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19 January, 2021 Open access

Government confirms that it has no plans to change how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme operates in relation to working parents

'It is not for the government to decide whether a firm should put its staff on furlough', says Conservative Whip

The government has confirmed that it has no plans to change how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) scheme operates in relation to working parents.

Responding yesterday to a question in the House of Lords from Lord Woolley of Woodford on what action the government plans to take to support working parents in light of the 14 January 2020 TUC report Working mums: Paying the price - which found that seven out of ten requests for furlough from working mothers have been turned down following the latest school closures - Conservative Whip Baroness Penn said that -

'... the furloughing of staff is a voluntary arrangement entered into at the employer’s discretion and agreed by employees. It is not for the government to decide whether a firm should put its staff on furlough. However, the eligibility criteria are clear that an employee is eligible if they are unable to work, including at home, due to caring responsibilities resulting from Covid.'

In addition, in response to Lord Woolley's 'passionate plea' for the government to introduce temporary legislation giving working parents the right to furlough under the CJRS, Baroness Penn said -

'We do not intend to change how the furlough system operates; as I said, it is a voluntary decision by employers and employees. However, we have put in place far more support to parents during the current lockdown compared with when schools were previously closed. For example, they have the right to form a childcare bubble to help with their childcare demands, and there is a requirement on all schools to provide a minimum level of high-quality online learning to children while schools are shut.'

The House of Lords debate on CJRS: Working Parents and School Closures is available from parliament.uk