Business owner angry at payout to companies who furloughed workers
9 July 2020, 11:03 | Updated: 9 July 2020, 11:08
Business owner angry at payout to companies who furloughed
This business owner didn't want to lean on the government during the coronavirus crisis, but now he is angry that other businesses get £1,000 payments per worker while he gets nothing.
Tim in Forest Hill runs a cyber security company and decided not to furlough his workers as he felt it would be a badge of honour to get through the pandemic without help.
Yesterday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced all companies who bring a furloughed worker back would get £1,000 per employee.
And that leaves Tim with nothing, having paid for the furlough scheme in the first place.
He said: "I was dumbfounded, Nick. We haven't relied upon the government for anything.
"The Covid virus has come, we have not relied on that, we've knuckled down and we're not getting a bonus.
"It's been tough. And then when Mr Sunak announced yesterday that all those companies who have furloughed people are going to get a £1,000 bonus, I thought fair enough, it gets people back in.
"But what about those companies who haven't had to rely on the government, who've been paying for that, Mr Sunak? What do we get?"
Hear his passionate call at the top of the page.
