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Covid and work

1 . If an employee gets covid

If someone finds out they've tested positive for covid-19 (coronavirus) or has covid symptoms, they should tell their employer.

'Self-isolating' (staying at home) is no longer a legal requirement. But if someone has covid symptoms or has tested positive, they should follow government guidance and any policy their organisation has.

Follow the government guidance for:

Employees might be concerned that they've worked with someone with covid. Employers can reassure them by making clear what they're doing to keep the workplace safe.

Employees should speak to their employer if they have any concerns or are not sure about whether they should self-isolate.

Returning to work after being off sick with covid

When someone has been off sick with covid and is ready to go back to work, they should talk with their employer as early as possible.

There's currently no legally required length of time someone with covid should stay off work.

Employers should follow the government guidance for England, Scotland or Wales.

An employer might decide it's not safe for someone to return to the workplace. For example, if an employee no longer has symptoms but is still testing positive. The employer will need to decide how to record this type of absence. It is unlikely to be sickness absence.

The employer should also consider how an employee will be paid for their absence.

If someone is ready to go back to the workplace, they should check their organisation's sickness and absence policies. The policies might give extra information about returning to work.

Returning to work with long covid

People with long covid might need ongoing support and further sick leave after they've returned to work.

Find out more about long covid

People at high risk from covid

Employers should be aware that some employees with weakened immune systems might still be at high risk of serious illness from covid.

People at high risk should follow the same guidance as everyone else but there could be additional precautions they want to take.

Employers should consider extra steps to keep people at high risk safe. They could:

  • look at ways to support their work, for example allowing them to work from home where possible
  • provide extra safety measures at their workplace
  • update health and safety policies to cover people who are at high risk

Read government guidance for:

Contact the Acas helpline

If you have any questions about work and covid, contact the Acas helpline.

2. Self-isolation

Self-isolating (staying at home) is not a legal requirement if someone has covid-19 (coronavirus) symptoms or has tested positive.

To decide what their employees should do, employers should follow:

  • government guidance
  • their organisation's self-isolation policy, if they have one

Follow the government guidance for:

Sick pay entitlement

If an employee is not able to work because they're ill with covid, normal sick pay rules apply. They must get any sick pay they're entitled to.

Employees should check their organisation's absence policy to see what it says about reporting and proving sickness absence.

Policies on self-isolation

Employees should check whether their employer has a policy on self-isolation.

A policy can help employees to understand what they should do if they have covid symptoms or have tested positive.

A policy should say when to stay at home, and what types of support and pay are available in the organisation.

It should say:

  • what to do if someone goes to work but is unfit to work – for example, whether they're sent home and paid in full, in part or get statutory sick pay (SSP)
  • what happens if someone tests positive or has symptoms – for example, whether they should come to work or work from home
  • what happens if someone tests positive but has no symptoms – for example, whether they should work from home
  • the employer's legal obligations for the health, safety and wellbeing of employees – for example, how they'll support employees at home