COVID-19: Latest guidance on members premises staying open

24 Mar 2020

Dated: 24 March 2020

Following this weeks announcement from the PM I have been asked by a number of members whether or not they are expected to close their businesses.

The government has published new guidance on work premises, which includes requiring the closures of a range of specified kinds of retail shops and other premises. (Attached.) The guidance makes no reference to key workers and government has confirmed to us this morning that there remains no blanket ban on people going to work in manufacturing, distribution or otherwise.

What the Government is saying that all work that can be done from home should be done from home.  They are not yet saying only a set of defined “key workers” should go to work.

We cannot rule that out for the future, and, as you know, I have been stressing the need to include as key workers the range of BFPA member workers who are required to keep key services running throughout the supply chain in sectors such as health, food, energy and communications. That must include provision for maintenance of machinery and systems. I have personally spoken with BEIS this morning and the message for now is – keep going to work if, in your best judgement, it is necessary, your employees are not placed at any unnecessary risk and you are not on this lBusiness Closures – Gov. guidance as of 24-03-10; (which BFPA companies are not.).

The government is faced with huge challenges. The measures yesterday target those areas where there was no control of the flow of people mixing and are to improve obvious temptations for people to leave their house for non-essential leisure reasons. As I say, employers should be ensuring employees are not placed at any unnecessary risk in the workplace. I realise that there is room for subjective interpretation in this statement but sometimes we have to rely upon our own common sense in these situations.

The government is aware of the importance of clarity, and we are working with officials to help where we can.

The latest guidance  has now been posted here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others

Chris Buxton
BFPA CEO

Tel.: 07787 400747
chrisbuxton@bfpa.co.uk