The lasting impact of Covid-19 

The last 14 months have been turbulent and challenging with the impact of Covid-19 to say the least, for the vast majority of businesses, no matter how large or small and across virtually all sectors and industries. Some, such as physical retail outlets and hospitality, have been hit monumentally, whereas others have seen an unanticipated surge in demand. How many individuals have, or indeed still are, working from home, many in jobs that previously would not have fitted neatly into the ‘home-based’ mould? 

How many of us anticipated this time last year that furlough (or the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to give it its proper name) would still be operating? Whilst we have seen various iterations of the furlough scheme, the current version is due to be in place until 30 September 2021. We are now up to the seventh Treasury direction which was published in April and covers 1 May – 30 September 2021. July will see employers required to make a 10% contribution to furlough pay and this will increase to a 20% contribution in August and September 2021. 

Whether the scheme will once again be extended beyond September remains to be seen. What is becoming increasingly clear is that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will be long-lasting and the way many businesses operate is unlikely to ever be quite the same again. 

At Hibberts we are seeing an increasing number of business clients taking the opportunity, now that things are a little more settled for many, to obtain specialist advice about their changing workplace and ways of operating. These challenges can be dealing with flexible working requests, changes to terms and conditions of employment, business restructuring or redundancy programmes. If this resonates with you why not contact Camille Renaudon, head of our employment law department, for an initial, no obligation discussion to see how we can help you and your business through these changing times with the impact of Covid-19.

Employers can obtain expert employment law advice in a timely and efficient manner from Hibberts solicitors. This blog is not a substitute for legal advice – you should always seek specialist advice about your particular situation.

Should you or your business require employment law advice, then please don’t hesitate to contact us. For more information, visit us here.