Coronavirus Impacts Employment
As the economic consequences of the coronavirus begin to bite, more and more people are turning to Citizens Advice for guidance and support. Our Eastbourne office’s employment enquiries have risen to almost 500 since March.
Alan Bruzon, Chief Officer says "We have seen a significant increase in employment enquiries since the lockdown started and we expect this to continue as the furlough scheme ends. It's a difficult time for employees and employers also and it's important that people follow the proper procedures and understand their rights."
Employment issues are complex and affect employers and employees. As an independent organisation, we are able to advise both. It is essential that people have access to up-t0-date and reliable information. Some of those resources are to be found here.
If you are facing redundancy, it is important to know that you are being treated fairly and receiving the appropriate redundancy payments. The Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ has a whole section on redundancy including pages on redundancy discrimination and how much redundancy pay you are entitled to.
Should you require government assistance as a result of redundancy, please contact us on the Help To Claim number: 0800 144 8 444 and key in the redundancy option.
For more complex issues, you may want to contact ACAS – the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Contact details for these employment specialists can be found online at https://www.acas.org.uk/
Employers, too, are often baffled by the rapidly changing requirements. For fully up-to-date advice, HMRC produce a bi-monthly magazine that you can access here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-bulletin-august-2020 . They have also posted webinars on YouTube. Other helpful sources include ACAS, the local Chamber of Commerce and HR experts.
Whatever your concerns, we are here to help. You can find us on: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk, or telephone: Advice Line on 03444 111 444.