CLC issues mourning guidance for industry
10 September 2022
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has produced a guidance note for the construction industry and related sectors. This is to supplement the National Mourning Guidance issued by Buckingham Palace with industry-specific information where appropriate.
In many ways it reinforces the unprecedented nature of the situation.
The period of national mourning began following the monarch’s death and will continue until the end of the day of the State Funeral, which will be on Monday, September 19.
In the document, the CLC states that there is no precedent for the death of monarch within the life of anyone working in the UK construction industry, and as such it is likely to raise significant questions from businesses about how they should respond.
The official guidance states “there is no obligation on organisations to suspend business during the National Mourning period.” However, the CLC anticipates that there will be some parts of the industry that cannot easily stop work, or even in some cases stopping work at all where they are involved in the delivery of essential services.
“This creates a reputational risk for industry if the public perceives that construction industry (and its workers, often in local community locations) behaving inappropriately, with a heightened risk on the day of the State Funeral,” states the CLC.
It says that where possible, organisations should ensure that planned work over the next two-week period, particularly in Central London or around other areas where memorial events will take place, is reviewed to take account of the mourning period, State Funeral, the number of people gathering and pressure on the transport system during this period.
“It is likely that there will need to be significant activity in central London to make preparations for the lying-in state and the State Funeral. This is likely to have impacts on access to, and activity on, central London construction sites,” the CLC adds.
The organisation also states that there will be an expectation that employees will be provided with the opportunity to pay their respects at some point during the period of mourning. This may mean that employers would provide paid leave for workers during this time.
The Queen’s coffin will lie in state at Westminster Hall for five days from Wednesday, September 13. In 2002 about 200,000 people filed past the Queen Mother’s coffin, and in 1952 there were four-mile queues as 300,000 mourners paid their respects to her husband, George VI. Buckingham Palace is expecting half a million people to attend the lying in state, but it is could be many more.
