The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was announced in March 2020 and, since being introduced, has helped to protect millions of jobs, with 8.9 million furloughed during its peak in May 2020.
A total of 1.3 million employers had made use of the furlough scheme, as of June 2021, but despite an estimated million people still benefiting from the scheme, the government will be bringing it to an end from 30 September.
With this date fast approaching, many employers will have already decided whether they can now afford the 80% of furloughed workers wages which have gone unpaid (20%) or paid for by the government (60%). For many currently on furlough, this may unfortunately end in redundancy, but there will also be many workers welcomed back into the fold.