Fundamentally, what’s changing?
The Chancellor outlined his 'Winter Economy Plan' yesterday and has announced the introduction of a new Job Support Scheme (JSS) to replace the Job Retention Scheme (JRS) which will end on 31 October 2020. The Scheme will provide ongoing wage support for people in work, provided that the employer meets certain eligibility criteria, the employee is working at least 33% of their normal hours, and the employer also provides an additional contribution towards wages.
The introduction of the JSS has followed mounting pressure from businesses seeking to understand what support will be available when JRS ends. The timing of this announcement also aligns with the notifications the government will have received from employers about potential collective redundancies given the 45 day consultation period for such redundancies taking place aligned with the published closure of JRS at 31 October. The new JSS will go live on 1 November 2020 and will run for six months.
Further details on the JSS can be found in our publication below.
For more information on this topic please contact Gareth Walls, Partner, Jonathan Simpson, Associate, Laura Feely, Associate or Elliot English, Solicitor or any member of the ALG Belfast Employment team.
Date published: 25 September 2020