COVID live Q&A: Reopening Retail

All non-essential retail will be permitted to reopen from 12 April, Boris Johnson has announced. However, customers will be required to visit alone or with household groups as these premises reopen.

What does this mean for retailers in terms of reopening safely and compliantly? And how will key issues such as vaccination, furlough and holiday accrual impact your staffing arrangements?

24 March at 14:00

Last month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that non-essential retail in England will be permitted to reopen from 12 April, much to the relief of business owners up and down the country.

Sadly, with many familiar brands having gone into administration, we can expect a much altered high street when non-essential stores begin to trade again. However, some independent store owners are predicting a retail revival and have spent the latest lockdown investing in revamped premises and larger stores.

But each day that a shop remains closed increases the chances that it will never open again, costing jobs and damaging local communities. It is therefore critical that you are prepared to reopen smoothly, safely and without delay.

Co-hosted by Ellis Whittam’s Director of Employment Law, James Tamm, and Director of Health & Safety, Nick Wilson, alongside special guest, BIRA CEO Andrew Goodacre, this free session will cover important topics such as:

Preparing to reopen safely for your staff and customers;
Making sure your premises are consistent with the relevant guidance;
The employment legalities surrounding vaccination;
Utilising flexible furlough to accommodate safety measures and respond to fluctuations in demand;
What to do about holiday accrual;
The key risk control measures that need to be in place;
The importance of reassuring customers about safety;
Face coverings and the challenges experienced by shops that have stayed open; and
A recap of what has happened previously when operating with COVID restrictions in place, such as working with local authorities regarding road closures and footfall figures.

Having invested hundreds of millions on making themselves COVID-secure, it is vital that retailers get it right and can safely trade with their shop doors open and the appropriate safety measures in place from 12 April. This session will offer practical advice and expert insight to help you feel confident and prepared.

We welcome you to submit your questions ahead of time so that our experts can answer them live during the session.

This webinar is free to attend – to register and submit your questions, please complete the form opposite.

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