In reply to Steve Bridger:

Thanks Steve - yes i suspect you are right that the new guidance will come out right at the last minute.

A few things i have read, suggest that if an employer wants a symptomatic employee to have a PCR, or asymptomatic employees to take LFT's after 1st April, the employer would have to pay for it. I don't know whether the guidance will include that, but i can't think of any other situation where an employer can insist that an employee has to pay for a test that the employer wants them to take (e.g. drug and alcohol testing), so i suspect it wouldn't be seen as reasonable for an employer to insist that the employee pays for LFTs or PCRs

In reply to Teresa:

Hi Teresa,

There's this link about the new guidance. We're obviously working on updating our own FAQs to reflect this.

www.gov.uk/.../government-sets-out-next-steps-for-living-with-covid

In reply to Steve Bridger:

Hi, they eventually published the updated employer guidance late on friday www.gov.uk/.../reducing-the-spread-of-respiratory-infections-including-covid-19-in-the-workplace

It really isn't very helpful at all as it expands the list of potential covid symptoms to those commonly found in a huge range of conditions hayfever, menopause, tummy bugs etc etc.

In reply to Keith:

I understand the treating the impact on the individual and like all other illness when someone is poorly which is the way we are going but if someone has had some tests available and tested positive but is feeling ok, they cannot work from home are you telling them to stay home for 5 days just in case or allowing them to work given that all regs are dropped. As you say once there are no tests people won't know difference between cold and covid but whilst many have stocked up on tests we have people showing positive who seem in good health.

In reply to Katherine:

At the moment we are saying that if people test positive or feel unwell with covid related symptoms, we would ask them to stay at home for 5 days, or until they feel well enough to return.

We are continuing to pay people in these circumstances and are monitoring things closely over the next few months to see how much it is used

thank you Teresa and every one for the valuable information shared I always get a lot from reading people's input. thanks

In reply to Katherine:

Always good to hear. Thanks, Katherine.