LISA GILLESPIEManaging Director, Meloria HR
Business Clinic
HR & RECRUITMENT
Lisa has worked in the HR industry for over 25 years across all sectors. She has a post-graduate diploma in HR Management and qualifications in law, philosophy, and psychology. Her company is currently supporting businesses adapting to the challenges of Brexit and the 2020 pandemic.
lisa.gillespie@
MelioraHRco.uk
The pursuit of better
I DON’T think, in my whole career, that I have seen so much change and so swiftly in the world of HR as we have had in 2020.
This month brings the latest version of the Government response to the pandemic with the Job Support Scheme launched on 1 November 2020 to replace the flexible furlough scheme which was extended in July as the initial furlough scheme closed.
The scheme is designed to top up the pay of employees brought back into work but
working fewer hours due to decreased demand. Claims can be made from December 2020 if the employee:
•
is working at least one third of their normal hours for the first three months of the scheme (but need not have been furloughed);
•
is not under notice of redundancy; and
• was on the payroll on or before 23 September 2020.
Employees must be paid as normal for hours worked, but for each hour not worked, both the employer and the Government will each pay one third of the employee’s usual pay, although the Government contribution is capped at £697.92 a month.
The scheme is intended to provide employees with 77% of their normal earnings, up to the cap.
The measures cover both small and medium businesses (large businesses are included if they can show their turnover is lower due to COVID-19) and will run for six months, closing on 30 April 2021.
The scheme is designed to top up the pay of
employees brought back into work but working fewer hours due to decreased demand."
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Many argue that the support does not go far enough. It is interesting to see how the balance of wages and time off – whether this be due to insufficient work being available in the current crisis or time off for holidays (not that there is much choice unless one holidays in the UK- see my October piece) is so critical.
When I started working full time there was no statutory entitlement to annual leave – that didn’t happen until the Working Time Regulations in 1998 which addressed working hours and time off.
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