The columnists of the Driving Economic Recovery feature in Niche Magazine have once again covered a wide variety of topics to help the businesses pull through the effects of Covid19. From lockdown to unlock, the pandemic has thrown up serious (& complex!) HR challenges, leaving business owners, facing lots of tough choices on how to…
When England’s lockdown is lifted on 2 December, a new, more stringent regional “tier” system will be introduced that will bring in different levels of restrictions that are designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 based on the infection rate in different parts of the country. While tighter than the previous tiered system, it should…
So, the Chancellor has just announced the furlough scheme is set to be extended until next March. It’s not clear if it will be the full 80% currently available. The move follows several days of wrangling over the scope and duration of the furlough scheme. It was due to end on 31 October, but has…
If this week so far is anything to go by, I know that right now is a very uncertain time for many employers and that’s why I’ve put together an updated furlough toolkit, following the latest government guidance. The furlough toolkit will give you everything you need to manage the pandemic in your workplace and…
As you may have heard, hours before the furlough scheme was due to end, the Government announced it will be extended from 1 November until December, as it brings in a further lockdown in England. We don’t yet have full details on the extension of the furlough scheme, but here’s what we know so far:…
A very common question being asked at the moment, given the new tiered approach to lockdowns. Regardless of the size or location of your business, creating a contingency plan for a lockdown is a pragmatic approach to working through these uncertain times. ✔️ Best place to start is to review how your business coped during…
Employers that have incorrectly calculated their furlough claim or have received more money than they should have done have less than a week left to inform HMRC of their error or face an investigation. HMRC have explained in their risk assessment they are not going to set out to try to find employers who have…
When the Chancellor announced his package of measures in July, he included a Job Retention Bonus. This is a £1000 one-off taxable payment to employers for each eligible employee that they furlough and keep continuously employed until 31 January 2021. Now HMRC have issued guidance on the scheme which clarifies that employers will be able…
As you may have heard today, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced a replacement for the coronavirus job retention scheme based on a German-style system of wage subsidies which will require employers to give staff a minimum of 33% of their usual hours, with the government covering some of the wages for the remaining hours…
As we are now a few weeks in since ‘flexible furloughing’ came into place on 1 July 2020, I’ve rounded up the most common questions I’ve received from business owners and these are all included in our updated CJRS Guide which is attached (we’ve received quite a few questions as you will see!). Some great…