The rule of six and the workplace

A reminder to employers that the Government’s new rule of six does not apply to the workplace.

As of Monday 14 September, people may not meet socially in a group of more than six people, indoors or outdoors, when meeting friends and family they do not live with (or are in a support bubble with).

Police will have the powers to enforce these new legal limits, with fines of £100 to £3,200.

There are however exceptions where groups can be larger than six people. These include:

• the workplace, or the provision of voluntary or charitable services
• registered childcare, education or training
• supervised activities provided for children, eg children’s playgroups
• providing support to a vulnerable person
• providing emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm
• for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents
• fulfilling a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service
• elite sporting competition and training
• wedding and civil partnership ceremonies and receptions (up to 30 people, in a public place)
• funerals (up to 30 people) (not including wakes, other than for religious ceremonial purposes)
• other religious and belief-based life cycle ceremonies (up to 30 people, in a public place)
• organised sport or exercises classes or licensed outdoor physical activity (but not informal sport or fitness activity with family or friends — these must be limited to a group of six)
• support groups (formally organised groups to provide therapy for example)
• protests — if organised in compliance with Covid-19 secure guidance.

​Where a group includes someone covered by an exception above, for example, someone who is working, they are not counted as part of the gatherings limit. This means, for example, a tradesperson can go into a household of six without breaching the limit, if they are there for work.