The furloughing of staff should be justified in its relation to the impact of COVID-19. In circumstances where it’s necessary to reduce your number of staff, then it’s reasonable to consider this option. Click here for more information from us on furloughing and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and here for details and how to claim on the gov.uk website.
Importantly, furloughing does not override employment law and the employees need to agree to the variation in their terms of employment.