The self-isolation rules in England are changing once again. Currently people only need to self-isolate if they have not been fully vaccinated or if they live with or have had contact with someone who has tested positive.

From Tuesday, people who are double jabbed will no longer need to immediately self-isolate but should instead take daily lateral flow tests for seven days after contact. If a test shows positive result, then they will need to self-isolate and take a PCR test to verify the result. If this test comes back positive then they need to self-isolate for 10 days from the day they took the PCR test or developed symptoms.

Anyone who is not fully vaccinated will have to self-isolate for 10 days.

Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR says: “For some companies, it’s easy enough for employees who need to self-isolate to work from home, but this isn’t possible for every business. Christmas can be a busy time of year for a lot of companies, so if staff are unable to come into work, this can create problems.

“Individuals who aren’t fully vaccinated must self-isolate for 10 days as soon as they are identified as being Covid-positive or have had close contact with someone who is. As such, to avoid disruption to business operations, employers may first wish to consider remote working arrangements for those who are told to isolate. SSP is payable for isolation periods, subject to normal eligibility criteria.

“Those who test positive for Covid may be covered under normal sick pay eligibility and entitlements. To avoid disruption to business operations, employers may first wish to consider remote working arrangements for those who are told to isolate

“Organisations must ensure they have up to date records of their employees’ vaccination status, so they can correctly apply and comply with the Government’s isolation rules. It’s also a good opportunity to have conversations with employees about the importance of vaccination to help reduce both risk of infection as well as disruption to business.”