Can I Lose My Job Because of COVID-19?

Coronavirus is one of the biggest challenges we have faced as a society in living memory. As well as the obvious health impact and implications, businesses are facing situations that they’ve never experienced before.  The official message in the UK, currently, is for individuals to stay at home, avoid social contact where possible - and to self-isolate if they have any symptoms of coronavirus. When it comes to fulfilling their job responsibilities, this is easier for some than others. The vast majority of  office-based workers will now be working from home, but many workers whose jobs are public-facing and in critical services like supermarkets, hospitals or public transport will still be performing their roles in their usual environment. Whatever your situation, if you're concerned about how coronavirus may impact your job, let’s see what your options and rights are. 

Remote Working

The UK government has instructed all workers to work from home where possible, in order to avoid non-essential social contact. This instruction has been strengthened by a ban on group gatherings of above two people and the request that individuals only leave the house for essential purposes. If you find yourself in a position where your employer is still asking you to work from the office, or any location other than your home, you are entitled to make the request to work remotely from home until the government relaxes its instructions. If you work in an industry or a role which requires you to attend your place of work (perhaps a shop, construction site, or healthcare centre), ensure you and your employer are taking efficient health and safety measures to protect you while working. RELATED: Foundations For Successfully Working From Home For The Recently Officeless

Job Security & Pay

You may find you experience one, or many, of the following situations which might affect your job security as the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop in the UK:

You have been temporarily laid off

If your employer needs to shut the business temporarily because they’ve been instructed to do so due to social distancing rules, the UK government will pay 80% of employees’ gross wages (up to £2,500 per employee per month) under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This scheme is available to employers based on employees not being laid off, but instead given a leave of absence and brought back into the workforce. This is also known as furlough.   Wage payments will be back-dated to 1st March and will last three months, although there are plans to extend it if necessary. 

Your child’s school has closed

Schools across the UK closed on Friday 20th March for most children, with the exception of children of ‘key workers’ who can still attend their schools. This means if you have children and weren’t already working from home, you’ll probably now have to work remotely to look after them and also take on home-schooling responsibilities.  Given the current climate, your employer should be sympathetic to your situation and give you the flexibility to alter your working hours to accommodate your new circumstance. If not, you may be able to use ‘time for dependants’ to take days off or you may have to use your holiday entitlement.  At the same time, home-schooling responsibilities will take up hours in the day which would ordinarily be dedicated to your job. Communicate with your manager the situation you’re facing and explain how you plan to navigate this. Likewise, if you manage people, communicate with them so they know when you are available. RELATED: Tips For Working Parents on Navigating the Coronavirus

You’re self-isolating  

The current advice is if you’re showing symptoms you need to self-isolate for seven days. Anyone who is living with you must self-isolate for 14 days from when your symptoms first appeared.  Even though you may have the ability to work remotely, your condition may mean you’re unable to fulfil all duties of your job and need to take sick leave. Some employers may be able to provide full pay for the duration of your illness, so check your contract or with your employer to find out if this is available.  Another measure the government has introduced to help people manage financially if they’re struck down by the virus or if they’re responsible for caring for someone with Coronavirus symptoms is that Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be available to people who are eligible to claim it from the first day of self-isolation. Before this, SSP started on day four of calling in sick.   If you’re not eligible for SSP, because your income is too low for example, you may be able to claim Universal Credit. 

Your Rights If You Do Lose Your Job 

Whether you feel your job is secure or not, it’s important to know your rights so you’re prepared if the unthinkable does happen. You may lose your job because your job role is no longer tenable in the current climate or because your employer simply cannot afford to keep you on (even with the government support available): 

1. If you’ve been employed with the company for less than two years, you’re unable to claim unfair dismissal. 
2. If you have two or more years of service with the company, you can claim for unfair dismissal if you feel you’ve been unfairly selected. 
3. If you can prove that your absence was due to a disability, you may be able to claim on the grounds of disability discrimination. In this case, the length of time you’ve worked with the company doesn’t matter. However, proving that your disability was caused by the virus could be very difficult. 

If you fall into the category of having worked for the company for two or more years, you have the right to ask your employer to provide a written explanation of why you’ve been let go. Following this, if you still feel you’ve been unfairly dismissed, you may be able to claim unfair dismissal through an Employment Tribunal.  Before going down this route you should get professional advice from an employment lawyer, or speak to Citizens Advice for further guidance.  These are uncertain times for all, but to help you navigate through it, Glassdoor’s blog has a wealth of advice covering everything from how to successfully work from home with children around, to how to achieve a work-life balance due to changes in your working environment. While gov.uk has regularly updated Guidance For Employees on how to access additional support around COVID-19.