Furlough scheme being extended until summer??

[Youtakethelead]

Just read this, apologies if there’s another post elsewhere about it.

Sudden panic that it equals lockdown past spring?

Why is this a surprise to anyone? Why are you conflating that with hospitality not being opened? Plenty of other people are furloughed in other industries.

It's because some industries are still effectively closed eg events, nightclubs etc

Extending furlough doesn't preclude some places being able to reopen anyway.

Of course there will be many, many businesses in travel, theatres, nightclubs, sports, hospitality that will still not be able to open or operate fully for a long time to come. Extending furlough for businesses not permitted to open is essential.

Funny how so many on other threads used the ‘Furlough is only til March so they have to open everything up now’ as an argument for speedy lockdown easing and ‘good news denial’.

The slightest hint you believed it would be extended was treated as heresy.

It’ll have to be won’t it , pubs / restaurants/ cinemas/theatres etc none of these will be open till April / May at the earliest.

DH has been either on full furlough or “flexi-furlough” since March. If the hospitality section is allowed to open up, it will surely be will some restrictions as it has been for the last year. Furlough is needed to make up peoples hours/wages.
Extending furlough would be a big relief to us as it means hospitality can open slowly/safely without cutting jobs/wages .

I think I've worked 3 months on full pay since last March (september, October and December) the rest are furlough or flexi furlough...and I'm in an industry that supposedly open as usual

Many businesses will probably be allowed to open April/May time but there may be restrictions on numbers to still maintain some social distancing and that may mean some businesses that are profitable at full capacity won't be if they can only have half the number of audience/patrons/customers etc. in.

Obviously doesn't mean we will be in full lockdown like now for that long.

Where have you seen this? This is absolutely essential to our very small family travel business not going bust so would be helpful if you could point to the source please.

As last summer, some restaurants and pubs will re-open, most initially with limited capacity and therefore fewer staff required. Some places which don’t feel they’ll be able to achieve great enough footfall to make it viable to reopen (such as those in the City / Canary Wharf etc) will likely remain closed. Those staff will need furlough, at least until a decision is made regarding the business’s long term future and redundancies. Extension of furlough does not mean that hospitality and leisure will not be opening at all.

@Moondust001 @thewinkingprawn nothing's confirmed yet but it has been reported today as 'likely'
www.google.com/amp/s/metro.co.uk/2021/02/19/furlough-scheme-to-be-extended-until-summer-by-rishi-sunak-14111224/amp/

Didnt Germany put their scheme in place til 2022 right at the outset?

Our government have been so stupidly short-sighted right the way through.

That is a relief.
My business is very much linked to tourism. Until people can travel, either in this country or abroad, we will have little income to speak of.
If I can keep my employee on part time furlough, that will be one less worry, as I definitely can't afford to lose her to another job.

@southeastdweller

This is very ominous if true. I expected hospitality, non essential retail and leisure facilities to be fully reopened by June.

June is the summer!

So furlough will last til Summer and then by Autumn they'll be worrying about variants and flu etc and close it all down again

Good . I’m furloughed and was worried when it ended I’d have absolutely no money , I’m glad it’s being extended I’m in hospitality and not my fault I can’t go back , I passed my workplace today , it was dark inside , should’ve been packed with ‘ fish Friday ‘ and it just looked ... horrible , chairs on the tables and so cold . I didn’t expect it to open much before June anyway

I will wait until I see more information on the extension of the furlough scheme. For me, I imagine my employer will be rubbing his hands as that means he can keep me on furlough for longer.

I imagine he really wants to make me redundant but as I’ve been there for almost 13 years I have that on my side so I’m holding firm and will continue receiving my reduced wage.

@Thewiseoneincognito

Funny how so many on other threads used the ‘Furlough is only til March so they have to open everything up now’ as an argument for speedy lockdown easing and ‘good news denial’.

The slightest hint you believed it would be extended was treated as heresy.

IKR!

Every bloody day mum asks me another silly question and I parrot "legislation in place till March 2022". How people thought stuff would be open by April is absolutely baffling.

@PracticingPerson

Didnt Germany put their scheme in place til 2022 right at the outset?

Our government have been so stupidly short-sighted right the way through.

Yes, but quoting that here got me labelled as crazy too.

This is unexpected and can't be a surprise as the current scheme didn't have long enough left to get all hospitality and similar businesses up and running.

Having it available doesn't mean that we'll still be in full lockdown into the summer

I imagine this will be to cover the fact that the travel industry as one example, will not be back to normal this summer. The theatre industry too, gigs and concerts, 80000 people watching a football match etc. People who work in these areas will have furlough for protect them.

Yeah.
Look forward to keeping my £250 a month, do me nicely.

I think it'd be necessary if shielding continues

Also for sectors relating to international travel and holidays abroad, and mass participation/large audience events (which I really don't see going ahead over the summer.

So a shorter list of eligible sectors perhaps?

I would also i,shine that furlough needs to be available because even when hospitality etc opens it isn't at full capacity so some people may work on flexible furlough?

It's not fair to say pubs must open at limited capacity and then say staff can't be Aldi because they aren't required for as many shifts as they'd get at full capacity. Because again - it's the government making the closures not the company.