• Replies 133 replies
  • Subscribers 2 subscribers
  • Views 17029 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related

133

Coronavirus: what contingency plans are you putting in place?

Steve Bridger

| 0 Posts

Community Manager

28 Feb, 2020 13:37

We've had a discussion thread already touching on the Coronavirus (COVID-19), but things have moved on a bit and we'd like to ask members to use this space to share initiatives and plans around managing the coronavirus threat in your organisation.

Please refer to the CIPD factsheet for current guidance and also the latest information on the GOV.uk website.

The CIPD has been asked to speak on national news channels* about what businesses can be doing to manage issues affecting employees, such as flexible working, A+B teams coming into work, school closures, business travel etc.

*If you are happy to speak to the media, who are looking for real examples of businesses taking action, please let us know as we do sometimes get asked to recommend companies who could be featured. To reassure you, this is a closed thread and no-one can see it except CIPD staff and CIPD members. 

We’re well placed to help if you have any questions... and we’re interested to hear what actions you’re taking in your own organisations.

Please share below. Thanks.

UPDATE: 10th March 2020

17029 views
  • Jade

    | 0 Posts

    10 Mar, 2020 15:45

    Hi All,
    We are an Agricultural business with a significant number of our employee's who are HGV Drivers, who obviously would not be able to work from home.
    Is anyone else in this situation and considering their varying options?
    There's of course an immense financial implication if we don't have the haulage side of our business up and running.
    Thanks,
    Jade
  • Rosalind Anne Gibson

    | 0 Posts

    10 Mar, 2020 15:54

    In reply to Jade:

    Hi Jade
    No advise I'm afraid but have exactly the same question...I work in the leisure industry which is starting to see bookings cancelled etc. We may have to temporarily close venues and if this happens our instructors can't work from home. Where do we stand on not being able to offer them shifts? Can we insist they take unpaid leave (this would be a very last resort)!
  • Rebecca

    | 0 Posts

    10 Mar, 2020 16:05

    In reply to Jade:

    Hi Jade, when we talk about working from home its just about minimising unnecessary contact with people. Apologies if I have this wrong (I'm not in the haulage industry!) but I would have thought that an HGV driver has reasonable opportunity to minimise contact whilst continuing to work, and has an opportunity to control the hygiene factors in their main working environment (their cab). I suspect that handshakes are going to be put on hold, and keeping personal distance during deliveries would be acceptable in these circumstances. I'm interested to hear how/if this might work for your team.
  • Mandy

    | 0 Posts

    10 Mar, 2020 16:19

    Hi All
    Does anyone have advice on the scenario whereby a school closes and an employee, as a parent, can't physically be in work because they need to care for their children. Are companies going down the paid or unpaid dependant leave route? Interested in people's views. Thanks
  • Angela Batt

    | 0 Posts

    10 Mar, 2020 16:24

    we have put lots of guidance in place, as part of the Business Continuity we have established a small team to deal specifically with the Corvid-19 questions, but I have been stumped with answering some of our employee questions. we have office and site workers and those who work outside often work away from home we provide the transport and accommodation, I cant find any guidance from government, NHS or Public Health England of what to do in the event one of our employees contracts or presents symptoms whilst away, do they have to self isolate in the B&B/Hotel/SC accommodation (guidance does exist for shared accommodation but it doesn't really cover these situations as the individuals don't live there), should we try and get them home, we are aware there is a risk in this action. Should they stay put (for the purpose of contract tracing and containment or can they move back to a more familiar area. Are hotels etc prepared to accommodate the person possibly for 14 days? ..any helpful advice gratefully appreciated
  • Elizabeth Divver

    | 0 Posts

    10 Mar, 2020 17:56

    Has anyone put anything in place for staff who live with someone who is at higher risk? Are you allowing them to work from home to avoid carrying infection into the home?
  • Jonny

    | 0 Posts

    CIPD Staff

    10 Mar, 2020 20:09

    Good old Gregg's!
  • Jonny

    | 0 Posts

    CIPD Staff

    10 Mar, 2020 20:23

    LOVE that graph. Thanks for sharing, Cat
  • Felix

    | 0 Posts

    11 Mar, 2020 07:13

    In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

    Yes our clients are reviewing this and considering this for office based staff.

    One of our clients is considering asking their employees (Madrid and Barcelona offices employees) to stay at home, working in home office. What is the best way to move forward from an administrative point of view ? Thanks
  • Rebecca

    | 0 Posts

    11 Mar, 2020 07:37

    In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

    Yes - we are making staff aware that this offer is available if they live with someone who has existing health issues.
  • Nina Waters

    | 0 Posts

    11 Mar, 2020 07:54

    In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

    I've asked anyone who has a condition themselves, or anyone in their family, where the risks attached to getting coronavirus is higher than normal, to come and talk to me. I have one, fairly front-line employee who this applies to, who is very nervous about getting ill because of the impact it would have on her young child.

    Hers is not a job that could be done remotely in any way, and she's not asked to not come to work - but we've put in place all the measures we can think of (with her) that would reduce the risk for her personally. I think this must be done on a case by case basis - but certainly if she had the kind of job that could be done from home, I'd have put that in place first.
  • Hani

    | 0 Posts

    11 Mar, 2020 08:09

    In reply to Steve Bridger:

    Very interesting and likely. But what about L&D?

    My organisation is a supplier of L&D services to various industries, mostly in the form of ILT sessions. With the outbreak of COVID-19 and consequential and restrictive measures, digital transformation is more evident that it has ever been.

    I am seeking digital solutions to adapt all learning services as part of the organizations continuity plan. Can you (or anyone) recommend the top three provides/platforms for e-learning?

    Successful platform(s) must allow maximum flexibility around content design and upload, monitoring user behavior and mobile friendliness.

    Thank you
  • Gemma

    | 0 Posts

    11 Mar, 2020 09:03

    In reply to Mandy:

    We had a brief discussion about school closures earlier this week, and initial thoughts was if the school closes as a precautionary measure through their own choice then we will stick to the normal time off for dependents policy, if it's an enforced closure by PHE or the government then we're looking at continuing to pay staff full pay. We're keeping the situation under continuous review as so far we've not had the situation arise and we're monitoring the information on the gov.uk website daily.
  • Steve Bridger

    | 0 Posts

    Community Manager

    11 Mar, 2020 09:57

    In reply to Jonny:

    What graph, Jonny? What have I missed?
  • Steve Bridger

    | 0 Posts

    Community Manager

    11 Mar, 2020 09:59

    In reply to Elizabeth Divver:

    Important point, Elizabeth Divver.