COVERED BY UMBRELLA

WORKERS who are paid via an umbrella company are covered by the Government’s job retention scheme and can be furloughed during the crisis.

This follows lobbying from Unite, the UK’s largest union. More than 300,000 workers in the UK are paid via umbrella companies, often employment agencies, typically in construction, teaching and logistics sectors.

Howard Beckett, Unite’s assistant general secretary, said: “It is now absolutely imperative that umbrella companies do the right thing and furlough their affected workers.”