The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) ends on Thursday 30 September 2021. As an employer, are you prepared?
The CJRS was originally introduced in March 2020 as a “short-term measure” but over 18 months later, the scheme is entering its final days with claims for September 2021 needing to be submitted by 14 October 2021.
So, what can you do next?
Employers may be faced with a series of questions and concerns from returning employees. It is important to be clear on your firm’s position regarding plans for flexible and hybrid working patterns.
Employers have an obligation to manage the needs of employees with circumstances that make it difficult for them to return to work. If you require legal advice in this area, please feel free to contact our Employment lawyers.
Unfortunately, as a result of the pandemic and economic difficulties, some employers may have little choice but to reduce their workforce. We recently hosted a webinar that assessed the legal procedures involved in changing working arrangements and we discussed the practicalities of implementing these. This included the different consultation procedures and when these should be used; how to conduct a consultation exercise; what to do if agreement is not reached; and how to implement changes to employment terms. You can view this webinar here.
Our next webinar, presented by Michael Pope and Simran Lalli, will take place on Thursday 14 October 2021 and will guide you through the mechanics of redundancies, both in large – scale exercises or smaller situations.
We will cover:
– What is a redundancy situation?
– How do you create redundancy pools and selection criteria?
– What financial entitlement might an employee have on redundancies?
– How to implement redundancies and avoid the pitfalls.
The objective is to give you a clear picture of the legal issues involved in redundancies and how these should be approached.
To register for this webinar, please click here.
We are also offering a free thirty-minute video call to discuss any issues you may have with your employment contracts, policies and handbooks, without further obligation. There is no current time limit on this offer, but weekly slots are limited, so early booking is advised. For more information, please email us or contact the team on 020 8858 6971.