Employment advice on directing to take a test seems to rest under ‘reasonble management’ instructions, but this could be subject to debate on both sides, for example- https://www.stevens-bolton.com/site/insights/articles/can-employers-demand-staff-take-a-covid19-test
Ooo, now THAT’S interesting, thank you. From that site –
“Where an employee is exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus, it may be reasonable to require that employee be tested for COVID-19, where the purpose is to protect the health and safety of the workforce. Also, a negative result would mean that employees with symptoms could return to work rather than having to self-isolate for 10 days. In this circumstance, if the employee refuses to be tested, the employer may be justified in taking disciplinary action.
The situation is more complicated when employees are not exhibiting symptoms. A reasonable employee is likely to agree to be tested if there is a clear and rational need for it. However, where employees do not consent to being tested, the question is whether a requirement to be tested is a reasonable management instruction. This will depend on the circumstances of the particular employer and the extent to which the risk of COVID-19 can be managed through other measures.”
