COVID-19: a guide to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and furloughed workers

Please Note: All information correct at time of writing on 21 March 2020. We do our very best to make sure our information is as up to date as possible, but we’d encourage you to check out our latest articles and to check the government website for updates as they happen.

As part of their plans to tackle the impact of COVID-19 on UK business, on Friday 20 March the government published their initial guidance on their Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Under this scheme, the government will pay up to 80% of wages for those employees who would otherwise be made redundant.

The scheme will be open to all UK businesses, regardless of size and the government will pay up to 80% of wages up to £2500 per month.

The scheme works through a process of designating certain employees as ‘furloughed workers’. This is a new term to most business owners and employers and you may be wondering what this means and what you need to do to access the scheme in your business.

Our HR and Employment Law experts have put together some of the most frequently asked questions about this early stage of the scheme so you can better understand how this can work to help your business.

To get your FREE copy of our guide, just enter your details in the form opposite to get your download.

What is in this guide?

In this guide we cover the following:

• Who can access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme?
• What does ‘furloughed worker’ mean?
• How will the scheme operate?
• How do I decide who should be designated as furloughed workers?
• Can an employee request to be furloughed?

Keeping you updated on how to protect your business through COVID-19

These are uncertain times, especially for employers and business owners. Our HR and Employment Law experts are tracking the news and latest government update to help you understand the help available to you and your business.

And remember to share this content with your extended network to help get this guidance out there for the wider business community.