Newsflash: New COVID-19 Population Risk Assessment

Employment / 16 February 2021

The Government has announced today that an extra 1.7 million people are expected to be added to the 2.3 million people on the current shielding list as a result of the implementation of a new “COVID-19 Population Risk Assessment” (which can be found here).

This means that the Guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable – and in particular the section in that guidance which relates to work – will apply to those people who will be identified by the risk assessment.

Employers will need to consider this guidance carefully where it applies to their clinically extremely vulnerable employees following a risk assessment and may wish to take advice on issues such as working from home, potential role changes, furlough and sick pay.