Coronavirus Update – Friday 21st August 2020

Coronavirus Update –  Friday 21st August 2020

Welsh Government updated workplace guidance was published 7th July covering different work areas/sectors including 'Keep Wales Safe – at work in construction and 

Collection of the CITB Levy will resume in September 2020 after being suspended due to coronavirus, and CITB is offering employers interest‐free direct debit instalments to spread payment over a 12‐month period until August 2021. The amount you are required to pay will be reflected in your 2019 Levy Assessment Notice, which will be distributed by post this month, along with a direct debit mandate. The first instalment is due by 28 September, and existing direct debits will automatically switch to the new instalment plan.

For 2021/22, CITB has proposed a 50% reduction in the Levy, as well as raising the threshold at which companies are liable for Levy from £80,000 to £120,000. CITB has released an online Levy Calculator to provide a guide to what your Levy may look like, and payment will be taken in six instalments between September 2021 and February 2022.

CITB will be withdrawing its New Apprentice Support Grant of £500 from 1 September 2020, as there is now other support in place. Employers in England who hire a new apprentice between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021 can apply for the following funding from 1 September 2020:

• £2,000 for each new apprentice aged 16 to 24
• £1,500 for each new apprentice aged 25 and over.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced the creation of the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP), which will bring together Public Health England (PHE), NHS Test and Trace, and the Joint Biosecurity Centre. The primary focus of the new organisation, which will be operational from spring 2021, will be to control infectious diseases and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

With companies looking at how they return to the office whilst maintaining the benefits realised from working from home, a recent report has revealed that people will do an extra month’s work each year and gain the equivalent of almost 26 days in time off if they maintain habits developed during coronavirus. An average of 84 minutes a day has been saved by not commuting to and from the office, which has been split almost evenly between work and leisure. As part of the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) work on retaining people in the industry, Build UK is working with Timewise and four ‘pioneer’ Contractors to understand how we can introduce more flexible working arrangements into construction.

Transport for London (TfL) has now returned to good service levels, but passengers are still being urged to avoid travelling during peak times (05:45 ‐ 08:15 and 16:00 ‐ 17:30) and to plan their journey by checking the busiest stations, stops and routes and walking where possible. TfL has published a dedicated toolkit for the construction sector, setting out specific travel advice for the workforce on sites across London.

HS2 has released recordings of a series of webinars designed to help businesses interested in the project to get ‘HS2 ready’, with guidance on a range of topics, such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Health and Safety; and Environmental Sustainability.

Businesses should continue to follow the most up‐to‐date Government guidance and for the latest updates please follow Build UK on Twitter and LinkedIn