Questions and Answers

My business is going through a bad spell as a result of the effect of the coronavirus and Government advice. I doubt if I can now meet the present wage bill and I am reluctant at this stage to make widespread redundancies. Can I put the staff on short-time working until the coronavirus (Covid-19) emergency is over and the financial and economic situation improves? I cannot find anything in the staff contract of employment about this.

My staff do not have the entitlement to leave on bank holidays written into their contracts. This year I wish the business to close for a week over a bank holiday period.  How should I go about this?

How is the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile completed and what happens to the data?

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and what principles lie behind it?

What rights do agency workers have?

Is there any new guidance for assessing children at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage this year given the reforms to the framework?

Can childminders continue to operate if there is a Covid case in their household?

An employee has been diagnosed with a mental health illness. It has been suggested that we can develop with the employee a Wellness and Recovery Action Plan to assist them at work. What is this?

A number of my employees are practising Muslims. They have complained that they consider themselves to be forced to take time off over Christmas (because we have a one week shut down) and yet they have to use up their holiday entitlement if they want to take time off over Ramadan, which lasts for a month. They believe this amounts to religious discrimination. What can we do?

What is the early years Covid-19 recovery experts and mentors programme?