Covid19 - Is This For Real ????

[Gizmonster]

If this is correct, then it's brilliant ...... but i have my doubts ....

So I've seen a post on Facebook (that raises my suspicions already) about someone who has registered a company with Companies House (approx cost of £6.00) and the business is registered at their home address.
They are saying that they can now "hire" friends and family on a zero hour contract and invite them for an unpaid work event at their house, regardless of any tier system and totally irrespective of the rule of six, as long as the usual guidelines are adhered to.

If this is for real, then this is brilliant .... but is it ??

[ToraToraTora]

no stupid, this demonstrates a fundamental ignorance of how the law works. Go ahead and try it, see what happens.

[LadyCG]

As incongruous as it sounds, it is probably true. However that person would have to have Employer's liability insurance, would have to provide essential facilities such as seating, heating, running water, a kettle, a fridge and so on. There's much more to it than simply registering a company and then arranging a party in the name of "unpaid work" or whatever guise they choose. They would surely also have to register for corporation tax, employer's contributions, demonstrate their revenue / financial output / profit margins, etc.

There is a bit more to it than some clever d!ck showing off on FB.

[bobbinwales]

Yes its probly an attemt at humor/looking clever, it may work but whats the point, its dumb. The rules are there to protect not to find clever sellfish ways of braking the rules and risking the spread of corona.

[ToraToraTora]

as ladycg says the authorities would tie them in knots. Also he'd need planning permission for his house to be a business and of course his household insurance would now be void. He would have to offer pension arrangements for the employees oh and of course they would all have to be registered for PAYE etc. A bit of smartarsery that's a non starter.

[woofgang]

I don't think its for real and I don't think its brilliant.

[bobbinwales]

Its easier to just hold daily funerals for a goldfish

[woofgang]

oh and has anybody mentioned that business rate becomes payable if you run a business from a private house?

[New Judge]

He doesn't have to have premises from which to run his business. All his "employees" can work from home. He can do likewise and will not need planning permission to do so. He does not have to use his own home as the meeting place. He can go to the pub:

https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/20/lockdown-loophole-that-means-30-people-can-meet-in-the-pub-13452304/

Yes it's true, these regulations are seemingly aimed at preventing the spread of infection. But people will exploit loopholes in order to meet up because, like it or not, that's what people do. In fact, if people want to meet up in their own homes they will and they won't bother to make artificial arrangements to be able to do so. The reason for that is that these regulations can only be secured by voluntary compliance - there is no chance of them being enforced. The sooner the authorities accept that and tackle the problem how it is rather than how they'd like to to be, the sooner some progress can be made.

[New Judge]

//oh and has anybody mentioned that business rate becomes payable if you run a business from a private house?//

No because generally speaking business rates do not become payable. From .gov.uk:

"You do not usually have to pay business rates for home-based businesses if you:

- use a small part of your home for your business, for example if you use a bedroom as an office

- sell goods by post"

The authorities have not a cat in hell's chance of preventing the law being circumvented (note, not "broken") by people determined to do so.