Coronavirus (COVID-19) - advice for BID businesses
With the severity of the coronavirus (COVID-19) rapidly developing we would like to assure all Brackmills businesses that the BID team is here for advice and support.
We would reiterate Public Health advice and recommend you increase the promotion of hygiene for staff and customers - this might include additional hand washing facilities or alcohol-based hand rub at entrances/exits, extra bins for the disposal of tissues and prominent posters reinforcing cleanliness (a link to some poster templates to use is below).
For the latest official guidance, here are some useful links
- UK government response click HERE
- Public Health England (latest general advice) click HERE
- Public Health England (updated daily with number of cases and risk level in the UK) HERE
- Public Health England blog (this is regularly updated) click HERE
- NHS click HERE
- World Health Organization (WHO) click HERE
More specific guidance in relation to employees, employers and businesses
- Public Health England HERE
- World Health Organization (WHO) HERE
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) HERE
- Coronavirus campaign government resources (posters and materials) HERE
Useful things to consider about working processes
- How you will manage staff shortages?
- Can you operate on skeleton staff if needed?
- Implement home working (where possible)
- Consider split shifts to cover your essential operations and services
- Consider split working, operating a Team A and Team B principle with alternating home working
- Use technology to limit face-to-face contact (video meetings, self-service options and online retail)
- Do you need to vary the working hours of your employees?
- Plan for additional training of employees to cover sickness
- Do your risk assessments need reviewing with fewer employees?
More useful advice and guidance around employment law is available from the CIPD HERE
Communicating with customers and staff
Our BID communications firm, Pilkington Communications, has advice for Brackmills businesses about communicating during this crisis. This advice includes:
- Make sure you assure clients, staff and stakeholders that your organisation is taking considered and formal steps to monitor the situation and is committed to promptly providing updates as necessary.
- Internal communications have never been more important. Make sure you clearly articulate to your employees how daily operations will be impacted and what your home working policies – among others - are.
- Try to understand what your partners and suppliers are doing to protect themselves and further operations. Make sure they are all fully informed about your company’s own protective measures.
If you are a BID business and would like advice about your communications during this period you can contact Pilkington Communications directly by emailing [email protected].