April 04, 2020

New starters and the furloughed worker scheme

30 minutes

People who have recently begun new jobs say that the government’s plan to help businesses hit by coronavirus may treat them unfairly. Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, a business can choose to furlough workers – that is, keep them on the books but not working and at home. The government will pay 80 per cent of their wages up to £2,500 per month. Companies may choose to top up furloughed employee wages to 100 per cent.

However, to be eligible for furloughing, workers have to have been in employment with the company on February 28th, 2020. New starters say that unfairly leaves out people who happened to be between jobs on that date. It also means that people who have changed jobs since then cannot ask to be furloughed by their new employer.

We hear the experiences and concerns of new starters and employers, alongside Edwin Morgan, director of policy at the Institute of Directors, and employment lawyer Amy Wren of Farrer and Co. Then we put your points to Harriet Baldwin, MP - a Conservative member of the Treasury Select Committee and former economic secretary to the Treasury.

There's an update on the Financial Conduct Authority's proposals for new rules on lending. And on the podcast, happy news from a Money Box-inspired wedding.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah

Producer: Paul Waters

Editor: Hugh Levinson

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By BBC Radio 4

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