Employers have been urged not to cut jobs. Benefits payments are also to be increased.
A similar package is now in place for the self-employed.
The intervention comes after people were told to work from home if they could.
With schools shutting, parents are having to work more flexibly, and self-isolation puts more pressure on businesses who have staff coming in.
Sick pay rules have been amended, and the self-employed will see their tax liabilities delayed.
Coronavirus: A visual guide to the economic impact
Who will pay my wages?
If you are still employed but do not currently have work, the plan is that you will still get your wages.
Your employer will be able to access grants, by the end of April, from the UK's tax authority to allow them to keep paying you.
The typical worker is paid £585 a week, on a median average (which is the middle point of all workers), according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). That is about £2,340 a month.
The government says 80% of gross wages in the private sector, up to £2,500 a month, for those not working and who would otherwise have been laid off will be covered by these grants from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
These will be backdated to March and the scheme will last three months at least. The idea is to prevent mass unemployment.
Does the wages plan cover everyone?
No, this is for those who are on the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) system.
Self-employed people will receive support from another system.
Those on working-age benefits will see a more generous Universal Credit system, rising by about £20 a week for the next year. The same rise will be given to those still on the working tax credit system. The government says this will benefit more than four million of the lowest-income households.
Public sector workers are not covered because most of them have their wages paid directly by the government.
What if I'm working from home?
Everyone who can work from home should do so. Working hours can still be clearly defined, and staff should receive their normal pay.
However, this puts various new responsibilities on an employer - for example, they are responsible for equipment they supply, and must say what it should be used for.
The question of who covers the running costs should ideally be outlined as soon as possible, as should how any extra expenses should be covered.
An employer has a duty of care for staff, even if they are working at home.
The requirements of the health and safety legislation apply to homeworkers too, according to the employment conciliation service Acas, which has set out guidance for employers and employees.
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