So, whats the latest? The Job Support Scheme has now been be - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

So, what’s the latest? The Job Support Scheme has now been be postponed until …. • £1,000 Job Retention bonus due on 31 January 2021 scrapped • Original monthly cap of £2,500 applies • New qualifying date to be eligible is midnight 30 October 2020 • Furlough now extended until 31 March 2021 • Claims for November must be made by 14 December • No minimum number of weeks or days an employee must be on • Furlough No maximum on the number of employees you can claim for •

EXTENDED FURLOUGH up to 31 March 2021 Claim 80% (capped at £2,500), this may change. Government going to review • in January Employee receives 80% up to a cap of £2,500, but Employer can top up if they • wish Employer to pay NICs & pension • Must be on payroll as at midnight 30 October 2020 in order to claim • If previously Furloughed, pay calculations same as before • Fixed hours, Zero hours, agency workers all included as well as standard • contracts For new ‘Furloughers’ revised pay calculations – see over • Can take back employees who have been made redundant after 23 • September and put on Furlough – but take care! Claim process is the same, can claim up to 14 days in advance •

New Pay Calculations For those on a fixed salary - 80% of the wages payable in the last pay period ending on or before 30 October 2020 Example: If the employee was last paid on 30 September 2020 and their wages were £1,850 gross, then 80% of this = £1,480, which will therefore be their rate of Furlough for the period 1 to 30 November 2020 and thereafter. To get to a daily rate, take £1,480 and divide by 30 days (in November), this gives you a daily rate of £49.33

New Pay Calculations For those on variable pay - 80% of the average wages paid between the start date of their employment or 6 April 2020 (whichever is later) and the day before this period of furlough periods begins. Example: Start date of 20 March 2020, going on Furlough from 1 to 30 November 2020. The total days between 6 April 2020 and 31 October 2020 is 208 days. If total earnings in this period are £12,500, divide by 208 to get an average daily rate of pay = £60.09 Furlough is calculated at 80% of average earnings, so 80% of £60.09 = £48.07 If employee is Furloughed for 30 days in November, then they will be paid 30 x £48.07 = £1442.10 and this is what you can claim from the Government.

The Legal Stuff Must have written Agreements in place with Employees, as before • Previous Furlough Agreements may be OK, check wording/dates, if in doubt issue a new • up to date Agreement Holiday maybe taken during Furlough, but must be topped up to 100%, but Furlough must • not be used to pay for holiday Employees can take up other paid work (subject to contract of employment) • Must keep detailed records for 5 years • HMRC are going to publish names of all firms claiming Furlough •

Taking back redundant employees – can you afford it? Contract of employment re-starts, which means that continuous service • may go over 2 years and then qualify for statutory redundancy pay Over 2 years, additional employment rights will apply • Holiday will accrue – between November and March that would equate to • at least 12 days, which you will have to top up to 100% and pay NICs on top Could work out very expensive! •

Can we still work out redundancy notice whilst claiming Furlough? At the moment yes, but word on the street is that the Government • is going to review this at the beginning of December, which may mean that they may stop it, so bear this in mind if you are doing any redundancy planning, just in case.

Can we get employees to use up holiday during Furlough? Yes, but you must top it up to 100% of pay, don’t forget bank holidays also • need to be topped up if they are specified as additional days in the contract of employment. If you want employees to take a period of holiday, you can require them to • do so by giving twice as much notice as the amount of holiday you want them to take e.g. 1 weeks holiday requires 2 weeks notice.

Can employees stay on Furlough during sickness? Yes, but it is not intended to be used for short-term sickness absence, but if • an employee is currently off sick, they can still be furloughed. If they become ill, or have to isolate, its up to you whether to move them • onto SSP or keep them on Furlough.

Question time! Purple HR 01202 801047 mandy@purplehr.co.uk

Returning to the workplace

Typical Objections Concerns over The commute • Cleanliness • Safe work space • Congestion in the break/refreshment areas • Arrival and home time congestion • Colleagues who don’t comply • Their Anxiety has increased during lockdown • Reiterate that under Health and Safety legislation, all employees have a responsibility to keep themselves and others safe. If they witness any activities that put employees or members of the public at risk they must to report it immediately.

It’s time for reassurance and resilience communication - communication - communication Explain what you’ve done to keep everyone safe whilst at work. • Make sure they are aware of your policies and procedures re COVID-19. • Offer access to one to one counselling through your wellness program. • Be open about the consequences of unreasonable absence. • Look for the signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety. • Offer advice/guidance on how to become more resilient. • Offer advice on how they can stay healthy. •

In the workplace Stress can hit anyone at I demand Ring any level of the business an answer! Ring! Not confined to particular sectors, jobs or industries Why I haven’t not! had time Stress alone is not an illness – but left untreated will become an illness

Empowering your Resilience through : Emotional Intelligence o Understanding yours, and others emotions • Good Communication Skills o • Be consistent. • Be clear. • Be courteous. Good Health o Eat well • Stay hydrated • Exercise regularly • Sleep well • Get out in the fresh air • Self Awareness o Know your limitations • Understanding when you need support • Controlling your thoughts •

People suffering from stress or health anxiety can still thrive at work They just need the right support around them!

In conclusion If you can nullify any possible objections by making it a safe environment for them to work in, they will have no reason to not return. Policies, procedures, reassurance, promoting positive employee wellness actions/reactions and reasonable support where applicable. All backed by excellent communication