Coronavirus | 9 in 10 employers didn't have pandemic policies

Fewer than ten per cent of employers had HR or workplace policies in place covering a disease pandemic prior to the coronavirus outbreak, according to new research from law firm Lewis Silkin.

Yet, as the outbreak has quickly spread – and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently confirmed the status of the virus as a ‘pandemic’ – almost 80% of businesses now have a policy in place, or at least have plans to implement policies, that respond to the outbreak.

James Davies, Employment Partner at Lewis Silkin, explained that employers are continually having to adapt and evolve as coronavirus continues to spread and new facts emerge.

“This is a fast-moving situation and businesses will need to collaborate and learn from each other in order to know how best to move forward, with the wellbeing of staff and business continuity very much front of mind,” Davies added.