Furlough Support For Sheffield Businesses

7th May 2020

To help our fellow Chamber members access this vital funding, Taylor&Emmett colleagues and I have put together an off-the-shelf solution to simplify the furlough process.

The government’s much-lauded Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was announced in March and the HMRC portal went live on April 20, under intense scrutiny from the media and business leaders keen to see if it could really deliver the lifeline the chancellor promised.

According to the British Chamber of Commerce’s Business Impact Tracker, 71% of firms immediately furloughed staff, rising to 76% a week later. The data reveals almost no redundancies made by the respondents, demonstrating the importance of the scheme to preserving jobs during the coronavirus crisis.

Since the world of work changed so irrevocably, I have taken numerous calls from business owners and managers keen to know more about the practicalities of furloughing staff and how it can help them manage cash flow, when they are generating little or no income.

Put simply, the government is pledging to pay 80% of employees’ wages, plus national insurance and pension contributions for those unable to work during lockdown, until the end of June at least.

The signs so far look promising. Despite huge demand, the online portal is working and payments are reaching businesses within the indicated six working days. According to the HMRC’s latest statistics, 6.3 million workers have been furloughed by 800,000 businesses at a cost of £8 billion.

Simple, legal furloughing

To help our fellow Chamber members access this vital funding, my colleagues and I have put together an off-the-shelf solution to simplify the furlough process.

Taylor&Emmet’s Coronavirus Essentials Pack contains everything you need to furlough staff quickly and effectively, whilst meeting your legal obligations as an employer.

For just £300 plus VAT, you receive detailed guidance on how the various issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic affect the employment relationship, a letter to send to employees explaining they are being put on furlough leave and a ‘variation of contract’ agreement for them to sign, saying they are willing to comply and take a pay reduction, if applicable.

We understand this is a difficult and worrying time for everyone and we want to help local businesses by applying our expert knowledge and experience of employment law and HR-related matters to the unprecedented situation we face.

If you would like to find out more about our Coronavirus Essentials Pack, visit: https://www.tayloremmet.co.uk/index.php/business/employment-law/coronavirus. I’m still here to answer queries about any type of employment law issue too, from contracts and policies, to tribunal litigation or disciplinary procedures. We also offer an off-the-shelf redundancy toolkit for those in need.

For more information, don’t hesitate to contact me on (0114) 218 4000 or email kelly.gibson@tayloremmet.co.uk