Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Businesses and Employers Bulletin  1 June 2020

This bulletin is issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and provides the latest information for employers and businesses on coronavirus (COVID-19). All coronavirus business support information can be found at gov.uk/business-support

• Opening schools and educational settings to more pupils from 1 June: guidance for parents and carers
• Guidance on the phased return of sport and recreation
• Reminder: Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) business webinars – find out how to make your workplace COVID-secure
• New Updates and Guidance
• Requests for Business Intelligence and Assistance

Opening schools and educational settings to more pupils from 1 June: guidance for parents and carers

Information for parents and carers about the wider opening of nurseries, schools and colleges has been updated to reflect the decision, based on all the evidence, to move forward with the wider opening of education and childcare settings. You may wish to share this information with your employees. Children of critical workers, and vulnerable children who are already eligible, will continue to be offered a place, regardless of the year group they are in.

Guidance on the actions for educational and childcare settings to prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020 has also been updated.

Guidance on the phased return of sport and recreation

Guidance, designed for competition delivery partners and elite sport organisations has been published, that outlines the facilities and processes that will need to be in place, including that there will be no spectators at events, for elite athletes and professional sportsmen and women to resume competitive sport, safely behind closed doors in England, from 1 June 2020. Find out more here.

Updated guidance is also now available for the providers of outdoor sport facilities, personal trainers and coaches, the public and elite athletes, on the phased return of sport and recreation in England. Find out more here.

If you are a personal trainer or coach find out what you should do to return to training safely

If you are a provider of an outdoor sport facilities find out what you need to do to reopen and the measures you should have in place.

Reminder: Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) business webinars – find out how to make your workplace COVID-secure

If you work in other people’s homes or run an office in England, Join a free webinar tomorrow, hosted by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for information on how to make your workplace COVID-secure.

You can find recordings of webinars covering other types of workplace settings here.

New Updates and Guidance

New

Advice on accessing green spaces safely

New Guidance for England, on accessing green spaces safely has been published. This includes advice to land managers and landowners.

Draft legislation: Taxation of coronavirus (COVID-19) support of payments

HMRC are inviting views on the technical effectiveness of this measure, which ensures that grants within the legislation are subject to tax. These grants are treated as income where the business is within the scope of either Income Tax or Corporation Tax. Find out more here.

Updates

Check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme

The self-employment income support scheme has now been extended. A second and final grant will be available when the scheme opens again in August 2020. If you’re eligible and want to claim the first grant you must claim on or before 13 July 2020. Find out more here.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is changing

Guidance has been updated with information about how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is changing. Updates include information about how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is changing, what pension trustees may do whilst on furlough and the eligibility of TUPE.

From 1 July, employers can bring back to work employees that have previously been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim CJRS grant for their normal hours not worked. When claiming the CJRS grant for furloughed hours; employers will need to report and claim for a minimum period of a week.

The scheme will close to new entrants from 30 June 2020. From this point onwards, employers will only be able to furlough employees that they have furloughed for a full 3-week period prior to 30 June.

This means that the final date by which an employer can furlough an employee for the first time will be 10 June 2020, in order for the current three week furlough period to be completed by 30 June. Employers will have until 31 July to make any claims in respect of the period to 30 June.

Further guidance on flexible furloughing and how employers should calculate claims will be published on 12 June 2020. Find out more information on how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is changing.

Information for farmers, landowners and rural businesses

The latest information for farmers, landowners and rural businesses has been updated with information on farm visits and inspections starting week commencing 1 June.

Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the driver’s hours rules: all sectors carriage of goods by road

The EU drivers’ hours relaxations ended on 31 May 2020. The GB drivers’ hours relaxation applies until Saturday 14 June 2020. Anyone driving the GB drivers’ hours rules and undertaking carriage if goods by road can use the relaxations where necessary. The relaxations are not limited to specific sectors or journeys Find out more here.

Management of staff and exposed patients and residents in health and social care settings Guidance on the management of staff, patients and residents who have been exposed to COVID-19. This has been updated in light of the test and trace guidance and added guidance for risk assessment of staff in the event of PPE breaches. Find out more here.

COVID-19 and renting: guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities

Non-statutory guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities in the private and social rented sectors in the context of Coronavirus in England, has been updated to reflect amended regulations and changes to wider UK Government and public health advice.

Requests for Business Intelligence and Assistance

Offer coronavirus support

Tell us how your business might be able to help with the response to coronavirus by using our online service.

Share the impact coronavirus is having on your organisation

Let us know how the outbreak is impacting your business. Please send your intelligence, including information and feedback on the safer workplace guidance, to intel@beis.gov.uk. Commercially sensitive information will be treated accordingly. Please note that this inbox is only for receiving intelligence and does not provide business advice.

Help us shine a light on the stories of key workers

Tell us about key workers you know that are helping to keep the UK moving during the Coronavirus pandemic. Please fill in this online form for key workers in the following sectors: manufacturing, construction, consumer goods, scientists/researchers, servicing, postal workers, and oil/gas/electricity/water/sewage/chemical workers.

Other useful links

Some aspects of business support are devolved. Specific information for businesses and employers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales is available. In England, Growth Hubs can advise on local and UK Government business support. You can also find helpful business case studies and other useful information on the Coronavirus Business Support Blog.