Following Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s statement on Tuesday about plans to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has written to Mr Sunak seeking adjustments that he hopes will help Island businesses.
In his letter, Mr Seely asked the Chancellor to consider allowing furloughed staff to return to work part-time earlier than the planned 1st August date to align, as closely as possible, with Step 3 of the recovery strategy – which could see openings for a number of businesses including hospitality such as food service providers, pubs and accommodation and leisure facilities such as cinemas from 4th July (at the earliest).
Mr Seely also asked the Chancellor to take a cautious approach when deciding how the employer contribution is calculated – where employers will be asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of those furloughed staff who return to work part-time – due to businesses already feeling the effects of reduced footfall and revenue, which will continue due to social distancing requirements.
Bob said:
“The extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until the end of October is very welcome and will benefit those employers and staff in industries which are unable to revive during this period.
“I am also pleased the Chancellor is allowing furloughed staff to be able to return to work part-time, with employers being asked to pay a percentage towards their salaries. This will give flexibility to businesses and boost the economy.
“I do, however, have some reservations about the finer details over the dates which furloughed employees will be allowed to return part-time and how the employer calculations will be worked out, which I hope the Chancellor will take into consideration.
“I want to ensure that those businesses which may be permitted to open from 4 July, particularly those in the visitor and hospitality sectors, who rely on specific and limited parts of the year to generate an entire annual livelihood, will not be disadvantaged by the scheme.
Article continues below this advertisement “These businesses have already lost a significant part of their core operating period, and therefore will be looking to use as much of what remains of the season to trade, if considered viable to do so.”
Bob asked the Chancellor to consider his representations as the more specific details and information relating to part-time furloughing is worked up prior to being made available by the end of this month.
Bob said:
“I am looking forward to working with the Chancellor, and others, as part of an industry taskforce to work out how best to support those in the leisure, hospitality and tourism sectors moving forward.
“I hope that some of the trade bodies representing these sectors will be given the opportunity to directly contribute to this work to explore workable solutions.”
No. What a completely idiotic idea, lets open the pubs, hotels, and bring more people here that could be infected. Do you ever think about the people who have to pick up the pieces when the 2nd spike comes to the Island, maybe Bob you should be looking into bullying by NHS managers to the staff they are supposed to be helping and supporting, after all calling a member of NHS staff a “troublemaker” for just asking if they can be supplied with PPE. Shocking!!!!!!
Leave the pubs and hotels closed until it is safe to open them up again. I’m sure there will be NO deep clean of hotel rooms, eating areas etc, and as for pubs opening up and doing a deep clean at the end of day, that’s not going to happen either.
An idiotic idea for employers to have to pay as well..Small but well established business have had no income at all for three months..I run a Thriving Boarding Cattery..No business since March due to Lockdown and had to furlough staff….It will take months to recover..Will lose my main period,the summer holidays,,,No work for part time either until,we get booked again ,,Will be like starting over in 1979 when I first opened.
Mark… Pubs and hotels are some of the only businesses on the high Street that are already regulated and inspected for food hygiene. They already have processes and procedures in place that can easily be adapted for social distanced measures. They are better prepared than may be apparent.
How is a small pub, hotel, eatery going to able to even do social distancing. One person per table, when I mean deep cleaning I mean DEEP cleaning like the hospital has to do.
Inspections are not usually done without first notifying the business, so this gives them time to do a quick clean just for inspection purposes. A lot of places are clean I agree but this virus is nasty so things have to be tougher about cleaning.
While I’m on the subject of distancing and cleaning and being aware of what’s around us…..
B&Q on the Island are running the store like it is Porton Down, one person tells you to stand behind the orange line by the checkouts, and within seconds another member of staff tells you to stand ON the orange line. I don’t see staff doing social distancing either, i did notice a group of 3 or 4 standing together chatting, and NOT 2 metres apart either. B&Q should have stayed doing click and collect, that worked very well.
Rant over.
For once I have to agree with our M.P. About an “adjustment “ to the furlough pay and return to work situation. Many businesses on the Island are very dependent upon the holiday trade, and although there will be a limited footfall from locals when these businesses are allowed to open, the businesses themselves need some time to built up a ‘monetary reserve’ To be able to take-on the full wage bill for staff returning to work. There is no “Magic Money Tree” that will suddenly give firms there full income streams back, so a phased-return to work payment system would be a logical solution.
There are government grants they can apply for.
No you do it we need to get over this and please please don’t listen to the stupid comments that people put on here most of them just make it up as they type away sad sad lifes people have
I would say no not at this point in time as the death toll is not dropping the R rate is creeping up again before anyone thinks they can run before they can walk are really stuiped this government needs to listen to the scientists cause that’s what they are there for to protect everyone boris needs to start taking some of the talks instead of hiding away like a little school boy grow up and do the job that’s expected of him and right now Brexit is not a big cornce this country is sort it out boris ir step down