How financial support is helping firms adapt
Thousands of companies have been taking advantage of an unprecedented package of UK Government support to protect jobs and support businesses during the coronavirus outbreak. The financial support is helping firms across the nation to adapt, innovate and protect jobs. Here are two examples of how companies have been helped, and what support is available. AN UNPRECEDENTED package of UK Government financial support has helped firms like Q-Mass in East Kilbride weather the coronavirus crisis.
Director Ronnie Robertson said lockdown hit his company’s order book, but the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been vital to help them hang on to their valued staff.
Ronnie said: “Before this, we had quite a good order book, with three to four months of work planned, so we were pretty worried where it was going to take us.”
At first, he was worried how he would keep Q-Mass’ 47 staff on the payroll, but then the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was announced.
It offers UK Government support to pay 80 per cent of staff ’s wages up to £2,500 a month, and the scheme has now been extended until the end of October.
Q-Mass manufactures bespoke parts for the oil, gas and defence industry so staff training is important.
Ronnie said: “Our staff are very highly skilled. We’ve gathered a bunch of people here and trained them up and taken on apprentices. We do a lot of training, we’ve got good people, we train them a lot and we want to hang on to them.”
He found applying for the furlough scheme quick and straightforward.
He said: “It was surprisingly easy and we were surprised that the money came through relatively quickly.”
Now staff at the firm who’ve been furloughed are gradually returning to work, with strict safety measures in place.
Ronnie said: “We’ve put a day shift back on and we’ve still got a few office people working at home, with quite a few still on furlough.
“We’re just ticking over. We’re trying to cover our costs every month, trying to break even, to stay still. We’re looking at it that if we can stay still we’re doing very well.”
And because of the size of the building, maintaining a twometre distance hasn’t been a problem for returning staff.
Ronnie said: “It’s been really easy. We’ve got a big workshop with wide corridors and we’ve got a lot of the doors propped open internally so no-one has to touch doors or handles.
“We’ve got a few toilet areas with restrictions on them and a couple of one-way corridors, but the offices are open plan, so there’s no real need for people to be near each other.
“The workshop’s a big, wide open space and we have to keep cleaning things like photocopiers and touch screens, but it’s been quite straightforward.”
Now Ronnie’s looking forward to a brighter future.
He said: “I feel like we’re on the side of the valley and we’re looking across to the other side and it looks absolutely fantastic. Getting through the next few months is crucial for us. We have a really good bunch of people and we want to hang on to them. The furlough scheme has helped us to do that.”