ACAS has published new advice to clarify the employment rights that exist in relation to handling the coronavirus in the workplace. It discusses how to support staff who do not want to come into work because of fears relating to the coronavirus, as well as steps employers can take to protect their staff and workplace if it spreads more widely in the UK.
Interestingly, the guidance states that there is no legal obligation for an employer to pay a healthy worker who has been advised by the NHS to self-isolate, but it advises that it would be good practice for an employer to treat self-quarantine as sick leave. This would reduce the risk of a worker feeling compelled to come into work, potentially spreading the coronavirus.