Key points to note:

• Job Retention Bonus:To help firms keep on furloughed workers, UK Employers will receive a one-off bonus of £1,000 for each furloughed employee who is still employed as of 31 January 2021.
• Kickstart Scheme: A new £2 billion scheme will also be launched to create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country. Those aged 16-24, claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment, will be eligible. Funding available for each six-month job placement will cover 100% of the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week – and employers will be able to top this wage up.
• Employment and support schemes:A total of £1.6 billion will be invested in scaling up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships to help people looking for a job.
• Creating jobs: The plan will also create tens of thousands of jobs through bringing forward work on £8.8 billion of new infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects. In addition, £5.8 billion will be spent on shovel-ready construction projects to get Britain building.
• Eat Out to Help Out:To encourage people to safely return to eating out at restaurants the Government’s new discount scheme will provide a 50% reduction for sit-down meals in cafes, restaurants and pubs across the UK from Monday to Wednesday every week throughout August 2020.
• VAT: The rate of VAT applied on most tourism and hospitality-related activities will be cut from 20% to 5%.
• Stamp Duty: A temporary increase to the Nil Rate Band of Residential SDLT (Stamp Duty) from £125,000 to £500,000 has been introduced until 31 March 2021.

 

Full details of the announcement can be found here: https://bit.ly/CXPlanForJobs.

1) Test & Trace guidance: Maintaining records of staff, customers & visitors

The easing of social and economic lockdown measures following the COVID-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. Organisations in certain sectors should assist this service by keeping a temporary record of customers and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your organisation, and assists NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks.

 

Sectors that this guidance applies to:

• Hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés;
• Tourism and leisure, including hotels, museums, cinemas, zoos and theme parks;
• Close contact services, including hairdressers, barbershops and tailors;
• Facilities provided by local authorities, including town halls and civic centres for events, community centres, libraries and children’s centres; and
• Places of worship, including use for events and other community activities.

 

Full guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/CV19BusinessTT.

 

2) Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services reopening safely

From Saturday 4th July, most of the pubs and restaurants we love will be reopening. We have shared the following tweet, which explains how pubs and restaurants will keep customers and staff safe. We would appreciate you retweeting on your own channels where possible: https://twitter.com/HMGLondonSE/status/1278999977637879809

 

Hospitality safer working guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/HospitalityGuidance.

 

3) Self-isolation lifted for lower risk countries

Passengers returning or visiting from certain destinations, which pose a reduced risk to the public health of UK citizens, including Spain and Italy, will no longer need to self-isolate when arriving in England, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will set out today (3 July 2020).

 

Passengers returning to or visiting England from certain destinations including Germany, France, Spain and Italy, will no longer need to self-isolate on arrival from 10 July 2020. The FCO will set out exemptions for a number of destinations from its global advisory against ‘all but essential’ international travel, with changes coming into effect on 4 July 2020. In addition, all passengers, except those on a small list of exemptions, will still be required to provide contact information on arrival in the UK.

 

The full news story can be found here – https://bit.ly/SelfIsolationChanges – and further guidance will follow.

 

4) Employee return-to-work tool

The government has developed a tool to help employees in England easily assess if they can return to work. The tool guides employees through questions that may influence their ability to go back to work safely. Employers can share this tool with employees to aid discussion on how employees can return to work safely.

 

Please find out more here: https://bit.ly/EmployeeTool.

 

As ever, please do share these trackable links through your network and if you have any questions, please email our dedicated business enquiries mailbox (covid19-partnerships@cabinetoffice.gov.uk).

COVID19 guidance for community facilities

If your charity operates community centres, village halls, and other community facilities the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government  has published guidance for reopening from 4 July. Find out more.

 

Reporting serious incidents during the coronavirus pandemic

The Charity Commission has published guidance for trustees on what matters may need to be reported as a serious incident during the coronavirus pandemic. Find out more.

Please click on the links below:

• Electronic signatures – is this a way out of lockdown difficulties?

• The wrong kind of publicity – your charity and social media

• What is incorporation and why should a charity incorporate?