Hillier's Headlines

My light hearted take on the week gone by and the week ahead.

There goes another week of 2020 and it’s been another week of important updates regarding COVID19. More on those below.

Since the updates of a couple of weekends ago I have definitely seen a lot more people out and about when I’ve been walking the dog. I understand that there is plenty of trepidation with regards to easing of the lockdown, but we all need to begin taking steps to kick start the economy or the knock on effects and hangover will last much longer.

While previous recessions have seen people/businesses not have cash to spend, this one is slightly different, in that for many, they have the money, but are unable to spend it. So while we talk about the economy ‘bouncing’ back, I do feel we’ll actually recover quicker than you’d imagine once people are able to spend. 

Industry updates

Furlough extension

Last week Rishi Sunak announced an extension to the Furlough scheme until the end of October. The scheme will continue as exists until the end of July before a new set of rules will apply. More detail will follow on how the updated scheme will look at the end of May. It looks like some of the key updates will be around employer funding and importantly allowing furloughed workers to take up part time work.

Holiday entitlement update

The government also updated their guidance around holiday entitlement during the past week giving one less excuse for non-paying umbrellas to start paying their contractors.

School openings

Another big debating point at the moment is the decision to start sending children back to school. As with all of the decisions made during the pandemic, this decision is based on scientific advice. The longer that children are out of school, the further we are blighting the futures of society’s least well off. As with everything we’ll be doing for the foreseeable future, we need to take the right precautions and ‘stay alert’.

Must read article for recruitment agencies

Osborne Clarke shared their recent insight a few days ago which raises a few important questions yet to be unanswered by government. The latest insight confirms that those with over-arching contracts that guarantee 336 plus hours will accrue holiday for the entire period. This then poses the question; 'Have umbrellas paid any unused hours possibly?'

With regards to discretionary bonus Osborne Clarke advise that independent legal advice should be sought, despite some HMRC views. Industry body Professional Passport have sought HMRC policy advice, which again confirms employment contracts are key.

Do read the full article, it'll take just a few minutes:

Staffing companies and Covid-19: latest furlough scheme and lockdown exit developments

In and around the Zoom/home office

Quarantini’s!

Last Friday we started our weekly social event for all staff, themed around ‘Quarantini’s’ the latest cocktail invention! As always since the lockdown, it was just good to see everyone’s faces and have a catch up. Next week we’re going for tapas and Sangria, and our resident hospitality guru George has already shared recipes! You can see how to make a quarantine here, (I’ve shared this link as who doesn’t want to see a grandma making cocktails!)

Working from home

All staff continue to work from home, which actually seems to be working pretty well across the board. Making our preparations early definitely enabled us to iron out any problems in the early stages of lockdown. And now our work begins to look at ways to start bringing staff back to the office while maintaining social distancing and taking all necessary precautions.

Stay up to date

We released another article this week which is now available on our website. The latest insight looks at 5 practical steps that recruitment leaders can take to move forward with purpose over the coming months. Five practical steps to get your business fighting fit

To keep up to date with all of the latest news and insights you can sign up on our website.

Should you have any questions for me do get in touch.

Terry Hillier, CEO, People Group Services