we don't need to keep being told how to manage things as a 'nanny state'. Each business is individual as are its employees, and they should manage it the way that works best for them."

Once again Boris seems hellbent on making life difficult for businesses - now delegating health policy making to firms who are already under extreme pressure to survive in very difficult times! Workers will be left at the whim of decisions being made by time-pressured people who are not medics or scientists, yet they will be held accountable for them despite being in an information vacuum.

"As a very small business serving our community, and with many customers being older with health conditions, we have no intention whatsoever of relaxing any covid regulations. We will continue to wear masks on the shop floor, our classroom will continue to run at half capacity, all screens and partitions will remain, and should any of our team get Covid then they will work from home or get sick pay if WFH is not possible. We will also continue to test weekly, as long as the tests do not prove too expensive. The health and saftey of my staff and customers remain my priority."