Relief for High Life Highland non-contracted staff after two weeks of festive fear over removal of furlough
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Staff at the Highlands’ flagship leisure centre are breathing a sigh of relief after management backed down on a pre-Christmas threat to remove them from furlough.
From March last year when lockdown first began, all non-contracted workers at Inverness Leisure aquadome and sports centre were supported through the UK government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
But in a shock email sent on the evening of December 23, just before leisure facilities closed for the latest lockdown, employers High Life Highland (HLH) announced relief employees would be excluded from the lifeline assistance.
When contacted by the HN late last year after worried workers reached out to us, HLH defended the move as part of a concerted effort to protect jobs and services during the pandemic.
But earlier this week HLH – an arms-length charitable company set up by Highland Council to run leisure, sports, learning and cultural services – had a change of heart, confirming all of its relief workers across the Highlands would be furloughed.
In mid-December, UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak extended the furlough scheme until the end of April.
One non-contracted staff member, who normally works a full-time equivalent 35 hours at Inverness Leisure, thanked the HN for intervening.
Asking not to be named, she said: “After all the worry and anxiety we faced over Christmas and into the new year, we received an email on Friday [January 8] saying they would now furlough us as before.
“It is a huge weight off all our shoulders, given the circumstances we find ourselves in, working effectively as zero hours staff.
“A lot of us were very stressed and worried about how we would pay bills and rent.
“The email just before Christmas clearly said non-contracted staff would not be furloughed, so it is a huge relief they have changed their minds.
“We were paid in December before Christmas and were due to be paid at the end of January for any December hours we worked.
“Our furlough will now kick in at the end of February for the hours we couldn’t work in the month of January.
“I’m not sure why they have had a change of heart, but I’d like to thank your newspaper for raising the matter with them.”
The charity, which shut down all of its premises before the Highlands entered tier four restrictions on Boxing Day, has been striving to turn relief work into permanent jobs.
Both permanent staff and relief workers will now be furloughed with 80 per cent wage support.
HLH has 724 full-time equivalent staff across the Highlands, including 95 at Inverness Leisure. A total of 178 relief staff have now been placed on furlough.
Steve Walsh, the charity’s chief executive, said: “As a result of the changes by the Scottish Government, the Highlands was placed into the highest level of restrictions.
“This was obviously disappointing due to the amount of work we have done as part of our BounceBack campaign, with substantial efforts put in by staff across the Highlands to support the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our communities.
“The changes in restriction level means we enter the New Year with the majority of HLH staff being included in the newly-extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and placed on furlough leave.
“We have also reviewed the qualifying criteria for placement on the CJRS and can confirm that all non-contracted workers involved in High Life Highland’s BounceBack have also been placed on furlough leave.
“Our intention has always been to support all our staff and workers while ensuring they met the qualifying criteria.
“We have been in touch with all staff involved as well as their union representatives.
“Since the start of the pandemic, we have been working in unprecedented times, with all decisions under constant review.
“HLH has been pleased to work with the unions to reach agreement whereby the charity would do all it can to create new contracted positions, where relief workers may otherwise have been used.”
Since August, HLH has been able to create a number of posts equivalent to 20 full-time positions.
Mr Walsh added: “Despite the challenging backdrop, the charity has a responsibility to do all it can to mitigate the financial position as we move into the new financial year in order to protect services and prevent any redundancies of contracted staff.”
