HR File: Furlough extension - what does it mean?

The extension of the furlough scheme until the end of March 2021 provides businesses with a welcome degree of longer-term certainty regarding government support for employees; but how effectively will this extension protect jobs and what are the practical implications for businesses, their employees and former employees?

The extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will be welcomed by many employers as it has the benefits of consistency and relative certainty until spring next year. However, given many businesses will have spent months planning for the end of the CJRS, an 11th hour extension will require employers to think again about what the right next steps are.