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Coronavirus: what contingency plans are you putting in place?

Steve Bridger

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

  • Hi everyone,

    Does anyone else work for a small company who have a workshop team?
    We're not sure how to deal with them to limit the spread as there are only 5 of them and we need to try and continue operations. They can't work from home. Suggestions welcome. Many times
    Lorraine
  • in reply to Lorraine
    We have a similar set up, most staff could do some work from home but there are about 5 guys who are doing physical work on site or building systems in a workshop. I would be inclined to let them get on with it and advice them to limit how close they get to others. If schools close though a couple will need to provide some childcare so we are sending out an email to advise staff that if schools are closed and they have to take time off it will be unpaid or they can take annual leave if they can't work from home.
  • in reply to Elizabeth
    Thanks Elizabeth! That's helpful.

    That's the approach we decided on but we are a service company so at the mercy of clients and have some big jobs coming up so are monitoring daily.
    We might split them into 2 teams and get them on shifts.
    We are also going to ask our external cleaning company to come in and do some extra cleans between those shifts, if we end up doing that.

    Lorraine
  • in reply to Gemma
    @Gemma - I was just about to do a post about this and a visitors to site questionnaire. Would you mind at all sharing?
  • in reply to Miranda King
    Hi Miranda, I have the same question. In terms of our ideas at the moment we are looking at what are the bare minimum staffing numbers, can we apply split or skeleton shifts to limit exposure/contact. What are the critical areas that need 'hands on deck'.
    With this in mind it has brought up the question: is it fair to send some staff home (office based) that can work from home. But require our teams on the machines to be at work simply because they cannot work from home.
  • in reply to Natasha Hudson
    Hi Natasha and Miranda, In a similar situation where working from home is not feasible for operational roles which requires 43% of our workforce to be on site and agreeably the notion of is it fair to have the 57% working from home has certainly been in the talks and what we are doing if following the government guidance (www.gov.uk/.../guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-covid-19 for employers to ensure fairness for all.
  • in reply to Denise
    We are a manufacturing environment so we have a similar split to you and similar concerns regarding the fairness.

    We have taken the view we will ensure those with underlying health conditions take priority as they are most at risk and therefore they will be allowed to work from home if possible. For those who have health issues but can't work from home, we will move them to a less densely occupied part of the building to reduce their interaction with people and also provide them with the means to be able to sanitise their own work areas. For the remainder we are looking at operating a rotational basis i.e. 1 week working in the office, 1 week working from hom to limit numbers in the office. However we do have a number of office staff that will not be able to work from home regardless due to system requirements.

    For the shop floor we are advising social distancing wherever possible and for those who do have to work in close proximity we are encouraging increased hygiene measures to prevent contamination.

    If we do start to see shop floor impacted we will have to look at reducing shifts, offering holidays, unpaid leave or banking of hours.
  • in reply to Nicki

    A Facebook contact’s ( who believe it or not has a  PhD in English) contingency plan to a weeks hopefully precautionary self isolation in Utrecht Netherlands is to try to defuse the situation a bit, in the time honoured Limerick tradition. Here’s the first for your possible delectation:


    It was a strange day when Miley Cyrus
    Was diagnosed with Coronavirus
    She shaved off her hair
    And made everyone wear
    Face masks made out of papyrus
    .
    In the face of viral disaster
    The people panic bought pasta
    The news and the state
    Kept telling people to wait -
    Basta! But the pasta went faster
    .
    They panic-bought toilet roll every day
    Stocks of the stuff piled all and every way
    But if you want a clean ***
    And to avoid nation-wide farce
    Why not just use a bidet?

  • in reply to David
    Yes!! Do people not shower? I love this

  • Link to the new Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations 2020.

    www.legislation.gov.uk/.../uksi_20200287_en.pdf

    Link to the new Statutory Sick Pay (General) (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations 2020.

    www.legislation.gov.uk/.../uksi_20200287_en.pdf

    So we have a statement that self-isolation can be treated as sick leave (we'd already worked that out!) but nothing on paying from Day 1 or SMEs reclaiming the first 14 days. Still, the Government has managed to get this out very quickly so perhaps that will follow swiftly.