What do the new guidelines mean for nannies and nanny employers, what is Coronavirus job retention scheme, can a nanny be furloughed and more.

We have been receiving emails from our clients asking weather parents can access the 80% government support to pay the nanny (PAYE contract nanny) or not? Now that they have to stop the nanny working, parents are unsure how to proceed with pay.

What does the new government guidelines mean for Nanny and Nanny Employers? 

As of yesterday the new government guidelines state that everybody needs to stay at home and

●      Only go outside for food, health reasons or to work (where this absolutely cannont be done from home)

●      Stay 2 meters (6ft) away from other people

●      Wash your hands as soon as you get home

It is an instruction and anyone breaking this rule can be fined. We advice that the nanny only go to work if this is ‘absolutely necessary’.

The reason to stay 2 meters apart from each other is that when people talk the droplets are blown into the air and normally typically spread around meter or meter and a half and this is why we have this 2 meters distancing but of course the more enclosed the space is the more these droplets circulate in the air before dropping on the ground. The advice is to try to open the windows as much as possible.

Parents and children should take extra care and wash hands frequently during this crisis. Parents may find these hands washing songs useful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9VjeIWLnEg

https://www.nhs.uk/video/pages/how-to-wash-hands.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDHJW4r3elE&vl=en

Also you may take extra precaution if your job requires that you can’t stay at home such getting advice about masks and gloves from your employer.

The Government announced Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which pays 80% of employees wages up to £2,500 a month to employees who have been laid off but who are kept by the employer.

This information suggests that all employers (who have a PAYE scheme) will be eligible for the Coronavirus Job retention scheme.

So that means if you are a nanny and are still employed but do not currently have work, the plan is that you will still get your wages.

The employer will be able to access grants, by the end of April, from the UK's tax authority to allow them to keep paying nannies.

The government says 80% of gross wages in the private sector, up to £2,500 a month, for those not working and who would otherwise have been laid off will be covered by these grants from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)

These will be backdated to March and the scheme will last three months at least. The idea is to prevent mass unemployment.

Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis

According to the government’s website this is how you can access the scheme:

●      designate affected employees as ‘furloughed workers,’ and notify your employees of this change

●      submit information to HMRC about the employees that have been furloughed and their earnings through a new online portal (HMRC will set out further details on the information required)

HMRC are working urgently to set up a system for reimbursement.

For updates please check this website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses