Hurry, hurry, hurry……………..register by 23:59 on 31st March 2021 to receive free COVID testing kits from the Government!
The Government announced that it will supply businesses which register on the .gov website with free COVID-19 testing kits, for full details and registration see here:
www.gov.uk/get-workplace-coronavirus-tests
These tests must be used in the workplace and cannot be taken home. Therefore, you MUST read all of the guidance on the website when deciding whether to register and instigate workplace testing to ensure you don’t fall foul of Data Protection and GDPR requirements.
Testing should be done twice a week. Some of your employees may already be doing this, at home, if they have secondary school age children or a key worker in their household; they may not wish to do further tests at work and we suggest you take this into consideration.
We suggest that:
- If you are going to set up workplace testing, you provide a private area for your team members to self-administer the tests and then wait the required 30 minutes for the result.
- They register themselves with the gov.uk/report-covid19-result to report their test results and use their own devices to do so.
- You require employees to tell you if they get a positive test as they are required to self-isolate and get a further test at a test centre; full details are given when they report their positive test result.
- You do not keep records of test results if you want to avoid the Data Protection and GDPR requirements. If you feel the need, for legitimate business reasons, to keep records of tests and test results, make sure you comply fully with the GDPR and Data Protection legislations (see the information sheet and refer to the Information Commissioner’s website for full details)
Workplace testing may help to reassure your employees about returning to the workplace and help protect colleagues from contracting the virus from asymptomatic colleagues.
Our Support and Advice
Please do talk to us if we can help in any way, we are here to support you.
Guidance and support
We are constantly updating and adding to our Coronavirus Dropbox. Support for getting your business going is available via our Advice Line service.
Please note, this briefing is accurate at the time of writing and intended as guidance, it is subject to change as the COVID-19 and Government advice changes; it is not intended to replace advice so please do call us if you have any queries
