Call to furlough parents during school closures
The TUC has urged employers to offer furlough leave to parents affected by the school closures that dominated the news before and after this week's lockdown announcements.
Although the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) allows for the furloughing of staff who can’t work due to a lack of childcare, it said that not all employers know this.
Its general secretary, Frances O’Grady, commented: “Many families will be frantically trying to find a way to balance their work and childcare commitments. Employers must do the right thing and furlough mums and dads who can’t work because of childcare responsibilities.”
The TUC also called on the government to give all parents the right to work flexibly from their first day of employment, plus 10 days’ paid parental leave each year.
The CJRS is currently scheduled to run until 30 April 2021, although although there is likely to be pressure to extend this, given the latest restrictions.It continues to cover 80% of the wages of workers unable to work because of the pandemic.