COVID-19 Job Retention Scheme & back to work update

The Government have announced today that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will be extended to 31 October 2020 with workers continuing to receive 80% of wages (up to £2,500). At the moment the CJRS scheme has protected 7.5 million workers and almost 1 million businesses.

The CJRS will continue in its current form until the end of July. From August furloughed workers will be able to return to work part-time with the possibility of employers being asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of their furloughed staff. The Government intends to provide more information in relation to this by the end of May.

Here’s the link with the updated information on this: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-extends-furlough-scheme-until-october

The Government have also introduced a set of new documents which covers 8 workplace settings which are allowed to be open, from construction sites, factories, outdoor environments to takeaways!

The guidance sets out the following 5 key steps businesses should implement:

Work from home, if you can;
Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with workers or trade unions
Maintain 2 metres social distancing, wherever possible;
Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk;
Reinforcing cleaning processes.

Here’s a link to the guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidance-launched-to-help-get-brits-safely-back-to-work

They have also released the following helpful guidance including their recovery plan:

If you would like further information on the above or assistance with any queries, please let us know.

Posted on May 12, 2020