Managing and protecting your staff

This page will be updated on a regular basis. Last updated: 29 May

HR

• HM Revenue and Customs:
  Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme 
  On 20 April HM Revenue and Customs published the claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme guidance.Before you can claim you’ll need to: check that both you and your furloughed employee can use the scheme and work out how much you can claim. Find out more here
• Check if you can claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  On 20 April, HM Revenue and Customs updated their check if you can claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme guidance. click here for more information
• Job Retention Scheme Calculator
  Work out 80% of your employees’ wages to claim through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme calculator: click here
• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
  On 26 March HM Revenue and Customs published its guidance “Claim for your employee’s wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. “equipment, or other essential supplies.Find out if you’re eligible and how much you can claim to cover wages for employees on temporary leave (“furlough”) due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
• Job Retention Scheme – more information on Furlough –
  This video called Introduction to Furlough by The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPD, who are the professional association for human resource management professionals, gives a chance to understand the details a bit more Click here to watch the video
• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and The National Lottery Community Fund’s grant holdersSome local VCSE organisations are funded by the national lottery community fund (TNL). The government has confirmed that those grant holders are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) so long as – find out more

• HM Revenue and Customs
  The Coronavirus Self Employment Income Support Scheme will allow you to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of your trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for the next 3 months.

• Universal Credit: Coronavirus and claiming benefits
  As a VCSE organisation, you may come across a number of clients who are unsure of what benefits they might be eligible for. This Universal Credit webpage provides some relevant information. If you’re making a new claim, you can apply for Universal Credit online.

• COVID-19 Redundancy and Recruitment Service For Leicester and Leicestershire:
  The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership’s (LLEP) remit is to drive forward regeneration and growth of the local economy. The service will help match people who are facing redundancy or lost their job due to the impact of coronavirus with opportunities in sectors that have seen a surge in employment demand.
• HM Treasury: Chancellor extends furlough scheme until October
  On 12 May the Chancellor announced that the current Furlough Scheme has been extended by a further month until end of July.
  From August furloughed staff will stay on 80% of income but be able to come back to work part-time, though then employers will have to contribute to the furlough cost.
• Renaisi: Free career support for people on furlough:Renaisi is a social enterprise that helps people to learn, work, and progress in their careers. As a VCSE organisation that may have furloughed some of your staff, Renaisi are offering a free service for furloughed employees to provide additional support for employee’s development and wellbeing during lockdown. Each employee will receive a minimum of two, 90-minute 121 sessions with an Employment and Skills Advisor to discuss needs and priorities related to wellbeing, benefits and entitlements, and their career development.
  For more details and how employees can book a slot click here

Working remotely

• Roots HR CIC
  The consultants at Roots HR CIC have put together some simple and free tools, funded by their trading surpluses, to support you at this time.
• Mental Health At Work portal
  A website curated by Mind, the mental health charity, and funded by The Royal Foundation as part of their Heads Together campaign has a useful resource “working well from home under self-quarantine for coronavirus.
• Technical or communication challenges
  Digital agency Copy and Code are offering a free hour-long sessions to social impact organisations experiencing technical or communication challenges during the outbreak.
• Association of British Insurers (ABI) Coronavirus Information Hub
  The Association of British Insurers is the voice of the UK’s world-leading insurance and long-term savings industry.
  The ABI last updated their ABI Coronavirus Information Hub on 8 April 2020 stating that “If you are an office-based worker and need to work from home because of government advice or because you need to self-isolate, your home insurance cover will not be affected. You do not need to contact your ABI insurer to update your documents or extend your cover.“
• Association of chairs: Beyond the basics: how chairs can make online meetings work for their board teams
  The association of chairs is a membership organisation supporting chairs and vice chairs of charities and social enterprises in England and Wales.
  Previously VAL published their blogs on virtual trustee meetings – why it is still important to communicate and communicating with your trustees at the press of a button.
  This article by the association of chairs builds on this to give some further practical advice on how to conduct your virtual trustee meeting. From designing the agenda differently, to having a co-host. Find out more here.

Safeguarding and risk assessment

• Various resources from the National Food Service
  Information on how to keep your staff, volunteers and the community safe, including risk assessment and safeguarding

Other ways to support staff

• Support those who use their cars to help their communities
  If you are using your own car for voluntary purposes to transport medicines or groceries to support others who are impacted by Covid-19, your cover will not be affected. You do not need to contact your insurer to update your documents or extend your cover. This applies to all categories of NHS Volunteer Responders, including transporting patients, equipment, or other essential supplies.
• Risk at Work – Personal protective equipment (PPE): Employers have duties concerning the provision and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Making the workplace safe includes providing instructions, procedures, training and supervision to encourage people to work safely and responsibly.
• First aid cover and qualifications during coronavirus (COVID-19)
  If first aid cover for your business is reduced because of coronavirus or you can’t get the first aid training you need, there are some things you can do so that you still comply with the law. Such as if you hold a first aid certificate that expires on or after 16 March 2020 and cannot access requalification training because of coronavirus you may qualify for a 3-month extension.
• Support for businesses – Deferral of VAT payments due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
  The Chancellor has set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19. Temporary changes to the VAT payments due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 to help businesses manage their cash flow.
• Free Learning & Development Support for Furloughed Employees
  Learnerbly describe themselves as an organisation to create a progressive learning culture that empowers their people to own their development, guides them towards the best learning opportunities, and supports them in applying their learnings. As part of a response to covid-19, they recognise the impact is not just on health of millions but also businesses and employment prospects.
  If your organisation are furloughing 20 or more employees, they will give you free access to their curated marketplace of learning resources and enable them to up-skill.
• Clore Social Leadership: Responding to Covid-19 Online Programme: UK Migration & Refugee Sector
  Clore Social Leadership and LEx Movement (Lived Experience Leaders Movement hosted by the Centre for Knowledge Equity) have co-designed a new leadership programme.
  This free, online leadership programme seeks to strengthen leadership skills and organisations to cope with the immense pressure, and learn together about how to respond and lead.
  Applications close on Monday 22 June at 11:59pm
  They are considered on a first-come, first-served basis, and places are limited, so applicants should not delay.
• Alcumus: Covid-19 Health and Safety
  Alcumus describe themselves as the UK’s market-leading provider of technology led compliance and risk management solutions.  Their purpose is to help organisations be safer, healthier, and stronger.
  They have free COVID-19 Health and Safety documents that can be downloaded. These include: COVID-19 Return to Work Guidance Pack, COVID-19 Workplace Health & Safety Inspection Checklist, COVID-19 Risk Assessment Template, Checklist and Risk Assessment for Individual Worker – Click here for download links for all documentsWe recommend that you read this in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive guidance