With the government extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until the end of October, but with a cut off date of 10th June for new entrants to the scheme, there was concern regarding the effect of this on new parents returning to work.
The issue being that parents on maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave, who were due to return to work after 10 June, but whose employers had no work for them due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, could be left high and dry without the possibility of furlough to protect their jobs.
However this week, the government have announced that these parents will be eligible for the furlough scheme even after the 10th June cut off date. This will apply for parents returning from statutory family leave where they work for an employer who has previously furloughed employees.
Campaigners are calling for this to be extended to workers who are required to shield for the first time after 10 June, but to date no amendments have been announced for this category, and in the absence of new amendments, they would instead need to rely on entitlement to SSP.
We produce a range of insights and publications to help keep our clients up-to-date with legal and sector developments.
Sign up
