Covid-19 FAQs

Is the campus open?

Yes, all of our campuses are open for students and staff. 

What campus facilities are available?

You can access on-campus study spaces, gyms, some catering facilities and the Hive library. You can also join in with organised sport and entertainment activities.

Catering opening hours

Campus Shop
8am – 6pm weekdays
10am-4pm Saturday and Sunday

Elgar Café (Change Please)
8am – 2:30pm weekdays only

The Hive opening hours

9am - 8pm Monday-Friday
9am - 6pm Saturday
9am - 5pm on Sunday

Visit The Hive website for more information.

Do I have to wear a face covering? (UPDATED - 27 JULY)

All staff, students and visitors are expected and encouraged to continue to wear face coverings when they are indoors on campus, particularly when they are moving around or in a busy or enclosed space. Staff, seated and working at a desk for example, will not need to wear a face covering unless it is their preference to do so.

Do I need to take a lateral flow test?

All staff and students are also encouraged to take regular lateral flow tests if coming on to campus.

What other safety measures are in place on campus? (UPDATED - 27 JULY)

A great many safety measures have been implemented on campus during the pandemic. An enhanced cleaning regime has been implemented. One-way systems are in place in high-traffic areas. The furniture layout in some areas has been redesigned to minimise the need for people to face each other. Ventilation has been enhanced by leaving windows and doors open where possible.

Wherever possible, please meet other people outdoors, taking advantage of the many new outdoor seating areas that have been installed on campus. Individuals are expected to respect the personal space of others and are encouraged to try to keep their distance from others wherever possible.

All staff and students are also encouraged to get vaccinated, and to take regular lateral flow tests if coming on to campus.

What are the plans for next academic year?

We intend to start the new academic year as planned in September 2021.

Provided the national and regional situation allows it, we are planning for all students to receive the great majority of their learning on campus and in-person by the start of the term.

We will continue to take this approach in the next academic year, which means that you can expect that in September 2021:

• Face-to-face teaching will be the norm and you should plan to attend campus for teaching activities such as lectures, seminars, tutorials, group discussions and other activities, as they will form an essential and significant part of your student experience and success. 
• A small number of large lectures and equivalent events will be online using the latest digital learning technology, as part of our popular blended approach to learning and teaching. Support is available through our Access to Technology programme. 
• Campus facilities such as the library, sports facilities, the Students’ Union, cafés and other social spaces will be open with all the appropriate measures in place to help keep you safe.
• Sports, clubs and societies and other activities will be operating, giving you every opportunity to engage with student life at Worcester.

What should I do if I think I have Covid?

Students

If you have any coronavirus symptoms, even if you feel well, you must return to your current place of residence and stay there for 10 days or until you have received a negative test result. You should report your absence as soon as possible via your SOLE page.

You should not attempt to return to your family home unless that is where you are currently residing.  If you are residing in student accommodation that is where you must remain for your isolation period.

You should also not:

• Go to lectures
• Visit friends or family
• Go to work
• Mix with others in any social setting or at home
• Go shopping

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital unless it is an emergency. 

In an emergency dial 999

Book a test as soon as possible. To do this visit the NHS website or call 119.

Students living in the same flat or house as you will also need to self-isolate, just as any household would, until you have the results of your test. If you test positive you will all need to continue to isolate in line with the guidance you receive from Public Health or from the University.

If you test negative, and you feel well, you can return to your studies and student life.

Find out more about when to self-isolate and what to do on the NHS website.

Please don’t be tempted to carry on as normal if you have a symptom or have been told to isolate.

 

Staff

If you become unwell with symptoms of coronavirus whilst working on campus, you should go home and isolate immediately. If you are teaching a class, please ask your class to leave the room in an orderly manner as soon as you start to feel unwell. Please do not go back to your School or staff office. As soon as you can, please call your School Office to let them know that you are unwell and that you have asked your class to leave.

Find out more about when to self-isolate and what to do on the NHS website.

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital unless it is an emergency. In an emergency dial 999.

Book a test as soon as possible. To do this visit the NHS website or call 119.

If you have been tested and have received a positive result of Covid-19 please report it following your normal departmental process as soon as possible. The absence will be treated as sickness absence in line with the University’s sickness absence policy.

A member of the HR team will then contact you. To assist the University with providing all necessary information to Public Health England (PHE) as promptly as possible, you will be asked to try and identify any individuals within the University (staff, students and potentially visitors) with whom you had close contact during the 48 hours prior to your symptoms commencing. Please note that you will only be asked to provide information relating to potential close contacts within the work environment. PHE will contact you directly about any contacts you may have had outside of the workplace.

Please also see the ‘additional information for staff’ section of this page.

I am a student. Where can I find further information and support?

As always, your first point of contact for support should be the Firstpoint team.

This handy web page draws together a whole range of resources that are available to you: https://www2.worc.ac.uk/student-services/wellbeing-support-during-lockdown.html 

The health and wellbeing of our students and staff is our top priority. We recognise that many students may face additional mental health challenges over the coming period.

If you are struggling with your mental health at this time, you can access support through specialist support services: https://www2.worc.ac.uk/counselling/ . To arrange an initial STAR (Support, Triage, Advise, Referral) appointment with a member of the Counselling and Mental Health Team contact firstpoint.  We also offer TALKWORC, a 24 hour text line - text TALKWORC to 85258 for confidential help and support in a crisis

You can also access support via the NHS and online resources from Public Health England, along with support from mental health charity Mind. The Student Space platform bridges gaps in support for students arising from this unprecedented situation and is designed to work alongside these existing services. Further sources of information and support are Every Mind Matters for adults, and Young Minds for young people.

I am an international student who is currently planning to travel to the UK to start my studies in the UK. What do I need to do?

If you are travelling to the UK to start your studies in September then you need to ensure that you follow the Government advice.

What you must do when you arrive in England from abroad depends on where you have been in the 10 days before you arrive. You need to make sure you are compliant with all the entry requirements to avoid being denied boarding your flight or being fined on arrival. 

You can find all the necessary information on the steps you need to take to prepare for your travel to the UK in this webpage:  

Red, amber and green list rules for entering England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Please make sure you monitor the above webpage regularly as the travel advice will be revised every three weeks from the 17^th of May.

Please bear in mind that you must have proof of a negative coronavirus (COVID-19) test to travel to England. More information on the types of tests that are allowed can be found here: Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing before you travel to England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Additionally, you must complete a passenger locator form before travelling to England as explained here: Fill in your passenger locator form - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

If you need any support in preparing for your travel to the UK please email international-experience@worc.ac.uk 

I am an international student currently studying at the University of Worcester. I cannot go back to my home country over the summer and would like to stay on campus. Can I book a room in halls?

You can book a place on campus either if you have been renting privately or if you have already a place in our halls.

The summer letting period begins on Monday, 14 June 2021 and ends Sunday, 5 September 2021. The minimum allowed stay is 14 nights.

You can place your booking following this link: Student Summer Accommodation - online payment form - University of Worcester

If you have any questions, please contact conferencing@worc.ac.uk

If your accommodation contract with the University is due to expire in June and you just need a short extension to match with your travel arrangements you can contact accommodationteam@worc.ac.uk and discuss your options with them.

I am an international student with a Student Visa to enter the UK. I shall have to quarantine for 10 days on arrival. I am concerned about my BRP (Biometric Residence Permit). Will I lose it if I don’t pick it up from the Collection Point within 10 days as it says in my letter from UKVI?

When you receive your visa, your entry vignette should be valid for 90 days. If your BRP collection point is the University, then we will keep your BRP until it is safe for us to issue this. The International Student Advisers have recently been given approval to start issuing BRPs again, so you will receive an appointment by email when it is time for you to come in. Please do not come to the University to collect your BRP unless you have received an appointment as we must ensure you have completed your self-isolation first.

If your BRP collection point is a Post Office, then they will keep your BRP for 90 days. Once you arrive in the UK you will need to complete any mandatory self-isolation before going to collect the BRP from the Post Office. Due to Covid-19, you are not currently required to collect your BRP within 10 working days of arriving in the UK, so you will not be penalised if it takes you longer than expected to collect your BRP. Your visa letter will state how long your visa has been issued for so this will serve as proof of your status until you have your original BRP or a copy of it.

I and an international student who has arrived in the UK and I don’t have my BRP yet. How can I open a bank account, work and rent somewhere to live?

The following information is taken from UKVI guidance and should answer all your queries:

Proving Right to Work, Rent or Status to Other Government Departments:

National Insurance Number

If customers do not have a National Insurance number, they can obtain one by contacting the Department for Work and Pensions.  Further information about how to obtain a National Insurance Number can be found here:  https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number.

If customers have been granted leave in any Tier 2 category, or as a refugee, their National Insurance Number will appear in the remarks on the reverse of their BRP, so there is no need them or their employers to make a separate application to the Department for Work and Pensions to obtain one. If customers need to know their National Insurance Number before they have received their BRP, it can be obtained by contacting the Department for Work and Pensions.

Right to work

If a customer needs to prove their right to work, they should ask their employer to use the Employer Checking Service at: https://www.gov.uk/employee-immigration-employment-status. Once the request is received the Home Office will confirm their right to work directly to the employer to allow them to fulfil their statutory duties.

Right to rent

If a customer needs to prove their right to rent, they should ask their landlord to use the Landlord Checking Service at: https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outreach/lcs-application.ofml. Once the request is received the Home Office will confirm their right to rent directly to the landlord to allow them to fulfil their statutory duties.

Proving status to other Government departments

If the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the NHS, a Local Authority or other government department wishes to confirm a customer’s status, they should contact Status Verification, Enquiries and Checking (SVEC) at the Home Office. They will know how to do this using existing arrangements.

Registering with a GP or accessing NHS services

Anyone can register with a GP surgery. Guidance on registering with a GP is available at: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/how-to-register-with-a-gp-surgery/

If a customer is accessing the NHS for secondary healthcare, the NHS will be able to confirm their status via established Home Office communication channels. If a customer is asked by the NHS, they can advise them that they are awaiting the delivery of their BRP. If the NHS wishes to confirm their status, they should contact Status Verification, Enquiries and Checking (SVEC) at the Home Office.

Opening a bank account

The decision to open a bank account is a commercial decision for the bank in question. The absence of a BRP should not impact a customer’s ability to open a bank account.  If anyone does experience difficulties opening a High street bank, please try an online only account for the time being. The following link provides information for online only banks where they will give you a UK account but there is no requirement to provide an original BRP How To Open a UK Bank Account (Even Without Proof of Residency) (monito.com)

Education Providers:

Education providers are reassured that they will not face non-compliance action if their students are experiencing delays in obtaining BRPs and are encouraged to allow students to continue their studies whilst they are awaiting receipt of BRPs.

Education providers are permitted to enrol students who they have sponsored, provided they are satisfied those students entered the UK during the period of their student visa. Further details can be found here.

I am an international student. What if my 90-day vignette expires before I can travel to the UK?

Replacement vignettes were previously being issued free of charge up until the 31^st December 2020. Unfortunately, this service is no longer available and UKVI have indicated that they do not intend to renew it. Anyone who cannot travel before their vignette expires will need to apply for a replacement using the online form and will need to pay a fee of £154. For anyone whose vignette will expire before they can travel, it is strongly advised that you do not apply for a replacement unless you are confident you can travel to the UK. We will continue to check for updates in the meantime and will update this section should any advice change.

Where can I get support and advice during this time?

We understand that you may have concerns or anxiety in relation to the current situation.

The University has an Employee Assistance Programme, provided by PAM Assist, and which is accessible free of charge to all University employees. The service provides all employees with a 24/7 confidential helpline, an online live chat facility and a range of online wellbeing articles and resources. Further details of the new provider are available on the HR Health and Wellbeing page, as well as details of alternative sources of support if you prefer.

Who do I need to tell if I need to self-isolate due to Covid-19?

If you are following official guidance to self-isolate please contact your line manager at the earliest opportunity.

If you do not have symptoms of Covid-19, or you do but you are well enough to work, your manager will be able to discuss whether you are able to carry out all or part of your work from home. 

Please advise your manager of the guidance that you are following and the recommended duration of self-isolation, in accordance with the government guidance.  Please also confirm whether you are waiting for a Covid-19 test, have been tested and are awaiting results, or have received results. It is important that anyone who does have symptoms books themselves a Covid-19 test immediately.

If your school / department has local absence reporting procedures which require you to notify someone in addition to your line manager, for example, the PAS generic email, please follow this process.

If you are self-isolating due to coronavirus for more than 7 days, you should notify your line manager and obtain an online self-isolation note from the:

• NHS website
• NHS mobile phone app

How long you need to self-isolate depends on if you have coronavirus (Covid-19) or you've been in close contact with someone who does.  Please refer to the advice provided by the NHS on self-isolation.

What will I be paid if I need to self-isolate?

If you are displaying symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus) and have been advised to self-isolate you will be paid in accordance with the University’s sickness absence policy. Should you have symptoms but still otherwise feel well enough to work from home then you can discuss this option with your line manager.

If you are following official government guidance to self-isolate, maybe because someone who you live with/is in your support bubble has symptoms or has a confirmed case of Covid-19, or you have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace but you do not have symptoms of Covid-19 yourself, your line manager will be able to discuss with you whether it is possible for you to do all or some of your work from home.  If you work from home you will continue to receive normal pay.  If you are following official guidance to self-isolate and are unable to work from home you will be entitled to sick pay in accordance with the terms of your contract and the University’s sickness absence policy. 

Hourly paid employees will be paid for scheduled work in accordance with their contract of employment and should follow the University’s guidance on providing appropriate self certification and medical certification in addition to submitting timesheets identifying the scheduled hours as either sickness absence or self isolation/social distancing.

If you are self isolating due to coronavirus for more than 7 days, you should obtain an online self-isolation note from the:

• NHS website
• NHS mobile phone app

I am a line manager – how do I report that a member of my team is not at or able to work due to Covid-19?

For any absence relating to Covid-19, including precautionary self-isolation on the advice of NHS Test and Trace or because of a case within the individual’s household, please record this using the University’s Covid-19 portal.

In cases where a positive result is recorded, the individual will then be contacted by a member of the HR team. To assist the University with providing all necessary information to Public Health England (PHE) as promptly as possible, the member of staff will be asked to try and identify any individuals within the University (staff, students and potentially visitors) with whom they had close contact during the 48 hours prior to their symptoms commencing. Should the HR team have any problems with contacting the individual concerned then you may be asked to assist with this process.

A flowchart and checklist for managers to follow in relation to the reporting and management of any suspected and confirmed staff cases of Covid-19 is available here.

What IT support is available to me if I’m still working some of the time at home?

The best place to go for support about how to access services and attend meetings virtually are the IT Service web pages on remote working.

You will find information about how to connect to corporate systems, access files and email, and use Microsoft Teams for collaboration and video calls. As time progresses we will be offering support to colleagues through online chat and this can be found on the standard IT Service Desk. 

Do you have any advice on GDPR if working from home?

Data Protection – Best practice while working remotely

Worcester’s commitment to the protection of data is a vital component of how we all work. This applies onsite and equally when offsite in remote locations. It’s very important to remember that when we are not in the office, and where we might be working in different ways that we still adhere to the same stringent processes that protect people and data.

 - You can access personal data while working at home, as you would do in the office, if you need this to do your job.

• You should not share this data with any unauthorised third parties, including the people you share your home with.
• You may print documents with personal data or confidential information to enable you to do your job, but you MUST ensure that you do not mislay it.  When you have finished using it ensure safe and secure disposal by shredding or careful cross cutting by hand.
• Where possible ensure that you lock personal data away when not in use, or when you are absent from your home workspace.
• Apply password protection to computers, screensavers and documents and remember to log out/close any applications when you finish working.

 - You can share data securely by:

• Via voice calls, either phone, Skype for Business or Teams – this also allows you to stay in touch
• Using Onedrive to share information securely
• Using a shared folder on the O drive
• You can use email but be mindful that anything sent by email is more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. In addition, anything you put in writing is subject to disclosure under data protection law.  We therefore recommend that you keep personal data sharing by email to a minimum and use one of the other methods listed above.

If you are using your personal device to work remotely please ensure that when accessing any University files stored in OneDrive, SharePoint or those located on the O: drive, you must not download said files to your device. Work on these from within the Microsoft Office 365 applications or your web browser and save them back to the location they are stored in.

Further advice on remote working including instructions to add the O: drive to your personal device are located on the IT Service webpages found here or you can contact the IT helpdesk on 01905 85750 for further information.

If you are working on a personal device that is used by other members of your family or household you should endeavour to have a different account on that device for your work that they do not share. Where this is not possible - such as on single account devices - be very mindful to close any browser sessions you have open that connect to Worcester before handing the device to someone else. You should also be mindful that any cached credentials would give that person access to your accounts (email etc.) and that these should be cleared before the other users access the device.

Suspected Data Breaches

Any suspected data breaches MUST be reported as soon as you become aware of them, the sooner we are made aware the better chance we have to rectify the position.

You should report any suspected data breach, as usual, to infoassurance@worc.ac.uk and for this period we also request these are also sent to h.johnstone@worc.ac.uk and gemma.harris@worc.ac.uk.

We have 72 hours to investigate incidents and report them to the ICO so your urgent action is required.

You can find more information about Data Breaches via this weblink

Information Requests

Please also ensure that you pass on any requests for data made by individuals or organisations (Subject Access Requests or Freedom of Information requests) urgently as we are obligated to respond to these within strictly prescribed deadlines.   

Please send requests to foirequests@worc.ac.uk

Further guidance can be found at: https://www2.worc.ac.uk/informationassurance/information-security.html and https://www2.worc.ac.uk/it/remote-working.html

For any other queries in relation to personal data and working remotely that aren’t addressed here or via the above weblinks please contact the Information Governance Officer, Gemma Harris by email to: gemma.harris@worc.ac.uk

I am at an increased risk of illness from Covid-19 but the nature of my role requires me to work on campus. What options are available to me? (UPDATED - 27 JULY)

Some people are deemed to be high risk (clinically extremely vulnerable), meaning they are at an increased risk of illness from coronavirus, including those aged 70 and over and those with specific chronic pre-existing conditions. 

Any individuals who are high risk (clinically extremely vulnerable) and whose role requires them to attend campus for some or all of their time can be required to do so. This has been the case since April 2021.

The advice for all other high risk (clinically extremely vulnerable) individuals from 19^th July onwards is that they can also now return to work. It is recognised that individuals in this category are likely to be anxious about returning to working on campus however, especially if they haven’t needed to do so at all or particularly often during the last 15 months. On that basis, and as part of the University’s phased return to campus working, unless there is an operational need for such individuals to do so then the University will not require them to return to regular campus working before the 1^st September 2021 unless they wish to do so. Individuals are however encouraged to speak to their line manager, and to take the opportunity of these next few weeks, before any students return, to visit the campus on a number of occasions and to familiarise themselves with the new signage and any other Covid-19 measures in place. 

Before a return to campus, any high risk (clinically extremely vulnerable) individuals are advised to speak to their line manager as soon as possible and to complete the Covid-Age calculator (https://alama.shinyapps.io/Covid_Age/).

The Covid-age calculator is a simple, easy to use tool provided by ALAMA (Association of Local Medical Advisors) that helps assess an individual’s vulnerability to Covid-19 and is based on published evidence for the main identified risk factors. Covid-age summarises vulnerability for combinations of risk factors including age, sex and ethnicity and various health problems. It is often used by Occupational Health Physicians to inform an occupational health assessment of fitness for work.

Where your ‘Covid-19 age’ is deemed to be High (a ‘Covid age’ of 70 or above) a Covid-19 Personal Risk Assessment should be completed to enable any further potential measures (if there are any) to be considered. Your manager will complete that Personal Risk Assessment with you.

I am pregnant, have recently given birth (within the last 6 months) or I am breast feeding and I am concerned about working on campus due to Covid-19. What options are there for me? (UPDATED - 27 JULY)

Government guidance indicates that the risk of a pregnant employee potentially experiencing more severe side effects should they contract Covid-19, increases when their pregnancy reaches 28 weeks or more or where they already have an underlying health condition.

If you are pregnant then you are advised to inform your line manager of this as soon as possible so that a Covid-19 Personal Risk Assessment can be completed for you. Where that process determines that potential risks are removed or managed, then providing you have no underlying health conditions and your pregnancy is at less than 28 weeks, you can be required to attend work for some or all of the time, should your role require you to do so.

If it is not possible to implement any further suitable measures to mitigate any remaining identified risks in your normal role, consideration will be given to the next safest available role that may be suitable for you on a temporary basis.

If you have any underlying health conditions or if you are 28 weeks pregnant or more, extra caution is advised. In such situations and where there is a concern about your ability to work safely on campus following the completion of the Covid-19 Personal Risk Assessment process, it may be possible to allow for you to work from home, for some or all of the time, subject to operational business needs and where your role allows you to do so. However, in the situation where this is not possible due to the nature of your role, a decision may be taken to suspend you on full pay and on the grounds of health and safety concerns so as to protect both you and your baby. Please speak to your line manager as soon as possible should you have any concerns in this regard. 

If you have recently given birth (within the last 6 months) or are breastfeeding, advice from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is that providing you are otherwise well, then there is no evidence that you or your baby are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 or of becoming seriously unwell from it. If you have an underlying health condition that may class you as clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable however, then you should inform your line manager of this as soon as possible.

I am worried about returning to work on campus – can I continue to work from home?

The health, safety and wellbeing of colleagues is our primary focus and we fully appreciate that some individuals may be anxious about returning to work on site.

If you are anxious, concerned or feel particularly at risk for any reason, please discuss your concerns with your line manager as soon as possible. Your manager should hopefully be able to reassure you by explaining the steps which have been put in place to create a safe working environment. In some cases, and where your concerns relate to you feeling more vulnerable due to a certain demographic or due to health factors (i.e. individuals who may have previously been categorised as ‘moderate risk’ or ‘clinically vulnerable’), a personal risk assessment may also be appropriate before you return. 

What flexibility is available to help manage my childcare responsibilities?

Nurseries and schools have all now reopened. It is anticipated therefore that, other than in cases where maybe your child is required to self-isolate in line with Government guidance, difficulties in terms of accessing childcare should reduce.

If you continue to experience childcare difficulties due to the impact of Covid-19 on your child’s school or nursery, reasonable paid time off will be permitted in order for you to make arrangements for alternative childcare (1 – 2 days). You should contact your line manager in the first instance to discuss this.

If a longer period is required and alternative childcare is not possible, you may be able to work from home (if you are not already doing so), take annual leave or unpaid leave. Your line manager will be able to discuss these options with you. 

If you wish to consider temporary alterations to your working hours to help manage caring responsibilities, please speak to your line manager in the first instance.  It will also depend on the extent to which your workload can be reallocated within the department. 

I wish to travel abroad for my holiday. Do I need to do anything further before I travel?

With effect from 17th May 2021 international travel is once again permitted. The Government have introduced a traffic light system to determine which countries are safest for individuals to travel to and from, further details of which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england  

When returning to the UK you must follow the rules as stipulated, depending on whether you return from a red, amber or green list country. Only countries on the green list are currently exempt from any requirement to self-isolate/quarantine upon return, with amber list countries from 19^th July 2021 onwards also being exempt from this requirement providing you have been fully vaccinated. You are advised to regularly check the list for updates or changes if you are intending to travel.

If you do intend to travel abroad for your holidays, or for any other reason, then prior to travelling you should discuss and agree with your manager which of the following options is most appropriate in relation to your role, in case a period of self-isolation/quarantine is required upon your return to the UK:

• book additional days holiday to cover the self-isolation period;
• take unpaid leave for the self-isolation period; or,
• work from home for the self-isolation period (if this is possible).

Please note that if you fail to seek prior approval and agreement from your line manager, and a subsequent period of self-isolation/quarantine is in fact required, your absence may be classed as unauthorised.

I am required to self-isolate because either I or a member of my household need to go into hospital for treatment/surgery. How will the period of self-isolation be recorded on my HR/Payroll record?

Your manager will ask you to provide a copy of the information received from the hospital, confirming the required self-isolation period. If you prefer to then you can redact any information that you feel is particularly personal to you or your family member (e.g. the reason for the hospital visit), however, please ensure that the home address is still showing and ideally also your/your family member’s name.

If you are the individual who is having the operation/treatment, you will be advised to work from home for the required self-isolation period if you can (this may include your manager providing you with alternative duties for the period of self-isolation if that is possible). If you are not able to work from home however, then your required self-isolation period will be recorded as sick leave but a medical note will not be required. Sick pay will be paid in accordance with your contractual sick pay entitlement.

If you are just a member of the same household, again you will be advised to work from home if you can (this may include your manager providing you with alternative duties for the period of self-isolation if possible). If you are not able to work from home however, then the required self-isolation period will be classed as special paid leave.