READERS have contacted the Daily Echo to voice concerns that their places of work are still open.

Kate Brooks, partner and head of employment and HR at Ellis Jones Solicitors in Bournemouth, said the company had seen a flurry of calls from individuals concerned about their situations.

“People have listened to the announcement on Monday and there are definitely mixed messages,” she said.

Boris Johnson gave a list of businesses that should close – primarily pubs, restaurants, leisure centres and many shops – and told everyone else they should work from home if they could.

There was no instruction to manufacturers to close, whether or not their work is considered essential.

“Another area that’s really confusing is construction, because that has not been given any guidance,” Kate Brooks told us.

She said businesses were still waiting for much of the detail about the government’s plans to pay up to 80 per cent of the wages of staff who would otherwise be made redundant.

“The main thing about all of this is that the individual really needs to take responsibility and they need to be following the guidance – but they can’t do that when their employer can’t reassure them because they don’t know exactly what’s going on,” she added.