The Coronavirus Bill, emergency legislation that covers a host of topics to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, received Royal Assent on 25 March 2020 after quickly moving through parliament.
The Bill aims to support the government, employers, and workers in the following:
Of significance to employers are changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) and a potential change to National Insurance Contributions (NICs).
In addition, The UK government announced that small and medium-sized businesses may be entitled to reclaim the costs of SSP for absences due to COVID-19. The proposal is to:
The Coronavirus Bill authorized the HMRC to make regulations and provisions for such reimbursement or refund. The government’s existing systems are not designed to facilitate employer refunds of SPP; as such, a new mechanism will need to be established.
The bill contains a sunset clause that will cause it to expire two (2) years after its passage.
More information about the Coronavirus Bill is available here.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon or construed as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. You should review with your legal advisors how the laws identified in this post may apply to your specific situation.
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