Coronavirus (COVID-19) – advice for BID businesses

With the severity of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continuing to develop quickly, we are recommending that all town centre businesses increase their promotion of good hygiene for staff and customers – this might include additional hand washing facilities or alcohol-based hand rub at entrances/exits, extra bins for the disposal of tissues and prominent posters reinforcing cleanliness (a link to some poster templates to use is below). Public/customer-facing businesses may also wish to consider powerful virucidal disinfectant.

For the latest official guidance, here are some useful links

• Public Health England (latest general advice) click HERE
• Public Health England (updated daily with number of cases and risk level in the UK) HERE
• Public Health England blog (this is regularly updated) click HERE
• NHS click HERE
• World Health Organization (WHO) click HERE

More specific guidance in relation to employees, employers and businesses

• Public Health England HERE
• World Health Organization (WHO) HERE
• Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) HERE
• Coronavirus campaign government resources (posters and materials) HERE

Plan to change your working processes

Now is the time for businesses to be planning for worst case scenarios and contingencies. Some useful things to consider:

• How you will manage staff shortages
• Can you operate on skeleton staff if needed?
• Implement home working (where possible)
• Consider split shifts to cover your essential operations and services
• Consider split working, operating a Team A and Team B principle with alternating home working
• Use technology to limit face-to-face contact (video meetings, self-service options and online retail)
• Do you need to vary the working hours of your employees?
• Plan for additional training of employees to cover sickness
• Do your risk assessments need reviewing with fewer employees?

More useful advice and guidance around employment law is available from the CIPD HERE.

Government guidance is changing regularly – please refer to some of these useful links to stay on top of any key messages and advice.