Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have prohibited furloughed employees to continue working or volunteering for the organisation they have been furloughed from under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; and what assessment they have made of the potential merits of financial measures adopted by governments in other countries, including the (1) Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and (2) Australian JobKeeper Payment, that allow furloughed employees to continue working for their businesses.

The purpose of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is to support people who would otherwise have been made redundant. To prevent fraudulent claims, the Government made it clear that individuals cannot work or volunteer for their organisation.

This aims to protect individuals too; if workers were allowed to volunteer or work for their employer, the employer could ask them to work in an effectively full time way while only paying 80% of the wages. Individuals are permitted to work for another employer, undertake training or volunteer subject to public health guidance, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working with other government departments and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to identify areas where volunteers can contribute to the COVID-19 response.

The Government is closely monitoring other international employment protection schemes, and is engaging with other governments to inform the decision-making process for the CJRS.