There will be no requirement for face masks in offices 16 July 2020
Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has confirmed that there are no plans to make English employees wear face masks while they are in the office.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Hancock said:
“It’s something we’ve looked at and rejected”, but Mr. Hancock did confirm that masks should be worn by the public in other situations “ for the foreseeable future ."
The questions around face masks being mandatory in office workspaces were prompted by the fact that face coverings must be worn within shops in England from 24 July 2020 onwards.
In Scotland, it is already a requirement for shoppers to utilise face masks, and in Wales and Northern Ireland, they are considering mirroring this rule.
Speaking further on the topic, Mr. Hancock commented:
“When you’re in close proximity with somebody that you have to work closely to, if you’re there for a long time with them, then a mask doesn’t offer that protection.
The same logic applies for schools – we’re not recommending masks for schools because if you’re in a classroom with kids all day then a mask doesn’t give you protection.”
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SSP entitlement for employees contacted via NHS test and trace 16 July 2020
HMRC has updated its guidance page, ‘Work out your employee’s Statutory Sick Pay manually’ to include instructions for employers in terms of how to proceed for employees who have received a notification through the NHS test and trace service, on or after 28 May 2020. Employers should pay SSP from the first qualifying day that an employee is absent from work, as long as the full period for which they are off for is at least four days in a row. Individuals will receive a test and trace notification when they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, and so will need to self-isolate accordingly. SSP entitlement will end either after 14 days after the date of the most recent contact with the person who tested positive for COVID-19, or sooner, where specified in the notification. In these scenarios, waiting days do not have to be served.
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Exemption for the wearing of face coverings 27 July 2020
From 24 July, wearing a face became mandatory for members of the public who enter shops, supermarkets, shopping centres and transport hubs in a bid to help curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals
Payroll: need to know
cipp.org.uk
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