Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said Britons returning from quarantined Italian towns must self-isolate, even if they have no symptoms.
There has been much discussion about what pay workers will get if they have to self-isolate as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
In addition, those with flu-like symptoms coming back from areas of Italy north of Pisa should stay at home for 14 days.
There is concern that people will be more likely to infect others if they do not have incentives to stay at home when they are at risk.
Staff from Chevron and Crossrail have also been asked to work from home as a precaution.
Will I get paid if I self-isolate?
Workers who are ill are entitled to statutory sick pay. But the law says if you stay away from work but aren't sick, you may not get paid.
Provisions for sick leave vary from company to company.
I've been told to self isolate. Will I get paid if I'm not at work?
Many employees will have contracts that allow them their normal pay while they are unable to work because they are sick.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has sent guidance to UK employers telling them staff who have been asked to self-isolate are entitled to take the time as sick leave.
But the situation with self-isolation is more complicated - workers may not actually be sick so will not automatically be entitled to their contractual sick pay. That decision will be down to employers but the employment conciliation service Acas said it was "good practice" to offer contractual sick pay.
Acas, the independent arbitration service agrees and has also published advice for staff and employers
Even where people do not get their fully paid sick leave, or if they work in jobs where they do not have contractual sick leave, there may be minimum payments they can rely on, known as statutory sick pay.
But senior adviser Michele Piertney told the BBC: "If a medical expert says we are putting you into quarantine then you... won't get sick leave as a matter of course."
What is statutory sick pay?
If you can work from home, you may be able to carry on as normal, says Sarah Evans, employment law partner at JMW Solicitors. But shop and factory workers probably won't have that option.
Statutory sick pay is money paid by employers, so self-employed workers are not eligible, but casual or agency workers are.
Acas, says it's "good practice" for your employer to treat it as sick leave or agree for the time to be taken as holiday.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "We've got a statutory sick pay system in this country and self-isolating for medical reasons if you're healthy counts as being sick in the legislation."
"Otherwise there's a risk the employee will come to work because they want to get paid," it says.
It should be said that some employment lawyers disagree with this interpretation, but in any case the government could change the law.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development goes a step further and says "there's also a strong moral responsibility to ensure that employees feel safe and secure in their employment", and that firms should make home working easier and be flexible with time off.
How much is statutory sick pay?
But this is only advice and not the law if it is you who decides to self-isolate, rather than your boss who asks you to.
It is set at £94.25 a week, although of course employers could pay more if they want to.
"There is no statutory right to pay if you aren't sick," says Ms Evans. Although some contracts may be more generous than others.
To put that into context, average weekly earnings in the UK in December last year stood at £544 a week.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions said: "People who are prevented from working because of a risk to public health are able to claim universal credit."
Statutory sick pay is not paid for the first three days that somebody is sick and they have to be earning at least £118 a week to be eligible. Many people such as those on zero-hours contracts - who work variable hours every week - may earn less than this.
She said they may also be entitled to contributory employment and support allowance, which helps with living costs for people who cannot work because of a health condition.
The GMB union has called on the government to force companies to give full pay to workers who are isolating themselves to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
What if I have to care for someone else? Will I be paid then?
They say that the government could use legislation that allows for staff to be suspended on full pay for up to six months for specific medical reasons involving risks of radiation or lead poisoning. The government could use a statutory instrument in Parliament to extend that to include people isolating themselves because of coronavirus.
If you have a relative who is ill, or your children's school is closed or another situation arises where you must look after them at short notice, your employer must give you time off to do so, says Ms Evans. You probably won't be paid for it, however, unless that's a perk in your contract.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked about the issue of sick pay and said the government was going to "keep all options under review".
It extends to other dependants too, including a domestic partner or parent.
Will I get paid if I need to care for somebody else?
Again, if you can do your job from home, this might be a good solution, she says.
If you have a relative who is ill, or your children's school is closed, for example, your employer must give you time off to do so.
I am too ill to work. Will I get paid?
But your employer is not forced to pay you unless your contract requires it.
If you are sick, or have symptoms, you qualify for at least statutory sick pay, or whatever your contract may provide over and above that.
Will self-employed people get sick pay?
Statutory sick pay (SSP) is £94.25 per week and can be paid for up to 28 weeks. It is only paid from the fourth day of sickness. A doctor's note may not be necessary.
Broadly speaking, employees are entitled to sick pay and self-employed people are not.
"You can self-sign off with symptoms of flu without seeing a doctor," says Ms Evans.
In the latest UK figures for the last three months of 2019, there were about 28 million employed people and about five million self-employed.
I'm self-employed. What about me?
HR body the Chartered Institution for Personnel and Development has called on the government to set up a compensation or hardship fund to help individuals such as the self-employed, temporary or low-paid staff if they are not eligible for sick pay or paid leave.
There's no statutory sick pay for the self-employed. However, if you are a casual or agency worker you should qualify.
For zero-hours workers, the legal ground is less secure, says Citizens Advice. You can ask, but you might not get it: "You can still get sick pay - you should ask your employer for it. If they say no, ask them to explain why."
Most people who earn at least £118 per week before tax should qualify.
I have a history of illness and now I have to be off again. Will I be fired?
While long, frequent absences can get you sacked, workers can take some comfort from the fact that the call to self-isolate is government advice and is designed to stop the spread of disease.
Also, employers have a responsibility to stop their workers from falling ill.
"I don't think we will have many cases at tribunal where people have been sacked because they have followed government advice," says Ms Evans. "I don't think it's something most people should worry about necessarily."
She adds: "I would expect to advise employers to accommodate what they can for as long as they can."
There are, however, no hard and fast rules as to when and whether being fired for illness becomes an unfair dismissal.
"There is no cut-off," says Ms Evans. "It very much depends on the circumstances."
Who do I have to tell and when?
Ms Evans says that "to be on the safe side I'd be communicating with my employer every day".
Not telling your boss why you are off work could breach your contract.
