Changes to The Furlough Scheme from 1 August

“With the guidelines around furlough changing, businesses have the opportunity to think ahead about what they might need and how they can strengthen their teams and offering in order to succeed in this new world of work. For example, can your business afford to keep its staff after the furlough scheme ends or is it the case that you are looking for new skills and so training solutions are required?

“Firstly, it’s vital that businesses have a strong level of HR support for all of its employees. This can assist team members in returning to the workplace, ensuring control measures are in place so that their wellbeing is at the forefront as they transition back. This might include looking at a flexible working policy so that team members can be slowly re-introduced back into the office. Show yourself as a leading employer acknowledging this new world of work.

“Many people have become used to working from home or working at a lower capacity through the furlough scheme and so training can be a great way to get employees up to speed as quickly as possible, whilst helping them develop and fine tune their capabilities. Our job as business service providers is to look at organisations holistically and objectively, providing a consultative approach. You might find that as a company, whilst staff have been absent, you’ve found yourself needing additional skills. Investing in training for your existing staff, who may have been furloughed, whether this is in management, a practical discipline or specialist field, may be more effective than going to the expense of another salary and embedding new people into a business.

“At SVC Solutions we offer a bespoke scheme called Management in a Box. It quite simply does what it says on the tin and helps businesses advance existing employees into management roles. These courses are bespoke to clients businesses and get to the heart of what they need, providing the motivation employees need to grow within their roles and feel like they are valued and wanted within the business.

“If you do find that your business requires extra staff members then it’s important to consider your recruitment package. Gone are the days of minimum wage, candidates are looking for competitive salaries, flexible home working policies and perks such as healthcare, gym memberships and more. The Coronavirus pandemic has placed high importance on employee wellness and this needs to be considered when looking to grow your team.

“Of course we know that without Government support, it may be difficult for businesses to keep some of their employees leading to redundancy. If this is the case then it may be worth seeking advice through business coaching support to see how best to protect your cashflow to make the right decisions for your business.