Guidance Archives - Page 19 of 34

Further Scottish Government Restrictions to Tackle Covid-19

Posted on December 21, 2021December 21, 2021 by Fiona Campbell

The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced additional steps to help control the omicron variant of Covid-19 in Scotland. These measures were largely concentrated on the events and hospitality sector.

In her statement, the First Minister reiterated guidance on reducing the number of contacts to no more than three households in indoor settings. However, this remains advice and is not statutory. We therefore direct you to our previous statement of 20^thDecember in terms of refunds.

We of course understand that some of your guests have already chosen to cancel bookings, or may be inclined to do so in light of developments, and you will be keen to understand if any financial support from government will be available.

The Scottish Government have released some limited details of funding packages for affected sectors. The £100m Covid support fund announced last week includes £3m for the tourism sector that will be delivered by Visit Scotland, to support businesses that their previous funds allowed. Today, the First Minister announced a further £275m of support, which draws on funding from HM Treasury, but full details of this have yet to be provided. The Scottish Government have stated that “an update will be provided on the breakdown and allocation of funding as soon as possible.”

At the present time, we have no idea what any future funding packages will look like.

The ASSC will continue to collate evidence of the impact of the guidance on our sector and will engage with the Scottish Government and STERG. Please bear with us and we will endeavour to keep you updated as much as possible.

Background

A full copy of the First Minister’s speech of 21^st December can be accessed here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-update-first-ministers-statement-21-december-2021/

The updated rules and guidance relating to Covid-19 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-safe-and-protecting-others/

During her COVID-19 update today, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon covered the following (21/12/21):

The FM confirmed that 5,242 new cases of COVID-19 had been identified in the last 24 hours. She also confirmed that 515 people were in hospital. She also noted that there were 37 people in ICUs and that 9 deaths had occurred, bringing the total to 9,790. Of those cases identified, 62.9 percent of cases had been found to be of the Omicron variant. The FM noted an acceleration in the booster vaccine programme, observing that well over half of the population had received a booster.
The FM outlined the impact that Omicron is having on sectors including the health service, social care, entertainment, and others, stressing its severity and the need for action.
The FM noted that the advice for Christmas will not change. However, she reiterated the advice previously given on keeping safe during gatherings. The FM urged Scots, from December 27, to limit their numbers of contacts, stay socially distant, and stay at home as much as possible. She also outlined new rules. From December 26, for a period of up to three weeks, a limit would be placed on large public events:
- The limits will be 100 attendees at indoor standing events, 200 at indoor seated events, and 500 for outdoor events.
Turning to hospitality, the FM noted further “protections” that will be introduced. This will include mandatory table services and one meter social distancing between groups and no more than three households represented in any one group. She confirmed that eligibility and guidance for hospitality would be published later today. Further, she noted an extra £375million of business support would be provided, drawing together money from the Scottish Government’s own resources and HM Treasury funding.
In the following questions, both the Labour and Conservative leaders urged the FM to get funding to businesses as quickly as possible. The FM reiterated her plans and defended them as the best course of action. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton highlighted the needs of the events and tourism sectors in the context of testing. The FM said she understood the sectors’ concerns and stressed that the government was doing everything possible to provide support and increase capacity.

Temporary Change to Fit Note Requirement

Posted on December 20, 2021 by Fiona Campbell

It has been announced that between 10 December 2021 and 26 January 2022 employers cannot ask employees to go to their doctor for proof of sickness until the absence has lasted for 28 days or more (the requirement to self-certificate remains in place for that time).

It has also been made clear that SSP cannot be withheld due to late medical evidence.

This change is in light of the exceptional pressure placed on GPs in managing the government booster rollout.

This is a significant change from the usual requirement that requires a medical certificate to be provided after 7 days of absence, and will be difficult to manage for many employers.

Employers should be careful to make it clear to staff that this is a temporary change only, and not a permanent change to the sickness absence notification procedure.

Whilst employers cannot ask for proof of sickness for non-Covid related absences, it remains possible to ask for proof of a positive test or isolation request for those absences that are Covid related.

Employers may be concerned that employees will use this change to their advantage, and claim sickness for longer periods than necessary. If not already in place, it is highly recommended to have a thorough return to work process in which the sickness absence is discussed in detail and documented to assess for future patterns and possible evidence of inappropriate use of the sickness procedure.

[Source HR-Inform]

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance Updates

Posted on December 16, 2021December 16, 2021 by Fiona Campbell

Updates to guidance have now been published via the links below for safer workplaces and hospitality. This requires businesses to revisit their Covid risk assessments and consider which measures / adaptations may be necessary for their particular setting and premise.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer businesses and workplaces – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Coronavirus (COVID-19): tourism and hospitality sector – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

This will take effect from 00.01 Friday 17 December.

The guidance will support businesses and workplaces to put in place a range of public health measures that will help keep people safe, including enabling home working for those who are able to do so.

Masks should be worn in all businesses and workplaces, and retail and hospitality businesses should consider reasonable measures to reduce crowding and manage queues.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging further consequentials to deal with the sudden impact of the Omicron variant. Read the letter here.

A new COVID-19 ‘Living Safely This Winter’ Campaign has been launched. A core element of the campaign is advising the public to do a LFD test before mixing with others, travelling or visiting busy places. A stakeholder toolkit is attached which includes social animations and static images with suggested copy, posters, web banner and email signature assets that can be shared with audiences.