Originally written by Mark Perrin on Small Business
As many small businesses shut up shop or adopt new ways of working during the coronavirus pandemic, many are struggling to grasp the package of support measures that had been made available by chancellor, Rishi Sunak.
Among the most significant developments over the past week was the announcement of a new Job Retention Scheme, aimed at helping employers to keep on staff, even if they have no work for them to do.
Employers who commit to keeping such staff on the payroll, can classify them as ‘furloughed workers’ and will be eligible for a grant to meet the cost of 80pc of the worker’s salary, up to a maximum of £2,500, for up to three months.
> See also: Government launches business Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
However, significant areas of concern remain for employers’, including those working flexible or reduced hours, or employed on zero-hours contracts. News is mixed here as, while the Treasury promises an averaging arrangement to determine the salary of zero hours workers, they have confirmed that the rules will not apply to an employee who continues to work reduced hours.
Further uncertainty centres on the use of self-employed contractors. Workers who fall inside this bracket