The benefit of government action/guidance/intervention is that it gives the employee some job protection/security against some of the more unscruplous employers.
It's OK to say that those who are at risk, or who are possibly contagious, should just continue to stay at home, but if the employer says 'you must come in or we'll sack you' then they have very little choice. If the Government has told them what to do, they can retain their job and more importantly, a percentage of their salary.
