Since the furlough scheme was made available to help businesses retain staff in this challenging global climate, it has no doubt had a huge impact on employees. However, despite its huge financial importance to a large proportion of the working population, ‘furlough’ is a word – and a concept – that is unfamiliar to most of us.
Until the coronavirus pandemic struck, furlough did not exist in UK employment law. However, with a fifth of all UK firms intending to furlough their entire workforce due to the current situation, it is now one of the most prevalent schemes in the working world – providing workers and business owners with a vital lifeline in an unprecedented situation – allowing eligible staff to take temporary leave while remaining on the payroll. By enabling businesses to retain as many of their employees as possible, furlough offers a sense of certainty during a time of unpredictable circumstance – helping households maintain essential income and minimising overall job losses in an already precarious economic situation.
However, perhaps the most important aspect of the scheme to note is that furloughed workers cannot do any work for the company who has furloughed them. So how do companies navigate such a situation – keeping their employees engaged when they can’t talk about work?
Communicating with furloughed staff
Of course, the first port of call when communicating with furloughed employees is to explain the situation. Being clear and transparent with staff and explaining the reasons behind the decision to furlough them is essential in maintaining trust and avoiding false promises about timescales or other unknown factors is key. Upfront, honest communication is vital, and can help employees understand what is expected of them throughout the period of leave, as well as clearly laying out the rules of furlough in order to reduce the risk of falling foul of the rules and potentially forfeiting payment as a result.
Article written and supplied by Catherine Munro, HR Expert at MHR, a global HR and Analytics company.
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