The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a temporary scheme open to all UK employers for at least three months starting from 1 March 2020. We expect the scheme to be up and running by the end of April. It is designed to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19). Employers can use a portal to claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ (employees on a leave of absence) usual monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated

My client has heard that the government has introduced a new scheme to help businesses retain staff during the coronavirus outbreak. What is this scheme? As the coronavirus situation continues, your client may have had to consider making staff redundant, or laying them off, as a result. Last week, the government announced its plans for financial assistance to help employers in this situation retain employees for an extended period of time, despite offering no work, and avoid

Statutory sick pay (SSP) is now payable from day one of a sickness absence for qualifying staff due to the coronavirus crisis. Croner Taxwise employment experts explain. I have staff off due to coronavirus (COVID-19), what should I pay and what can I reclaim? We are receiving an extremely high number of calls in regards to paying employees statutory sick pay if they are off work due to coronavirus. We have put together a summary of information based on the most common questio

Now that the UK is in a complete nationwide lockdown, enforceable by law, Paul Holcroft, associate director at HR and employment law consultancy Croner, examines five key questions for employers to consider when employees are forced to home work. 1. Will all employers have to shut their workplaces? The businesses that need to close in this situation have been announced by the government and it is those considered non-essential by the government in tackling the coronavirus out

The coronavirus crisis has forced the government to postpone the implementation of IR35 changes, but questions remain over whether firms will reverse the changes they have already made The government’s decision to postpone changes to IR35 – with reforms now scheduled for April 6 2021 – may be too late in the day to see firms reverse their approach, according to law firm Stewarts. “The government’s decision to delay the roll-out of IR35 to the private sector will be welcome ne