The government has published National Mourning Guidance for businesses and individuals following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
The guidance covers the period until the official State Funeral, which is currently expected to be held on Monday, September 19, although it stresses that companies may wish to mark the Queen’s passing in different ways and says “there is no expectation on the public or organisations to observe specific behaviours during the mourning period”.
The guidance also says there is no obligation on organisations to suspend business during the National Mourning period, though it says they may wish to consider closing or postponing events, particularly on the day of the funeral, depending on the nature of their business.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy also published considerations for those running businesses, including:
- providing an opportunity for staff to offer their condolences, either by providing a book of condolence or by directing them to the online book of condolence at the Royal website;
- identifying arrangements made by local authorities to lay floral or memorial tributes;
- signposting staff on how to donate to one of The Queen’s patronages, with information available on the Royal website;
- identifying whether a business location is likely to be impacted by arrangements made by Local Authorities, or events planned in central London, and planning a response;
- considering any changes to websites and social media activities