Yorkshire make sure players and staff get full pay
HOME ALONE: REACTION ‘POSITIVE’ AFTER 2020 SQUAD AND OTHER STAFF ARE PUT ON FURLOUGH
YORKSHIRE’S CRICKETERS will continue to receive full pay after being put on furlough.
At a time when many companies are slashing the pay of furloughed staff and those left manning the fort, Yorkshire are supporting their employees through the coronavirus crisis.
Non-playing club staff already put on furlough are also receiving full pay under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
The scheme enables businesses to claim a grant of up to 80 per cent on an employee’s salary up to a cap of £2,500 per month, with Yorkshire contributing the other 20 per cent.
Yorkshire yesterday became the first club to furlough players with most other counties expected to follow suit.
Thirty-two players have been furloughed along with all cricket/ coaching staff apart from director of cricket Martyn Moxon and cricket operations manager Cecilia Allen.
Four groundstaff – including head groundsman Andy Fogarty – are continuing to operate, along with senior officials such as chief executive Mark Arthur.
Last week, Arthur estimated that furloughing players could save Yorkshire around £60,000£70,000 a month.
The club is being further helped through the crisis by the England and Wales Cricket Board’s £61m game-wide emergency bailout programme, through which counties are receiving three months of their annual central distribution in advance (in Yorkshire’s case, thought to be around £875,000).
Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, said: “First and foremost, there is a bigger picture than cricket and it is vitally important that people stay safe, stay healthy and support the NHS in any way possible.
“We are in the midst of a national crisis and cricket is secondary at this moment.
“From a club point of view, we feel that these measures (furloughing the players and staff) need to be taken to ensure as little damage as possible to the business. Everybody is being paid their full salaries and we are doing our best to look after all staff.”
As employees cannot work for their employers while they are furloughed, Yorkshire cannot force players to train at the moment.
However, Moxon said the players’ response has been excellent and that there is a collective mood to continue as best they can.
Yorkshire CCC’s Martyn Moxon how players have reacted to being placed on furlough
“The lads have taken it very well and are understanding of the situation, and also very appreciative of the support that the club is giving to them at this uncertain time,” he said. “There are no issues there whatsoever.
“When it comes to training, because the lads have been furloughed, that’s all got to be done on a voluntary basis and they’ve all said they will.
“I didn’t need to say anything; they’ve just taken it as read that they’ll carry on and do what they can.”
Steve Patterson, the Yorkshire captain, told last week that he thought furloughing players was a good idea.
“In a sport where money’s tight anyway, if it gets the club through a tricky patch, then I see no reason why it couldn’t work,” he said.
“Hopefully, the current situation will start to improve and we can get playing again as soon as possible.”
Moxon said Yorkshire would remain in touch with the players, who will be absent “until further notice”.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme lasts until the end of May but could be extended if the crisis persists and/or escalates.
“We’re going to be in regular contact with the players and will keep checking on them,” he added.
“We are allowed to look after their health and well-being during this furlough period.
“The lads are being encouraged to use the time that they’ve got productively and positively, whether that be learning a musical instrument, doing an online course, or whatever, as opposed to just be sat there watching television or playing on their PlayStations.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating for them after all the hard work they’ve put in during the winter that they’re not able now to see the value of that work, particularly with the weather so dry and good at the moment, but, at the end of the day, they know that there’s a much bigger picture here and that we need to get through this terrible situation as fast as we can.”
Yorkshire had been due to start their County Championship season on Sunday against newly-promoted Gloucestershire at Emerald Headingley.
The ECB said recently that there will be no cricket until at least May 28, although that date now looks increasingly optimistic with the virus not expected to peak in this country until later this month – provided that the current social distancing measures are observed.
The ECB is currently working on three potential schedules depending on whether the season can start in June, July or August.
They have taken it well and are understanding of the situation.