Page 10 - Gi_March2021
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management & education news

                 EXPERTS CALL FOR FURLOUGH EXTENSION



                 AFTER INCREASE IN NUMBERS






                 MORE PEOPLE WERE furloughed in   impact that renewed restrictions were
                 both November and December last year   having on the labour market. “We
                 than in October, the latest government   can expect the number of furloughed
                 figures have shown, despite a    workers to remain high, but to gradually
                 temporary easing of restrictions at the   reduce as the economy unlocks and
                 start of December.               businesses get going,” he said.
                   Statistics from HMRC show the    This has led to concerns around
                 number of furloughed workers     what will happen to employment
                 increased by 1.3 million at the start   rates if the scheme – which has
                 of November to a peak of 4.1 million,   been extended several times and is
                 before dropping to 3.9 million by the   currently planned to finish at the end
                 end of the month. Provisional estimates   of April – is not extended again.
                 for December show this fell slightly to   Charlie McCurdy, researcher at the                   THE NUMBER OF FURLOUGHED
                 3.8 by the end of the month, reports   Resolution Foundation, warns that the                    WORKERS HAS INCREASED
                 People Management.               scheme must be ended carefully. “The
                   Workers aged 25 to 34 were the   winding up of the scheme in just three   hospitality and leisure.”
                 most likely to be furloughed, with the   months’ time is expected to cause a   However, news of various vaccinations
                 accommodation and food services   fresh wave of unemployment,” he said.   are providing businesses with “much-
                 sectors being the most affected. Across   “It’s therefore vital that the Chancellor   needed light at the end of the tunnel”,
                 the country, London had the highest   ensures a flexible transition out of the   said Kirsty Rogers, employment partner
                 number of people on furlough, at 15   scheme, in order to avoid millions of   at DWF. “It’s hoped that as the mass
                 per cent, compared to the UK average   workers simply moving from furlough   vaccination programme is in full swing,
                 of 13 per cent.                  straight into unemployment.      employers will delay making
                   Joe Dromey, Deputy Director for   “Options to facilitate this could   redundancies and continue to use the job
                 Research and Development at the   include subsidising part-time working,   retention scheme until the end of April
                 Learning and Work Institute, warned   as well as continuing the scheme for   when restrictions may be reduced, as the
                 this sharp increase in the number of   the sectors most affected by ongoing   impact of the vaccine takes full effect and
                 furloughed workers was a sign of the   public health restrictions, such as retail,   the work may pick up,” she said.


                  WORKERS’ RIGHTS REVIEW WILL NOT GO AHEAD





                  THE REVIEW OF post-Brexit workers’
                  rights announced by Business
                  Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is no longer
                  going ahead, reports Personnel Today.
                    Kwarteng admitted that the
                  government wanted to look at, but
                  not water down, some of the workers’
                  protections and rules brought in
                  under EU Working Time Directive.
                    However, an in interview with                                               BEIS SAY THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN
                                                                                                 WATERING DOWN WORKERS’ RIGHTS
                  ITV’s Peston programme, he said: “So
                  the review is no longer happening   that’s what officials in the department   Len McCluskey, General Secretary of
                  within the Department for Business,   are 100 per cent focused on.”  the Unite union, said: “The epidemic
                  Energy and Industrial Strategy. I made   Reports in the media have suggested   of low pay and insecure work in this
                  it very, very clear to officials in the   that the review would have considered   country are the real problems, not the
                  department that we’re not interested   proposals to remove the 48-hour   basic rights of working people.
                  in watering down workers’ rights.  maximum working week, changes   “Kwasi Kwarteng now has to put his
                    “I can’t have been more clear about   to rules about rest breaks, removing   money where his mouth is; if he wants
                  this on a number of occasions. I’ve   overtime pay when calculating certain   to improve the lot of UK workers, then
                  said repeatedly that Brexit gives us the   holiday pay entitlements, and getting   pick up the phone. We’ve got a list of
                  opportunity to have higher standards   rid of the requirement for firms to log   desperately needed workers’ rights
                  and a higher growth economy and   information about daily working hours.  ready to go.”





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        News.indd   5                                                                                             11/02/2021   08:48
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