These Regulations amend the Statutory Sick Pay (General) Regulations 1982 (“the 1982 Regulations”).

Regulation 2(1) of the 1982 Regulations provides for categories of people to be treated as incapable of work for the purposes of claiming statutory sick pay. These Regulations amend regulation 2(1) to provide that a person who is isolating himself from others in accordance with advice on coronavirus disease is deemed to be incapable of work. That guidance is published in digital form only on the following websites: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information for the public; www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/a-to-z-of-topics/wuhan-novel-coronavirus; and www.phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/.

There is a requirement for the Secretary of State to keep the Regulations under review, and they will cease to have effect eight months after they come into force.

No regulatory impact assessment has been produced for these Regulations in view of the urgency required to extend statutory sick pay to the new category of employees, in order to encourage self-isolation and to minimise the risks to public health arising from coronavirus disease.