Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Shop owners are questioning why the government is only okaying furlough staff to work part-time from August, despite encouraging them to re-open next month.
Small retail businesses face a disastrous couple of months before furloughed staff are allowed to come back part-time, with office workers staying away and restaurants and bars closed.
Kate Evans owns independent fashion boutique Precious, which is based in the City of London and whose customers include City workers now working from home.
Evans said: “With offices and restaurants closed, we don’t know how much demand there will be when we reopen next month. The government says it wants independent retailers like us to reopen. Yet we can’t take back furloughed staff to work part-time during these crucial next couple of months. This all-or-nothing approach doesn’t make sense. The furlough scheme needs to be more flexible to support reopening.”
>See also: Rishi Sunak extends job retention furlough scheme to October
Many independent retailers are planning to reopen on a part-time basis initially.
Lobbyists say that the Treasury to open up the furlough scheme now to allow part-time work in retail, what with demand so weak. By August, many are afraid there will be no shops