Institutions are advised of the following updates and points of clarification on the University’s furlough scheme. Please note that the University’s scheme currently runs until 31 July 2020. Information about arrangements from 1 August 2020 will follow.
1. Parents returning to work after paternity, maternity, adoption and shared parental leave eligible for furlough after 10 June cut-off
The government has announced that individuals on paternity, maternity, adoption and shared parental leave who return to work in the coming months are eligible for the government’s furlough scheme, even if this is after the 10 June cut-off date and they are being furloughed for the first time. To be eligible, the following needs to apply:
- the employee you wish to furlough for the first time started paternity, maternity, shared parental or adoption leave before 10 June and has returned from that leave after 10 June; and
- the employee was on the University’s payroll on or before 19 March 2020.
Institutions should provide details of any such individuals to the HR Coronavirus mailbox, making reference to the type of leave the individual has been on and the relevant dates for furlough.
2. Safe Space Circles
Following further guidance from HMRC, it has now been confirmed that Safe Space Circles are not defined as “work” for the purposes of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). Staff can therefore remain on furlough while attending Safe Space Circles, provided that these meetings do not include broader discussions which could be defined as work. Where staff are involved in meetings that fall outside the scope of Safe Space Circles (which is to consider how to use the space safely and support each other to feel safe in the workplace) information must be provided via the HR Coronavirus mailbox so that any necessary amendments can be made to the relevant CJRS claim(s). For the avoidance of doubt, where the matters discussed at a Safe Space Circle meeting includes additional work-related matters, it will not be necessary to provide any amended paperwork to the employee; any adjustment to the CJRS claim will be made in the background.
3. Burst reports
CHRIS key contacts in institutions will now receive weekly burst reports of staff who are currently on a period of furlough, for monitoring purposes. Institutions can also use these reports to instruct the HR coronavirus project team by email to un-furlough staff, as needed, via the HR Coronavirus mailbox.