Cabinet Office upates on Job Retention Scheme, travel and Open For Business Campaign

THE Cabinet Office has asked the Chamber to assist it in providing our members with the latest Government information on the coronavirus pandemic.

1) Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Update

As the Chancellor announced previously, from 1 July, employers can bring back to work employees that have previously been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grant for their normal hours not worked. When claiming the grant for furloughed hours employers will need to report and claim for a minimum period of a week.
Further guidance on flexible furloughing and how employers should calculate claims has been published and can be found here: https://bit.ly/2zdheFn

2) #OpenForBusiness Campaign

On Monday many retailers across the country reopened, and the Government is keen to help welcome back shoppers and celebrate the hard work businesses and retail workers are putting in to ensure their workplaces are COVID-19 Secure.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is encouraging business owners and shop workers to take photos in front of their ‘open’ sign and post these on their social media channels as part of the #OpenForBusiness Campaign.

To support the campaign, please do the following:

• Take a photo of yourself in front of your reopening business, preferably in
• front of an ‘Open’ sign
• Post the picture on your social media channels
• Use #openforbusiness
• Tag the Department for Business: Instagram: @beisgovuk / Twitter: @beisgovuk / Facebook: @industrialstrategygovuk

We are also looking for short self-shot videos of ‘a day in the life’ of staff in reopening businesses, so we can show the extra measures businesses are taking to keep employees and customers safe. If you think you, or a staff member would be interested in working with us on a video like this, please get in touch with nicky.henderson@beis.gov.uk.

3) Travel guidance for employees

To support businesses with employees returning to work the Department for Transport has developed resources for employers, which you can find here: https://bit.ly/DfTGuidance
The above sets out some steps employers can take to help provide a safe return to work for employees on the transport network, including encouraging active travel, and travel outside peak hours.

4) New support for high streets. 

The High Streets Task Force has announced new training, expert advice and online resources for high streets in England.
The High Streets Task Force will provide access to cutting-edge tools, training, information and advice for high streets across England as part of the government’s efforts to get shops back in business safely from 15 June.
This support is open to local councils and all organisations involved with high streets and will include free access to online training programmes, webinars, data and intelligence on topics including recovery planning and coordination, public space and place marketing.
Please find further details here: https://bit.ly/NewSupportHighStreets

5) Support bubble guidance 

As outlined by the Prime Minister in his statement, single adult households are now able to form a “support bubble” with one other household. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published guidance setting out how the public can see people that they do not live with while protecting themselves and others from coronavirus. 
The guidance provides advice on making a support bubble with another household and outlines key principles the public should follow when outside their home. It also provides advice on a range of issues when meeting outdoors.
You can find the full guidance here: https://bit.ly/SupportBubble.