The following Q & As are intended to guide our employees. Please note – whilst these are updated regularly you must always follow the most up to date government guidance/Office rules on anything Coronavirus related as the rules can be subject to change at short notice.
I have tested positive for Covid what should I do?
If you have a positive test you must stay home – regardless of what job you do.
Where you have tested positive for Covid you should stay home and must not come out for work purposes for at least 5 days starting with the day after (the earliest of) your positive test or onset of symptoms.
If, at that point, you still have a high temperature or noticeable and persistent cough you should stay home until it has returned to normal, or, until you test negative.
There may be very local variations to the 5-day rule depending on the full context and provision of additional measures however you must ensure you discuss with your manager before returning to work.
I have symptoms of a respiratory infection, or that could be Covid, what should I do?
The symptoms of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections are very similar. It is not possible to tell if you have COVID-19, flu or another respiratory infection based on symptoms alone. Most people with COVID-19 and other respiratory infections will have a relatively mild illness, especially if they have been vaccinated.
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, including COVID-19, and you have a high temperature or feel unwell you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people.
If you are able to work remotely you can do so providing you are well enough.
Symptoms of COVID-19, flu and common respiratory infections include:
- continuous cough
- high temperature, fever or chills
- loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell
- shortness of breath
- unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
- muscle aches or pains that are not due to exercise
- not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
- headache that is unusual or longer lasting than usual
- sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
- diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick
You will need to use solid judgment and remember nobody will thank you for coming to work and spreading an infection – especially if there was no need for you to do this.
How you act will depend on all of the circumstances – both job related and personal. Mixing with others when you have a slight cold that is not causing you to sneeze, cough or blow your nose frequently is very different to a cold that will make others nervous to sit next to you, or you think it could be flu or Covid – please use your judgment and think of others. If you come into work and it is obvious you are no well enough to be in you may be asked to leave. This is embarrassing for all concerned and may be inconvenient for you, so please think it through in advance.
Alternatively, only you can know if any of these symptoms are equally likely to relate to a pre-existing condition which is not infectious (e.g. hayfever). This means you should continue to work in the way you normally would.
If you are well enough to work, and can do so during some or any of this period, please work from home.
You should remain in contact with your manager, and keep them up to date with any changes in your circumstances that are likely to impact your working arrangements.
How long should I stay home for (if I have not had a positive test)?
If you have not had a (positive) test, but you have problematic symptoms as above
Generally you should return to your normal work activities once you feel well enough to do so and no longer have a high temperature if you had one.
However, if you are well enough to work (e.g. with medication):
- If you have the type of job that you can easily do from home: your manager may ask you to do so during the period that you have symptoms (as above) that may cause concern. If this is the case please do not come to any MVDC offices or premises during the period of these symptoms if there is no need for you to do so. If you need something please talk to your manager before coming in. There is no need to do a minimum level of days in the office, referred to in the Hybrid Working Policy, if you can work at home whilst symptomatic.
- If your job requires you to work in a busy situation, e.g. behind the bar or at an event, it may not be possible to stay home but your shifts may be adjusted so that you are not immediately required and in some situations your manager may provide you with lateral flow tests and ask you to do them every day before you come in.
- If your job involves being in the open air, e.g. in enforcement or patrols, and you cannot work from home, your manager may ask you to continue to work but to take additional precautionary measures (e.g. testing where available, ensuring you socially distance from anyone you meet in your job, restrictions on attending or using any MVDC offices, enhanced face coverings, being vigilant as to the development of relevant symptoms, etc.)
You should remain in contact with your manager, and keep them up to date with any changes in your circumstances that are likely to impact your working arrangements.
I live with someone who has tested positive or I have reason to believe has Covid, or have stayed overnight with them, what should I do?
Whilst there is no general need to stay home for work purposes any more, the situation must be risk assessed by your manager. Depending on the service you work in, your manager may have provided guidance in advance. For example, for services working directly with people who are likely to be more vulnerable, there is a greater need for caution than those where you are working in the open air. Situations may also depend on particularly sensitive timings – e.g. if your team have a particular work deadline your manager may exercise more caution to reduce risk of transmission for business resilience purposes.
I have been ‘in contact with’ someone who has tested positive or I have reason to believe has Covid, what should I do?
If you live with them or have stayed overnight with them whilst infectious, please see above.
For all other situations, in most cases there is no longer a need for additional precautions and you probably will not know if you have been in contact with somebody who has Covid any more.
There may be situations where your manager discusses the need for additional precautions with you for business resilience purposes or another sensitive reason.
I was considered Clinically Extremely Vulnerable to Covid, or have underlying medical conditions, are there any particular protective measures for me?
The government have confirmed there is no longer considered a requirement to ‘shield’ and advising that you must get vaccinated if medically advise to do so (including recommended boosters), and that you follow the same guidance as everybody else.
However there is new guidance for people who are immunosuppressed therefore if any of the following conditions apply to you, please identify yourself to your manager or the HR team in order that arrangements can be made to ensure the work hazards to you are identified and appropriate controls put in place. You should do this even if you have previously had a medical risk assessment
Severe immunosuppression includes people who had or may recently have had:
- a blood cancer (such as leukaemia or lymphoma)
- a weakened immune system due to a treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy (sometimes called immunotherapy), chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- an organ or bone marrow transplant
- a condition that means you have a very high risk of getting infections
- Down’s syndrome
- certain types of cancer or have received treatment for certain types of cancer
- sickle cell disease
- certain conditions affecting their blood
- chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4 or 5
- severe liver disease
- an organ transplant
- certain autoimmune or inflammatory conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease)
- HIV or AIDS who have a weakened immune system
- inherited or acquired conditions affecting their immune system
- rare neurological conditions: multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Huntington’s disease or myasthenia gravis
- a condition or treatment your specialist advises makes you eligible for a third dose of vaccine
Your manager will need to contact HR to arrange a confidential occupational health assessment. This will give the manager advice as to how you can conduct your work related activities reducing risk of transmission or impact to an acceptable level.
If your manager/HR doesn’t know you fit this category, there will be no ability to consider the risk for you in relation to work related activities (even if you have previously been assessed as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable. This exercise will start afresh).
Whatever your medical situation, we will listen to your concerns and actively work with you to address them.
There are some things that everybody who is particularly concerned about the virus can do, including showering and changing clothes immediately upon returning home.
I am pregnant, are there any particular protective measures for me?
Your manager should conduct a risk assessment in the normal way, to consider any work related risks to you, as soon as they are informed you are pregnant.
There are additional Covid-related risks once the pregnancy reaches 26 weeks therefore you will have an occupational health referral at this stage and it may result in your activities being altered to reduce risk of transmission or impact on you.
If you have not had this and you are approaching 26 weeks pregnancy, please speak to your manager or the HR team straight away to arrange it.
Do I still have to wear a face covering to move around the office or see customers?
There is no longer a blanket requirement to wear a face covering in the office however there may be a reason why you are asked to wear one for a particular period or you may prefer to wear one for personal reasons.
Do we still need to socially distance in the office, at our desks, in the kitchen and communal areas, and can we travel together?
Social distancing is no longer a requirement however some caution should be exercised where possible/appropriate. Most desks are reasonably well spaced, however if you are not comfortable with the desk arrangements when you arrive for work on a particular day, there are plenty of other desks (or hot desks) available for you to work at.
When moving around or using communal areas, people will naturally have different considerations as to what they need to do to keep themselves safe, so please use tact and consideration for others.
Your manager might ask you to take care to sit apart from, or not share transport with, another close colleague if the work that you do is specialist and there are often concerns about ensuring one of you is available for work at all times. This may also be the case if you are approaching a particularly crucial deadline.
What about meetings?
Meetings in person are sometimes far preferable to virtual meetings. If you know you will be attending (or have been asked to attend) a meeting in person and you have concerns about social distancing, you should discuss with the host in advance.
(See ventilation below).
If there is a higher than usual risk, on any given day that you are on MVDC premises, that you have become infected (e.g. you feel unwell or you are aware you have spent time close to somebody who is infected), we ask that you particularly consider all available precautions including ensuring you keep your distance from all of your colleagues or people you meet through your work. (See above re living with infected people, feeling unwell etc.). Please also see below.
Your manager might ask you to take care to sit apart from another close colleague if the work that you do is specialist and there are often concerns about ensuring one of you is available for work at all times.
What are the current cleaning and hygiene measures?
You continue to be strongly advised to clean your own desk and equipment when you arrive at the desk you will be working at, and before you leave. This is especially important if you are using a desk shared with somebody else or a hot desk, though any desk including one that you may have been using all the time, can be used by somebody else. Wipes are provided around the office. If you cannot find any please speak to facilities.
The cleaning contractor will clean the premises on a daily basis.
If managers are informed that an infected individual has sat at a particular desk or used identified equipment or facilities, enhanced cleaning will be conducted. This will not happen until the end of the day, so in the meantime they must ensure the desk is marked out so that people know they should not use it until it has been cleaned.
Please continue to operate Catch It, Bin It, Kill It, and to wash your hands in the recommended manner at regular intervals, before and after eating, drinking or smoking and after opening post or packages.
After attending meetings the meeting host(s) are expected to clean the desks and equipment. Wipes will generally be provided in the meeting rooms, but if not please get wipes from elsewhere, or from facilities.
What is the situation with ventilation?
Good ventilation of indoor spaces remains an important measure for employers to take to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading. The guidance recommends ensuring that there is an adequate supply of fresh air by:
- opening windows, air vents and doors to improve natural ventilation;
- ensuring that mechanical ventilation systems are set to maximise fresh air and minimise air recirculation
In Pippbrook the air conditioning system is one that introduces fresh air to the air taken out of the whole office. It is then reintroduced and heated or cooled as required. It has been set to maximum (100%) fresh air. Health and Safety advice is that there is no need to adjust air conditioning systems such as this that mix some of the extracted air with fresh air and return it to the room as this increases the fresh air ventilation rate.
You do need to make sure any air conditioning units you see (just below the ceiling) are switched on.
Other units are being trialled in places where the standard air conditioning does not operate – and you will also see circular units in interview or meeting rooms which are not air conditioners but filters – filtering out the virus.
Please leave meeting room doors open after your meeting.
In addition, steps have been taken to identify any poorly ventilated spaces, using a carbon dioxide monitor, and taking steps to improve fresh air flow in these areas.
Do we still have to follow Office Rules and rules associated with Risk Assessments?
Yes you must still follow these as there are still things we are asking you to make sure you do and don’t do, though these have been much abbreviated. Please make sure you keep up to date as these will change from time to time.
As employer we still owe a duty of care to all those who work for us, and are affected by our business activities. That is why you still need to exercise sound judgement and consideration for others by following guidance and making sure you are aware what to do in all of the above situations.
What is our policy on Visitors?
If you are hosting a meeting please make sure your visitors know they must not attend if they feel unwell or have tested positive for Covid. Please read the section on Ventilation above (there are a number of things you should do to maximise flow of fresh air during and after your meeting), and please make sure the surfaces are wiped clean before and after the meeting.
What about PPE?
You should follow the rules for your service/work activity on PPE. There may be particular work activities that require the use of Type II masks.
NB face coverings are not PPE, but there may be situations you are asked to wear these (see above).
Mental health and wellbeing
We are very aware people may have found the pandemic very challenging, for example they may have had to cope with illness or bereavement, while being separated from their usual support networks.
Taking care of your mind as well as your body is really important. There are plenty of tips and advice available. Here is a link to the NHS site with ideas of things you can do now to help you keep on top of your mental wellbeing and cope with how you may feel during this period.
Please also see further mental health and wellbeing tips here.
Please remember our Employee Assistance Programme – this service is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. No-one will ever know you called – for details see here.
You can also contact one of our own Mental Health First Aiders. Whilst not trained counsellors, a Mental Health First Aider has received training to enhance listening skills, can offer you a confidential space to listen to you non-judgmentally and may be able to signpost you for appropriate professional support.
Make sure you get further support if you feel you need it.
Future possibilities
The above will change in response to the external environment, including legislation and government guidance.
It is not inconceivable that there will once again be periods of higher virus transmission, or new variants of Covid, that result in further precautions or restrictions on movements. If this happens we will update staff through all the usual channels.
We now have experience, as an organisation, of working through a variety of different levels of restriction so it is likely we will revert to a formal that has already been well tested.
Please ensure you get into the habit of reading Molly on a regular basis. Any very important urgent messages will additionally be sent by All Users email.