Last week, the government made the announcement that the furlough scheme will be closed to new entrants from 10th June and employers will only be asked to pay a modest amount for the remainder of the scheme.
The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has responded to this latest development.
Samantha Hurley, Operations Director at APSCo, said “When we wrote to the Chancellor earlier this month, we asked for a managed withdrawal from the furlough scheme in order to get the UK economy back to work. The fact that the scheme has been tapered down to allow workers back part time while still retaining their full time pay is a welcome move and is in line with our recommendations.
“This gives firms the flexibility they require to gradually bring furloughed employees back to work on a part time basis, with the percentage of salary funded by Government tapered down to address any increase in working hours. The fact that this is optional and employers will be able to leave employees on furlough if they choose until the end of October contributing 10% and 20% of furlough pay respectively is also welcome.”