The Scottish Government has published further guidance today on the restrictions coming into force from 00.01 on Friday, 17 December, in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.
A Scottish Government release summarising some of the main changes can be found here.
The general guidance on businesses and workplaces outlines a range of considerations for businesses, and the responsibilities of firms and workers. It also provides some more detail on the responsibility for firms to support home working for their employees.
The same publication also provides a range of checklists for firms in sectors like retail and manufacturing to consider against their own operations.
Businesses who wish to sign up to the free asymptomatic workplace testing scheme, can find more information here.
Organisations that work in sectors designated as critical national infrastructure can apply for an exemption to allow essential workers to volunteer to leave self-isolation and return to work. There are strict criteria for this exemption and more information on the criteria and the types of businesses it applies to can be found at this link.
Separate guidance has been published for the hospitality sector which includes a set of frequently asked questions for businesses.
The Scottish Government has announced that it will make a £100 million financial package available for firms, details are still being determined for this fund and the Chamber will circulate details as soon as they are available.
The Chamber hosted a session with members across the hospitality, retail and culture sectors on Tuesday with the Scottish Government Business Minister, Ivan McKee MSP, where we emphasised the importance of rapid financial support as government continue to tighten restrictions.
Alongside our national colleagues at the Scottish & British Chambers of Commerce, we continue to press government to recognise the urgency of the situation and provide immediate, enhanced support for businesses across the UK.
We’ve recommended a suite of measures that should be implemented to support businesses while restrictions are in place, including:
- The reintroduction of furlough (including flexible furlough) at the levels comparable to June 2021, with government contributing 80% of wages for hours not worked up to the cap of £2,500.
- A substantial package of grant funding, with the first tranche to be distributed before Christmas.
- Reverting the VAT rate for hospitality and tourism to the emergency rate of 5%.
- Further easements for businesses who have used government backed loan schemes, to provide greater breathing room for impacted firms.
We continue to emphasise the need for both governments to provide certainty on this support package, and that failure to do so will risk business failures and job losses.
Any information you can provide the Chamber team related to how these restrictions are impacting your business will help us strengthen the case for greater support. Please feel free to get in touch with me via shane.taylor@agcc.co.uk if you can support us an example from your own business.