Employment law specialist and Senior Associate Angela West appeared on BBC Radio Gloucester last week to discuss the ongoing difficulties that employers and employees have experienced over the last 16 months of the Covid19 Pandemic.

Angela joined BBC Presenter Dominic Cotter live on his show, to discuss several highly topical employment issues, including how, despite restrictions having been eased, employers still have a legal duty to provide a safe working environment for their employees.

Angela who answered questions during the Show from listeners explained how a safe working environment can be achieved and the need for employers to review and update their risk assessment policies.

She also highlighted the Health & Safety at Work Act and the legal obligations this requires from employers but also advised that employees have legal obligations too.

Angela also discussed the pressures of so-called “Ping Gate” which during the week from 08-15 July saw over 600,000 people ‘pinged’ by the NHS Covid19 App. This put huge pressures on businesses throughout the country and employees and employers need to understand the implications of a ‘ping.’

To clarify – those who are required to Isolate are those who:

• Have Covid symptoms,
• Have tested positive for Covid 19,
• Live with someone who has tested positive
• Have been told to self-isolate by NHS Track and Trace

Also, during the BBC Show, Angela highlighted the implications of amendments to The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 – which was recently approved. This will make it mandatory for a person working or providing professional services in a care home to have the Covid 19 vaccine – which reignites the whole complicated vaccine debate around whether employers can make it a condition of employment for their employees to have been jabbed.

For anyone wishing to listen to Angela’s full Interview, it begins 20 minutes into the show via this BBC Sounds link for the next 30 days. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09n7k3j

Any employer or employee who requires advice on any issues surrounding employment law and Covid19, should contact Angela on angela.west@daviesandpartners.com