The Scottish Chambers of Commerce has welcomed the publication on guidance for employers in England on how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

SCC calls on the Scottish Government to align its advice for businesses ahead of the publication of guidance for some Scottish firms expected later this week.

Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce said:

“These guidelines are targeted only at businesses operating in England but we hope they will be useful to guide Scottish businesses and their employees as to what they need to put in place to make certain we are all following the same rules, ensuring the safety of all of us.

“It would have been preferable for all the nations within the UK to be adopting a co-ordinated approach to returning to work, but it has become evident that this is not now going to be the case.

“While the Scottish Government prepares guidelines, initially focussing on the manufacturing, construction and retail sectors this week, the lessons learned over the last 24 hours show that business and our employees need clarity and detail. We need guidelines to clearly state what business has to put in place and within what timeframe.

“We went into lockdown at speed, however, it will take major change and planning to come out of it. We need guidance ahead of lockdown easing so that we can ensure the safety of our employees and the sustainability of jobs and livelihoods.”

The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has published a “Working safely during coronavirus” document for firms in England.