Non-essential retail confirmed to be reopening & CJRS deadline today

THE Cabinet Office has asked the Chamber to help it publicise the latest Government guidance on the Covid-19 pandemic.

1) Non-essential retail confirmed to reopen from Monday 15 June

The Business Secretary has now confirmed that shops in England selling non-essential goods will be able to reopen from Monday 15 June, thanks to continuing progress in meeting the five tests.

High street retailers and department stores, including book shops, electronics retailers, tailors, auction houses, photography studios, indoor markets, and shops selling clothes, shoes and toys, will be allowed to open their doors again provided they follow the COVID-19 secure guidelines set out by the government in May.

Employers should also display a notice visibly in their shop windows or outside their store to show their employees, customers and other visitors that they have followed this guidance. The downloadable sign can be found here: https://bit.ly/CV19Sign

Full details of workplace guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/CV19WorkingSafely.

2) Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme deadline today

As highlighted last week, please note the following deadlines for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - especially the deadline of today (10 June), which is the final date by which an employer can furlough an employee to complete the full three-week furlough cycle.

• The scheme will close to new entrants from 30 June. From this point onwards, employers will only be able to furlough employees that they have furloughed for a full three-week period prior to 30 June.
• This means that the final date by which an employer can furlough an employee for the first time will be the 10 June (today), in order for the current three-week furlough period to be completed by 30 June. Employers will have until 31 July to make any claims in respect of the period to 30 June.
• From 1 July the scheme will only be available to employers that have previously used the scheme in respect of employees they have previously furloughed.
• This does not mean that an employee has to be furloughed on the 10 June in order to be furloughed after 1 July– 10 June is simply the last date at which an employee could be newly furloughed and complete a full three-week period prior to 30 June. Employees who had completed a full three-week furlough at an earlier stage would also be in scope for furlough from 1 July
• From 1 July, the number of employees an employer can claim for in any claim period cannot exceed the maximum number they have claimed for under any single previous claim under the current CJRS.So, for example, if an employer had made three claims prior to 1 July, for 12, 24 and 20 employees, the maximum number they could claim for in any claim period following 1 July would be 24, as this is the largest previous claim.
• Please note that people on paternity and maternity leave who return to work in the coming months will be eligible for the government’s furlough scheme even after the 10 June cut-off date, as announced by the Treasury yesterday (9 June). The full announcement can be found here: https://bit.ly/CJRSParents

Further details of the CJRS scheme can be found here: https://bit.ly/HMTFactsheet