Parents returning to work from statutory leave

Employers have been wrestling with the issue of employees returning from Maternity or other statutory parental leave in the context of Furlough.  The Government has allowed an exception for the Furlough scheme to cover parents returning to work after statutory leave, who can still be put on Furlough leave (after the cut-off date of 10th June) if the following requirements are met:

1. The types of statutory leave that will qualify employees for Furlough are: maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, shared parental leave and parental bereavement leave.

2. Furlough can be agreed with employees on those types of leave who are due to return to work at a date up to October 2020, provided that ‘they work for an employer who has previously furloughed employees’. This means that you must have furloughed at least 1 other employee during the life of the scheme