
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is now closed to most new furlough cases. Only those returning from extended leave from 10th June to 30th October 2020 due to maternity, adoption and shared parental leave can be added to a pre-existing employer scheme.
Ordinarily, 10th June 2020 was the last start point for a minimum furlough period of 21 days (the phase 1 scheme ends on 30th June 2030) or more continuous non-working with the government providing grant to cover 80% of regular earnings, the associated employer NIC and statutory minimum pension contributions.
Up to 7th June around 1.1 million employers have furloughed 8.9 million U.K. employees. Grant payments of £19.6 billion have been paid in support to employers.
Details of the process of Flex-Furlough are due Friday 12th June. Employers will be provided with more detail on the basis of defining usual hours and the method of proportioning work time versus furlough time. Be prepared for some off-Payroll calculation complexities.
So now employers in their transition to returning business from lockdown to full strength, are working on plans to get the British workforce back to work from 1st July 2020 and the introduction of a new Flexible Furlough Scheme. “Flex-Furlough” phase 2 is only available to individuals who had already been furloughed as part of phase 1 for a period of at least 21 days between 1st March and 30th June 2020.
PAYadvice.UK 10/6/2020