Employees can now be fined for not informing their boss that they are ill as the Government announces several new laws relating to the coronavirus pandemic.
Self-isolation is now a legal requirement and a number of offences relating to COVID-19 have also been created, including falsely reporting that a person must quarantine and playing music too loudly.
The new offences were not subject to consultation, with fines of £4,000 for ‘reckless’ refusal not to self-isolate, as well as penalties for not informing your employer of an illness.
The Government has introduced a range of new measures in the last week, with business support grants and loans being extended, as well as the announcement of the new Jobs Support Scheme, which is set to begin after the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) ends on 31 October.
The Jobs Support Scheme will come into effect from 1 November and will be in place for six months, applying to employees who work a minimum of 33 per cent of their usual hours.
The Government and the employer will then pay one-third of the remaining amount each, with the employee forgoing the pay they would have received for the remaining one-third of their usual hours not worked. The Government contribution will be capped at £697.92 per month.
However, the creation of new laws that create several new coronavirus offences has prompted criticism, with 80 Conservative MPs reportedly prepared to back an amendment put forward by Sir Graham Brady that would give parliament the final say on coronavirus restrictions.
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