Every person and every business has been changed by the impact of public health measures to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus. One big change in the UK has been the furloughing of staff. With several months of the scheme left more than 8 million people who are normally in work are being asked to stay at home.
In talking to clients and networks we’ve heard the benefits of this scheme and the limitations. One thing our team can see is the potential scar the furlough experience could leave on millions of people and businesses. The loss of productive purpose for several weeks or months and the impact of knowing you are ‘not needed’ will change workforces across the country. If businesses think that all their people will be able to switch from furlough to being immediately productive and highly flexible they need to think again.
Cathey Broderick, Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub noted that when lock down eases companies, “will need staff that are more productive, more flexible, than ever.” The nature of work in many businesses will have drastically altered and the patterns of commuting, behaviours and teams will be changed permanently.
So. it stands to reason that for forward thinking companies the question is not, ‘Should we invest in supporting our furloughed staff?’ but rather, ‘How are we investing to support our people?’
Know+Do’s way of enabling companies to ensure the productivity and performance is not scarred by furlough but rather that they are SKAR-red by it! The acronym SKAR stands for:
Skills
Knowledge
Attitude
Routine
We’ve pulled our expertise and resources to make a bespoke, 4-week furlough support programme for staff. This is available live online to groups of up to 8 at a time. The training supports their well-being and provides a structure where individuals can be encouraged to keep their edge and be ready to return to work when needed.
The programme is priced at cost to ensure all businesses can make the investment - at just £99+VATpp or £499+VAT for a group of up to 8 people. A video and detailed information leaflet have been produced to explain more.
Whatever your business scale or context, if you have furloughed staff we encourage you to invest in them, ensuring that they and your business are in peak shape after lock down.