Employment Law Updates

On Friday night HMRC released details of the flexible furlough scheme.  The most significant change is that the minimum three-week period for furlough has been removed (as of 1 July 2020).  There is no minimum period, although any claim through the CJRS portal must be in respect of a minimum one-week period (i.e. employers can only put […]

The Chancellor has announced that parents on statutory maternity and paternity leave who return to work will be eligible for furlough scheme even after 10 June cut-off date. We confirmed yesterday that Employers who had not already furloughed a member of staff who they may want to furlough in the future had until yesterday (10 […]

Employers have until today to furlough any member of staff who hasn’t already been furloughed. Employers who have not already furloughed a member of staff who they may want to furlough in the future have until today, Wednesday 10 June 2020, to do so in order for the current three week furlough period to be […]

Yesterday (29‌‌ May) the Chancellor announced more details about the extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the key details being as follows: Flexible furloughing From 1‌‌ July 2020, Employers have the flexibility to bring previously furloughed employees back to work part-time – with the government continuing to pay 80% of wages for any of […]

With lockdown measures already relaxed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Scotland due to announce its plan to come out of lockdown on Thursday 21 May 2020, many Employers are starting to plan for ending furlough, but what steps do Employers need to take? What Employers Need to Know Before ending furlough Employers will […]

The coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Scheme launches online on 26 May 2020, which will enable employers with less than 250 employees, or tax agents acting on behalf of employers, to claim back coronavirus-related Statutory Sick Pay. Employers are eligible to use the scheme if: they’re claiming for an employee who’s eligible for sick pay due […]

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has today announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will be extended for four months, until the end of October 2020 but in doing so, he said he will ask companies to start sharing the cost of the scheme from August 2020. Until the end of July, there are no changes, […]

In early May 2020, Acas published Disciplinary and grievance procedures during the coronavirus pandemic which states that existing employment law and the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures (the Acas Code) continue to apply during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The guidance notes that it is for an employer to decide if it would be fair and reasonable […]