Furlough Scheme

With the dramatic rise in new cases of coronavirus and the new variant of the virus that is particularly prevalent in Dumfries & Galloway, more and more people and businesses are feeling the stresses of new lockdown rules.

With all but essential retail now closed down and even the courts having their workload reduced, more employers are having to look at the option of furloughing staff. The system is complex but essentially any employee who has been with their current employer since October 2020 can be furloughed, with the employer able to claim 80% of that employee’s salary.

Each period of furlough must last for at least 3 weeks and flexible furlough is also permitted so that an employee can work say 2 days of their normal 5 day week and the employer can recover 80% of pay for the those 3 furloughed days.

The scheme now also permits employees to apply to be furloughed. That is becoming increasingly common where nursery and school closures are making childcare ever more difficult even for those deemed to be essential workers. There is however no obligation on an employer to accept such a request and recent statistics have suggested that the majority of requests made by working parents have been refused.

It essential for sides to know their rights and obligations and our employment law team are happy to help in offering practical advice to assist you.