In focus: Furloughing staff

Andrew McClean: What is furlough?

Liz Stephenson: To furlough staff is to give chosen employees a leave of absence in circumstances where the employer could not otherwise offer them work. The scheme provides these employees, who are unable to work during the coronavirus crisis, with a minimum salary.

AM: When should an optical practice use it?

LS: With many optical practices forced to reduce services to essential or urgent eye care to protect public health, businesses are now finding themselves in dire financial circumstances where they must balance supporting their staff alongside a dramatic drop in revenue. Unless your contract allows for you to lay staff off, meaning you can send them home without pay, they are entitled to full pay if they are ready, willing and able to work. The furlough scheme has been introduced to enable employers to retain staff, providing a financial means for businesses to do so via the government support package. All UK businesses are eligible to access the scheme, regardless of size, provided they had created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on February 28, 2020.