Thursday 5 November 2020

Furlough scheme further extended until March 2021

A five-month extension of the furlough scheme across the UK, as well as increased support for the self-employed, has been announced by the Chancellor today. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will now run until the end of March with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked.

Monday 2 November 2020

Second nationwide lockdown announced for England

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday evening a four‐week lockdown in England from this Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December. The new restrictions include requiring people to stay at home except for specific purposes, not mixing with other households, and the closing of certain businesses and venues.

Construction and manufacturing has been advised to stay open across all four nations, and sites should be complying with the Site Operating Procedures ‐ Version 6 whilst on site, as well as the new restrictions off site to protect their family and colleagues.

Scotland now has five COVID protection levels in place, ranging from ‘Level 0 ‐ Nearly Normal’ to ‘Level 4 ‐ Lockdown’. Wales continues under its own ‘firebreak’ lockdown until Monday 9 November 00:01am. Northern Ireland has its own restrictions in place until Friday 13 November.

Furlough scheme extended

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended for one month, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500. Under the extended scheme, employers will only have to pay National Insurance and pension contributions, with the Government paying the full 80% of wages, and details of how to claim will be available shortly. The Job Support Scheme, which was due to start on 1 November, has been postponed until the Job Retention Scheme ends.

Tuesday 20 October 2020

Site Operating Procedures v6

The Site Operating Procedures have been updated to reflect recent changes in Government guidance. Whilst there are no significant changes to social distancing requirements on sites, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has taken the opportunity to streamline the Site Operating Procedures whilst maintaining the familiar format.

Friday 31 July 2020

Further details about Job Retention Bonus

The Government has shared further details today regarding the Job Retention Bonus, offering employers £1k for every previously furloughed employee retained to the end of January 2021. Find out more information about the eligibility requirements and what employers need to do now to claim the bonus.

Friday 17 July 2020

Construction Leadership Council (CLC) guidance documents

The CLC has published three new guidance documents to help companies manage the impact of COVID‐19 within their contracts:

• Summary Guide ‐ provides a summary of the CLC Contractual Best Practice Guidance to help achieve a collaborative settlement within the context of existing contracts
• Future Proofing Guidance: JCT/NEC Contract Amendments ‐ offers a starting point for dealing with the COVID‐19 pandemic in future contracts, with template options for amending the most common JCT and NEC forms of contract
• Record Keeping Guidance ‐ details what records to keep and how to keep and maintain them.

Thursday 9 July 2020

Construction Talent Retention Scheme announced

Following the Chancellor’s summer statement, outlining his ambitions for recovery from the economic harm done by Coronavirus, the NAS is happy to announce its support for the Construction Talent Retention Scheme. A partnership between industry and Government that will be formally launching later this month, the scheme is run by the Construction Leadership Council, which is made up of trade and business associations from across the supply chain.

It aims to secure essential talent in the UK’s construction sector through a new online portal which will support redeployment of staff at risk of redundancy, while also enabling temporary employee loans between businesses. We will keep you informed when the portal is launched, in the meantime we encourage employers interested in finding out more to register their interest at https://www.trs-system.co.uk/construction. 

Wednesday 1 July 2020

Site Operating Procedures v5

The Site Operating Procedures have been updated by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) to reflect the latest Government guidance following the easing of lockdown measures in England from Saturday 4 July. The ‘one metre plus’ social distancing guidelines require workers to stay two metres apart, or one metre with risk mitigation where two metres is not viable, and it is expected that sites will maintain the social distancing measures in place.

Other changes to the Site Operating Procedures ‐ Version 5 are minimal and include:

• Updates to the ‘When to Travel to Work’ section
• The latest peak times for public transport
• Entry systems to be regularly cleaned rather than between each use
• Drivers to have access to welfare facilities
• Canteens that have been closed or offered a restricted service may now re‐open.

Wednesday 24 June 2020

Social distancing measures to change from 4 July

Further changes to lockdown measures in England have been announced, to be implemented from Saturday 4 July. This will include allowing people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’ where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, provided that mitigation measures are in place to reduce the risk of transmission. The Government is publishing guidance for businesses, and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) is already reviewing the Site Operating Procedures which will be updated to reflect the new requirements.

Wednesday 10 June 2020

Health and medical surveillance during Covid-19

This updated advice by the HSE continues to balance the need to protect the health, safety and welfare of workers and the current constraints presented by the Covid-19 outbreak.

Monday 8 June 2020

Furlough deadline for new additions and for re-employing apprentices

Employers wishing to place employees that have not yet been furloughed onto the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme need to place them on furlough by this Wednesday 10 June. No additional employees can be added after this date.

Some of industry has cited expectations of work potentially dying down at the end of June, which would be too late to add them to the Scheme. Companies that do not furlough may then need to resort to redundancy – the opposite for what the Furlough Scheme was designed. 

Please remember you can also furlough Apprentices, even if you have already let them go (up to 19 March 2020). If you add Apprentices you have laid-off back onto the payroll by Wednesday 10 June, you can claim the 80% furlough funds for them, and you can allow them to continue their apprenticeship studies. This will also allow you to get advance payments from CITB for Apprentice Attendance Grants (£2,500 per apprentice in their 2nd or 3rd year). 

The NAS would encourage Members to do this as construction is already facing a gap in the numbers of new recruits needed to sustain the industry’s skills needs. 

Apprentice Achievement Grants

In addition to the Attendance Grants and furlough payments mentioned above, CITB are aware that there is a delay in apprenticeship completion certificates being issued by centres.  As a result of this, CITB are currently accepting email confirmation of achievement from the awarding body, in lieu of the certificate, when applying for the apprenticeship achievement grant.

The NAS are aware that some Providers/Awarding Organisations have staff furloughed, so even an email may be difficult to come by. The NAS and CCATF are working together with CITB to exert pressure on providers/AOs to ensure operatives gain the confirmation of their achievement, and you as an employer, the associated grant.  All CITB’s COVID-19 support can be found here. 

Reverse Charge VAT delayed

The introduction of Reverse Charge VAT will be delayed for a further five months until 1 March 2021, due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Our recent blog details what you need to know, for when this comes into play.

Tuesday 2 June 2020

Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme has launched

The online service for the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme has launched today, enabling employers with fewer than 250 employees to apply to HMRC to recover the costs of paying coronavirus‐related SSP. Employers can claim for periods of sickness covering up to two weeks starting on or after:

• 13 March 2020 ‐ if their employee(s) had coronavirus or the symptoms, or was self‐isolating because someone they live with had symptoms
• 16 April 2020 ‐ if their employee(s) was shielding because of coronavirus.

Tuesday 19 May 2020

Changes to site operating procedures

Changes to the Site Operating Procedures ‐ Version 4 are minimal and include:

• Removal of the requirement for face‐to‐face contact to be kept to 15 minutes or less
• The section on PPE now links to the latest Government guidance on face coverings
• References to one‐way systems and the reconfiguration of seating and tables and an update on portable toilets
• The requirement to share risk assessments with the workforce
• Clarification on when to travel to work, as set out in the Government’s COVID‐19 Recovery Strategy
• Updated links and wording on social distancing.

Tuesday 12 May 2020

Furlough scheme extended

The Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until the end of October, the Chancellor announced today. The scheme will continue in its current form until the end of July and changes to allow more flexibility will come in from the start of August. More specific details and information around its implementation will be made available by the end of this month.

UK Government’s Working Safely during Coronavirus guides released

The Government has produced eight guides which cover a range of different types of work. Many businesses operate more than one type of workplace, such as an office, factory and fleet of vehicles. You may need to use more than one of these guides to keep you and your employees safe.

Open Doors – accommodation for construction workers

Build UK’s Open Doors website has more than 340 accommodation providers across the UK and Ireland for anyone working away from home who needs local accommodation.

Monday 11 May 2020

UK Government’s Covid-19 Recovery Strategy released

Following the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday evening, the Government has released its Covid-19 Recovery Strategy – Our Plan To Rebuild. The strategy makes reference to “Covid-19 Secure Guidelines” – new safety guidelines which will be released later this week that set out how each type of physical space can be adapted to operate safely. We will share these once published.

Monday 4 May 2020

Bounce Back Loan Scheme opens

The Government’s Bounce Back Loan Scheme has opened for applications today. This scheme helps small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 (Note: you cannot apply for this if you’re already claiming under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme).

Tuesday 28 April 2020

Chancellor announces Bounce Back Loan Scheme

A new Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small businesses has been announced. 

• Small businesses will be able to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 from an accredited lender and access the money within days.
• The Government will pay any fees and interest for the first 12 months, as well as providing lenders with a 100% guarantee for the loan.
• No repayments will be due during the first 12 months.
• Loans can be applied for online using a short and simple form, from Monday 4 May.

The new scheme will run alongside the existing schemes, such as Business Interruption Loans, provided by the Government due to Coronavirus.

Thursday 23 April 2020

A reminder of Government key measures for Businesses including Grants, Loans and Tax Relief

Please find helpful guidance from Build UK below.

Cash flow is now critical and the Government has made available an unprecedented level of financial support for businesses and individuals affected by coronavirus (COVID‐19). Make sure you are taking advantage of the support for your business:

• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ‐ Employers can claim 80% of an employee’s monthly wages, up to a maximum of £2,500, plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions, by placing them on furlough leave. The online claims service is available now and the Government has published step by step guidance on making a claim. Claims should be paid within six working days.
• Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme ‐ Employers with fewer than 250 employees, as of 28 February 2020, can recover the costs of paying SSP to employees for sickness absence due to coronavirus or self‐isolation for up to 2 weeks from 13 March 2020. The online system is not yet available so make sure you are keeping records.
• Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme ‐ Small and medium‐sized businesses, with an annual turnover of up to £45 million, can access loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million for up to 6 years. The Government will make a Business Interruption Payment to cover the first 12 months of interest payments and any lender‐levied fees, meaning no upfront costs and lower initial repayments. Apply now from an accredited lender by following the steps on the British Business Bank website and there is guidance from ICAEW on preparing a strong application.
• Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme ‐ Large businesses with an annual turnover of more than £45 million can apply for up to £25 million of finance (or £50 million for those with an annual turnover of more than £250 million). Apply now from an accredited lender by following the steps on the British Business Bank website.
• COVID‐19 Corporate Financing Facility ‐ Large businesses which make a material contribution to the UK economy can purchase short‐term debt in the form of commercial paper to finance their short‐term liabilities. Apply now through the Bank of England.
• Deferral of VAT ‐ UK VAT‐registered businesses which have a VAT payment due between 20 March and 30 June 2020 can defer the payment until on or before 31 March 2021. You do not need to tell HMRC that you are deferring payment and you will still need to submit your VAT returns on time. If you normally pay by Direct Debit, you should cancel it by contacting your bank. Further information about how to repay the deferred VAT will be available soon.
• Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) ‐ Eligible businesses in England in receipt of either Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) or Rural Rates Relief (RRR) are eligible for a payment of £10,000. Companies that are eligible will be contacted by their Local Authority to arrange payment.
• Coronavirus Future Fund ‐ UK‐based companies which rely on equity investment and are unable to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme can receive Government loans ranging from £125,000 to £5 million, subject to at least equal match funding from private investors. The fund will be launched in May 2020.

To determine which support your business may be eligible for, visit the Government’s Business Support Finder and provide a few key details about your business, such as size, location and turnover.

Tuesday 21 April 2020

Job Retention Scheme has launched

Wednesday 15 April 2020

Updated Site Operating Procedures

Build UK have released the third version of the Construction Site Operating Procedures, for those who are still working on site. They can also be found at no.7 in the official links above. 

Monday 6 April 2020

Follow up webinar with Citation

Our second webinar with Citation this Thursday 9 April will offer further critical updates on the recent emergency measures introduced by the UK Government for workers being laid off, furloughed or even dismissed as a result of Covid-19. Register your place here.

Friday 3 April 2020

Mental Health and Wellbeing

As well as our webinar next week, we have also shared 8 tips to look after your mental health and wellbeing during Covid-19 on our blog.

Thursday 2 April 2020

Webinar with Blue Lobster Therapy: Mental Health and Wellbeing

Hear from Alana Warburton-Whitehead, founder of Blue Lobster Therapy, an NAS Approved Training Provider. The webinar will focus on mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, and during the current lockdown. Join us on Tuesday 7 April by registering your place here.

Monday 30 March 2020

Recording of Webinar with Citation

Thank you to those who joined us for our webinar with Citation last week which covered Government support schemes for businesses and how to implement them. The recording of this webinar can now be found in the Members Area of our website. 

Friday 27 March 2020

Further guidance on Furloughed workers, and support for the Self-Employed

The Government have issued further (more detailed) guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (or Furloughed workers) on its website,  in addition to information about support for self-employed workers.

Thursday 26 March 2020

CITB Levy suspended

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced that it will be suspending the issuing of its levy bills, due for payment in 2020, for an initial period of three months. Read more here.

Model letter for furloughing workers

You can find a model letter for furloughing workers here.

Job retention scheme and Furloughed workers

Please find guidance on these topics here.

Guidance on contractual issues 

Please refer to this document by Build UK for guidance on contractual issues including force majeure.

Wednesday 25 March 2020

Government help for businesses

This document sets out the schemes offered by the Government in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Webinar with Citation: Covid-19. 2020 a year of unprecedented change

Get the answers you currently need about Government support for businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak, and how to implement this. Join us on Thursday 26 March for our first, free webinar jointly presented by the NAS and our Associate Member, Citation, who are H&S, employment law and HR specialists. Register here.

Thursday 19 March 2020

Working from Home

With more people currently working from home than possibly ever before, we have shared some tips for employers and employees on how to maintain productivity and team collaboration.

Wednesday 18 March 2020

CSCS/SICCS Cards

The growing concerns surrounding Coronavirus are likely to impact the issuing of CSCS cards. This will also affect SICCS cards that are issued by the NAS. A key requirement for all applications (new or renewal) is proof that the applicant has passed the relevant CITB Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test. However to contain the spread of the virus, some test centres have started to limit the number of tests they deliver. Find out more here.

IR35 deferral

HM Treasury confirmed last night that the introduction of the IR35 reforms to the private sector will be deferred until April 2021, due to the outbreak of Coronavirus. More information here.

Monday 16 March 2020

Mitigating the impact on your business and employees

We’ve been asked for some general advice from our Members about managing the impact of Coronavirus.

It’s fair to say that this is a rapidly developing situation – with the Government now confirming that they will provide daily briefings to update the public about the virus. We will continue to monitor the news and offer guidance when we can.

In the meantime, there are some general steps that you can take to try and mitigate the impact on your business and employees (courtesy of our partners, Build UK). We recognise that not all of these steps will be appropriate, or feasible, but we’ve listed them in full for your consideration.

1. Increase welfare and hygiene facilities to protect your workforce
2. Liaise with clients on contingency arrangements
3. Review contractual arrangements to understand options now and in the future
4. Liaise with funders and banks to secure sufficient credit
5. Contact HMRC on 0800 0159 559 to discuss arrangements for delaying payment of taxes
6. Set up project specific communication networks with your supply chain
7. Review safety critical elements of projects
8. Review programmes
9. Ensure remote access is in place, where possible
10. Offer those with the ability to work from home the option to do so
11. Protect business critical functions such as payroll and accounts departments
12. Split teams to avoid everyone becoming ill at the same time
13. Reduce contact between leadership teams
14. Cancel or move meetings and overseas travel to conference calls or online meetings

If any of our Members would like help achieving any of the above, please let the team know and we will do all we can. Communication at this time is key. We can help set up conference calls, or other remote working facilities to help you, if you are unsure or do not have the means to do this.

It is well known that the construction industry suffers from higher than average mental health problems – and the uncertainty at this time will no doubt be another contributing factor. Many people will be concerned about their financial situation; the future of their business, their employer, and their job.

Membership of the NAS comes with a number of benefits that can help at this time – including dedicated helplines that can support your business and employees. In particular, we would like to remind our Members that the NAS provides an Employee Advisory Helpline to all members (and their employees) that provides 24-hour confidential counselling and advice services 365 days a year. If any members would like more information about accessing this service, please get in touch.

In addition, the World Health Organisation has also provided this general advice for looking after your mental health:

1. Avoid watching, reading or listening to news that could cause you to feel anxious or distressed – limit the news and be careful what you read
2. Seek information mainly to take practical steps to prepare your plans to protect yourself and your loved ones – take breaks from social media
3. Seek information updates at specific times and stay connected with people
4. Wash your hands, but not excessively
5. Avoid burnout – AnxietyUK suggests practising the “Apple” technique to deal with anxiety and worries:

a. Acknowledge: Notice and acknowledge the uncertainty as it comes to mind.

b. Pause: Don’t react as you normally do. Don’t react at all. Pause and breathe.

c. Pull back: Tell yourself this is just the worry talking, and this apparent need for certainty is not helpful and not necessary. It is only a thought or feeling. Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are not statements or facts.

d. Let go: Let go of the thought or feeling. It will pass. You don’t have to respond to them. You might imagine them floating away in a bubble or cloud.

e. Explore: Explore the present moment, because right now, in this moment, all is well. Notice your breathing and the sensations of your breathing. Notice the ground beneath you. Look around and notice what you see, what you hear, what you can touch, what you can smell. Right now. Then shift your focus of attention to something else – on what you need to do, on what you were doing before you noticed the worry, or do something else – mindfully with your full attention.

26 February 2020

Steps for Employers

Our first published advice on Coronavirus, provided by Serah Goldsworthy of SGHR Associates, can be found here