People on maternity, adoption and shared parental leave who return to work in the coming months will be eligible for the government’s furlough scheme HM Treasury announced 9th June 2020.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been extended until October, with new flexibilities introduced from 1st July 2020 to support the economy by allowing furloughed employees to return to work part-time.
To enable the introduction of part-time furloughing, and support those already furloughed back to work, claims from July onwards will be restricted to employers currently using the scheme and previously furloughed employees. This means normally people must be on the furlough scheme by 10th June 2020.
However, the government have now confirmed that parents on statutory maternity, adoption leave and shared parental leave who return to work in the coming months after a long period of absence will be permitted to be furloughed.
This will only apply where they work for an employer who has previously furloughed employees.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP said:
When I announced these changes to the furlough scheme last month, I was clear that we wanted to do this in a fair way, that supports people back to work as the country begins to re-open following coronavirus.
But for parents returning from leave, their circumstances has meant that they are still in need of support, and I’m pleased that they will be able to receive the financial assistance they and their family will need.
The CJRS has so far helped 1 million employers across the UK furlough almost 9 million jobs. It closes to new entrants on 30th June 2020, with the last three-week furloughs before that point commencing on 10th June 2020.
More details of the change will be included in updated guidance to be published on 12th June 2020.
PAYadvice opinion
This concession, at the eleventh hour with the last point of normal furlough qualifying for CJRS grant being today (10th June), is welcome. Many parents coming to the end of their parental leave entitlements may have found themselves without work or the finances to return to as UK PLC gets back to work following the Coronavirus pandemic.
Those on maternity, adoption and shared parental leave and due to return to the workplace following the normal last furlough point of 10th June 2020 can now start furlough later and be part of the flexible furlough which applies from 1st July 2020 without the need for having a prior furlough period of 21 days.
PAYadvice.UK 10/6/2020
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