Send to a friend

This toolkit provides guidance for managing furlough and the Job Retention Scheme. It provides links to key information and templates on the website. This information is being continually checked and updated.

Click here for information on the  flexible furlough scheme. 

Click here for information on the Job Retention bonus. 

Applications for the scheme opened on Monday 20 April and the online portal can be found at this link.

Furlough and the Job Retention Scheme (JRS)

On 20 March 2020, the Government announced its plans for financial assistance to help employers retain employees for an extended period of time, although offering no work, and avoid lay-offs due to those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government’s scheme is called the Job Retention Scheme and aims to avoid lay-offs or redundancies where employers are unable to offer work to their employees.

The Government’s JRS means that employers are able to place their employees on “furlough”. This is a term which is typically used in the US and essentially means putting employees on a temporary leave of absence where they are not required to work but are retained on the books to be brought back in when needed.

The Job Support Scheme

The JRS is to end on 31 October and will be replaced by the Job Support Scheme from 1 November. Please click here for details. 
 

Furlough content

Letters