Furlough
Our coverage of the furlough scheme and its impact on the UK foodservice, hospitality, and catering sectors. We report on government policy updates, employer experiences, sector-specific challenges, and the operational and financial implications for restaurants, pubs, bars, and contract caterers. From workforce retention and reopening strategies to lessons learned post-scheme, this content supports industry professionals navigating staffing, recovery planning, and long-term resilience in a post-pandemic landscape.
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Feb- 2021 -25 FebruaryCoronavirus
Hospitality leaders ‘optimistic’ of long-term future, CGA finds
Hospitality leaders are reportedly optimistic about the long-term future of the sector, though “urgent” support is still required to help them navigate reopening, according to the CGA Business Leaders’ Survey 2021. The survey, which was conducted in collaboration with UKHospitality, British Beer and Pub Association and the British Institute of…
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24 FebruaryCoronavirus
Extending 5% VAT cut ‘not enough’ to save hospitality, says tax pro
Sue Rathmell, indirect tax partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, has said the UK needs “bold and sweeping measures” to save the hospitality sector, calling on the government to do more than just extend 5% VAT measures. The statement comes ahead of the March Budget, with many in the hospitality sector…
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24 FebruaryCoronavirus
Chancellor expected to extend furlough until May
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce a further extension to the government’s furlough scheme until May in his Budget speech next week. According to The Times, the move is expected after Boris Johnson promised not to “pull the rug out” from businesses when restrictions eventually begin to ease under…
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23 FebruaryTrade Associations
UKH: Sector ‘devastated’ by late reopening date
UKHospitality has claimed that the sector is “devastated” by the late reopening date for hospitality, adding that the chancellor has “just nine days” to save thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs that simply “will not be there” without a substantial package of compensation. The news follows the…
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15 FebruaryCoronavirus
Over 160 hospitality CEOs urge chancellor to back sector in 2021
Over 160 CEOs from the UK’s leading hospitality businesses, employing hundreds of thousands of people, have written to the chancellor ahead of next month’s Budget. The letter, coordinated by trade body UKHospitality, calls for decisive support to help the sector survive, rebuild and drive the economic recovery and highlights two…
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15 FebruaryCoronavirus
Deliveroo calls for rerun of EOTHO scheme
Deliveroo and 300 restaurant groups have urged the government to reimplement the Eat Out to Help Out scheme (EOTHO) when the hospitality sector eventually reopens. According to the delivery service, the 50% discount scheme which was first launched last August by chancellor Rishi Sunak would help support struggling restaurants that…
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12 FebruaryComment
Helping employers create a recipe for resilience
According to statistics from the HSE, stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 55% of all working days lost due to work-related ill health in 2019/20; some 17.9 million lost working days. Worryingly this report was published in November 2020 featuring pre-pandemic data. We’re all now navigating a whole new set…
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8 FebruaryCoronavirus
Losses from top 100 UK restaurant groups rise 112% to £571m
The top 100 UK restaurants groups saw their losses soar by 112% to £571m last year, rising from reported losses of £269m at the end of last March, according to UHY Hacker Young. The firm said these losses only run up to the start of the lockdown and are therefore…
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5 FebruaryCoronavirus
Hospitality industry’s furlough costs nears £550m a month
Furlough’s continuation is costing the hospitality industry £542m every month, according to the labour management service S4labour. While the scheme has provided a lifeline for businesses within the sector and beyond, it reportedly continues to rack up bills for firms through national insurance contributions, holiday pay, and pension costs. Despite…
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Jan- 2021 -29 JanuaryCoronavirus
Scottish Hospitality Group calls for more ‘immediate support’
While the Scottish Hospitality Group (SHG) has welcomed new support measures announced in yesterday’s Scottish Government budget, it has warned that financial aid for hospitality “doesn’t go far enough” to support or meet increasing property and staff costs. The measures unveiled yesterday by Kate Forbes include a three-month rates relief…
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