COVID-19 (Coronavirus) – Support for Businesses and Employers
Here at London Business Hub, we understand the impact that COVID-19 can have on all aspects of your business.
To help you through, we’ve launched a series of free, dedicated webinars delivered by expert speakers that have been carefully designed to answer your questions and to help guide London’s small businesses through the many challenges presented by COVID-19. We have also brought together a range of resources and information to help you through these difficult times and to help you find the right support.
Hot Topic: Living with COVID
All remaining legal restrictions in England were lifted on Thursday 24 February as part of the Government’s ‘Living with COVID’ plan.
Guidance for business
The UK Health Security Agency has set out new public health principles for workplaces for businesses, organisations and employers in England to consider in managing the risk to their workforce from respiratory infections such as COVID-19.
The new guidance sets out actions that businesses should follow to help reduce the spread of infections, including ensuring adequate ventilation and encouraging vaccinations. Whilst there is no longer an expectation that every employer will consider COVID-19 explicitly in their risk assessment, employers should continue to comply with their legal obligations to their staff. Further information is on GOV.UK.
Free COVID-19 tests are no longer available for the general public, but the Department for Health and Social Care has confirmed that tests will continue to be available to help protect specific groups including eligible patients and NHS and care staff.
Anyone with a positive COVID-19 test result is advised to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious.
‘Long COVID’ is an informal term that is commonly used to describe signs and symptoms that continue or develop after an infection of COVID. There are a number of resources to help businesses and employees manage the impacts of Long COVID, including:
- Your COVID Recovery provides advice on returning to work for employees.
- CIPD has published a series of resources, articles and webinars to help employers support staff and manage workforce challenges.
- The Society of Occupational Medicine provides resources on topics including returning to work for recovering workers, advice for managers and solutions for employers.
- Acas has published Long COVID advice for employers and employees covering topics such as managing sick leave and returning to work.
Read the latest Government guidance for restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes, nightclubs or takeaways.
The following resources provide advice and information to help the hospitality sector navigate the COVID-19 outbreak and work safely:
Keeping staff and customers safe
- Reopening and adapting your food business during COVID-19
The Food Standards Agency has published guidance on hygiene and food safety requirements for food businesses to reopen and operate safely during COVID-19. - Guidance on maintaining records to support NHS Test and Trace
Businesses and organisations in certain sectors should collect details and maintain records of staff, customers and visitors to premises to support NHS Test and Trace. - NEXSTART The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020
Guidance on the latest coronavirus regulations. - Legionnaires’ disease: lockdown risks and reopening safely
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has published guidance to help businesses reopen safely and manage the risks of Legionnaires’ disease. - Preventing Legionnaires’ disease
The Association of London Environmental Health Managers has published information to help businesses manage their water supplies as they reopen to prevent Legionnaires’ diseases. - NHS Test and Trace
This guide provides advice for businesses about the NHS Test and Trace service. - Keeping workers and customers safe during COVID-19 in restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services
The UK Government has published the following guidance for the hospitality sector. - Night Time Economy – A place manager’s guide to night time economy recovering during COVID-19
Night Time Economy has published a guide for place managers on recovery planning for the night time. - Eating and Drinking Outside this Winter
Advice and guidance to help hospitality venues trade safely using outside spaces.
Advice and guidance
- NEXSTART Business and Planning Bill – Alcohol Licensing
Temporary change to alcohol licensing law to allow off sales. - NEXSTART Group Size, Gatherings and COVID-19 Safe Capacity
This guide provides information on group sizes and gatherings (indoors and outdoors). - Safer Sounds – COVID-19 safety measures and licensing best practice checklist
Checklist for reopening hospitality businesses safely during COVID-19. - NEXSTART Business and Planning Bill 2019-21 Pavement Licences
Guidance on the new pavement licence. - NEXSTART Toilets Guidance
Use of toilets in premises providing takeaways. - NEXSTART Conditions Compliance Guidance
Guidance on complying with licence conditions. - NEXSTART Closure Powers
Scope of closure powers for enforcement officers. - Transport for London briefing for leisure and hospitality businesses
Latest travel advice for businesses engaged in leisure and hospitality. - NEXSTART Business and Planning Bill – Pavement Licences
Guidance on the pavement licensing regime. - NEXSTART Pavement Licence Webinar
Webinar on the pavement licensing regime. - UKHospitality FAQs
Answers to frequently asked questions to help hospitality venues understand the latest restrictions. - NEXSTART Entertainment and ‘Bubble’ Status Check
Advice on entertainment and requirements for checking household or bubble status. - Support for the reopening of outdoor hospitality
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has provided a round-up of support for outdoor hospitality. It provides advice to help outdoor hospitality reopen under the Government’s roadmap.
As a result of stressful and uncertain times that coronavirus has presented, the need to consider the mental wellbeing of you and your employees has never been more important.
Our guides include information on business support and the latest guidance to help you manage this, by signposting the best resources to help you manage this important issue during the crisis.
Drawing upon resources from the NHS, Mind and other recognised bodies and organisations, our guides will help you navigate the support that is available as well as detailing preventative techniques that individuals use to manage their mental health.
- Mental health and wellbeing resource pack – support for individuals and businesses
- Mind – Improve mental wellbeing in the workplace
- Wellbeing – A guide for small businesses from the FSB
- Crisis services and planning for a crisis
The Mayor of London has published a series of guides to help support the wellbeing of businesses and employees:
Business Help Series
London Business Hub has launched the Business Help Series, bringing you highly informative, free webinars delivered by expert speakers. The webinars have been carefully designed to guide London’s small businesses through various problem areas as they navigate the challenges of COVID-19.
COVID-19 Workplace Checklist
The COVID-19 Workplace Checklist is a helpful resource for businesses of all sizes and sectors to manage the risk of virus transmission in their workplaces. We know time can be tight, so the checklist is designed to fit relevant safety information into busy work days!
Resources and support
Guides brought to you by London Business Hub to help your business respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Employment advice
- Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and furloughing employees
- Mental health and wellbeing resource pack – support for individuals and businesses
Property advice
- Lease obligations and lease reviews
- How to engage in discussions with your landlord
- Rent reviews
- How to negotiate a rent holiday
Managing your business during COVID-19:
- Transport for London briefing for retail businesses
- Managing existing commercial contracts
- Business and continuity planning
- Directors, insolvency and personal liability
Funding for businesses
Funding for the self-employed
Boosting Community Business London
Boosting Community Business London is a new pilot scheme to grow high streets and civic centers.
Delivered by community business champions Power to Change and Cooperatives UK and supported by the Mayor of London, the new fund will help local groups to set up and grow a community business. It will also support existing community businesses looking to run a community share offer.
We are offering free fundraising to help businesses to secure trade by pre-selling vouchers, goods and services. Find out more.
Learn more about the support currently available from the Government.
The following London Business Hub pages provide advice and information to help businesses and the self-employed navigate the coronavirus pandemic:
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