The government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been hailed by employers as a vital lifeline as the Covid-19 pandemic spreads.
But although the initiative may help to protect jobs in the long term – furloughed staff will have up to 80% of their wages covered by a government grant while not working – it is also causing confusion and distress for those workers affected. Google searches for the term “furlough” in the UK spiked in early April, and one of the most frequent searches globally on the topic is “laid off versus furlough”.
What can companies do to make the process as painless and transparent as possible for workers? Here, Juliet Smithson, head of operations for the RICS charity LionHeart, shares advice for employers based on calls to the charity’s helpline from affected staff.
• If you lock staff out of their email accounts and intranet, make sure that they can still access your Employee Assistance Programme – they may need this now more than ever. Make sure that staff have a contact to go to with questions – perhaps in HR?
• Don’t furlough people by email. This needs a human touch. If you need to keep a few people on think about asking for volunteers – some people might welcome the opportunity, some might appreciate the chance to stay busy. Be open about how decisions are being made if you can be so that people don’t fear being targeted, and you aren’t leaving yourself open to discrimination claims.
• Explanations need to include actual figures for financials so that people can see straight away what their income will be.
• Signpost staff to sources of help – such as the Money Saving Expert website, any relevant benevolent funds (LionHeart, Architects, Lighthouse, ICE), Christians Against Poverty and StepChange for debt advice and money management tips, and sources of CPD and development webinars (LionHeart, RICS, Open University).
• Send a weekly or fortnightly email to stay in touch – even if you don’t have anything to say that’s new, remind them of the help that is out there and signpost to helpful websites and apps such as Headspace and Calm, and keep them up to date with developments at work.
• The cut-off date for furlough is arbitrary and LionHeart is taking calls from people who are stuck in the position of not being able to be furloughed by their new employer. If you are able to, consider rehiring staff who have left since the cut-off date and access funding for them. There is an expectation that future potential recruits will be interested in how firms behaved during this time. Be kind if you can be.
• Don’t be precious with the employment contract rules about working a second job providing it’s not a competitor. This is a time when big picture thinking is needed. There are essential jobs that need to be done and people may want to keep busy.
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