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Coronavirus jobs armageddon hits with 12k jobs ‘lost’ in a DAY from businesses including Upper Crust, Airbus and EasyJet
THOUSANDS of jobs have been "axed" in the past 24-hours as businesses fight to survive after the coronavirus lockdown.
More than 12,000 jobs have been put at risk since yesterday from firms including Upper Crust, easyJet and Airbus.
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Today there are fresh fears for John Lewis workers after reports that the retailer is planning to axe a number of branches, jobs and bonuses, while Harrods is looking to get rid of 680 team members.
Banking group Virgin Money, which also owns Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, has said it will cut 300 jobs, and Topshop owner Arcadia is looking to slash 500 office jobs.
It's the biggest day of coronavirus job losses so far - the announcements come on top of those already made companies, such as Oasis and Warehouse, Cath Kidston and Clarks.
Last month Mr Johnson warned that "there will tragically be many, many job losses" as a result of the nationwide shut down.
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Shocking stats from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that at least 600,000 workers have already lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic lockdown.
Experts predict that it's going to get worse with up to two million workers expected to become unemployed over the next few months as the true impact of the Covid-19 outbreak is revealed.
The Treasury forecasts 10 per cent unemployment and company closures when the furlough scheme finally comes to and end in the autumn, while a poll of businesses owners predicts that a quarter of furloughed workers are likely to lose their jobs.
From today, employers can bring back furloughed staff part-time but from August they will be expected to pay their National Insurance and pensions contributions.
Harveys Furniture left staff stunned yesterday when they were told the company had gone into administration, a day after being brought back from furlough.
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The measures resulted in 240 immediate job losses, with over a thousand more to follow if the 20 stores at risk of closure shut.
Many firms which survived the lockdown have also been forced to slash their workforces to remain viable.
SSP Group announced up to 5,000 jobs were at risk at its hospitality brands Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza as the restaurant industry looks to reopen on Saturday but under restricted circumstances.
Job losses since June 2020
MANY firms have announced job cuts since June as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. These include:
- Shoe chain Aldo collapsed into administration with five stores permanently closed
- Victoria's Secrets plunged into administration, putting 800 jobs at risk
- Fashion chain Quiz put its shop business into administration in , putting 82 stores at risk
- British Gas owners cuts 5,000 jobs, over half of which will be in management
- Airbus announces 1,700 job losses. It expects cuts to be made by summer 2021
- TM Lewin says it will close all 66 of its UK shops, putting 600 jobs at risk
- Harveys Furniture goes into administration resulting in 240 immdiate job losses and puts another 1,000 at risk
- Upper Crust plans to make 5,000 out of its 9,000-strong workforce redundant
- EasyJet says it plans to close hubs at Stansted, Southend and Newcastle, putting 4,500 jobs at risk
The group employs 9,000 workers during peak season but it doesn't expect sales to recover as footfall at airports, train stations and motorway service stations is still far below pre-lockdown levels.
Yesterday, easyJet said it was to close its hubs at Standsted, Southend and Newcastle airports in another blow to the travel industry.
The devastating move will see 4,500 airline workers lose their jobs, while it admitted that the rest of its UK network is "under review".
Pilots union BALPA said 727 cockpit crew faced the axe - around one in three of easyJet’s 2,300 pilots in the UK.
On Tuesday, Airbus also said it will slash 1,700 jobs in the UK and 15,000 jobs worldwide.
Airbus has two factories in the UK, one in Broughton in north Wales, where wings are manufactured, and another factory at Filton in Bristol which is where cuts will take place.
It expects to make these cuts by summer 2021, but hopes the majority of redundancies will be voluntary or through early retirement of staff.
What are your redundancy rights?
YOUR employer should carry out a fair redundancy process before making you redundant, or you will be able to legally appeal the decision for unfair dismissal.
You are entitled to be consulted on the redundancy lay-off first and to receive a statutory redundancy payment, as long as you've been working somewhere for at least two years.
How much you're entitled to depends on your age and length of service, although this is capped at 20 years. You'll get:
- Half a week’s pay for each full year you were under 22,
- One week’s pay for each full year you were 22 or older, but under 41,
- One and half week’s pay for each full year you were 41 or older.
Sadly, you won't be entitled to a payout if you've been working for your employer for fewer than two years.
There should be a period of collective consultation as well as time for individual ones if your employer wants to make 20 or more employees redundant within 90 days or each other.
You are also entitled to appeal the decision by claiming unfair dismissal within three months of being let go.
If you're made redundant after your company has gone into administration you can claim redundancy pay .
Around 600 TM Lewin workers are to lose their jobs after the shirt-maker announced this morning that it will close all 66 of its UK shops.
It comes on the same day that Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he will "revive the high street" by enabling town centres to change empty shops into homes, cafes or offices, without planning permission.
Since March, scores of retailers have gone bust or had to permanently close shops as they struggle to pay rents.
But Unite union reckons that up to a third of the UK's 3.2million hospitality jobs could be slashed as punters work out new ways of socialising in a world infected by coronavirus.
Companies can't just make you redundant overnight - there's a formal process they must follow before letting you go.
Under employment laws, you have to be given your statutory notice period before asking you to leave the company.
If you've been employed at the company for between one month and two years, you must be given at least a week's notice.
Tools to use to help you write your CV
HERE are some tools and apps that can help you put together your CV:
- Resume app: If you struggle formatting your CV, you can choose from 21 templates in the Resume app to help you. And once you've put it together, you can export it as a PDF directly to your email. Resume is free to download and use, but has additonal premimum options that you can pay for.
- Grammarly: It's important to get your spelling and grammar accurate, so run your CV through a tool such as Grammarly to check for any errors. It's free to download straight to your desktop.
- Vizualize.me: If you've got an exisiting LinkedIn account, Vizualize.me takes the data and turns it into a timeline of your employment history and a breakdown of your skills. The free tool has six different themes so it's a good option to make your CV look visually appealing as well.
- VisualCV: As well as making your CV look eye catching, VisualCV also makes sure it can be read by electronic systems that some recruiters use to filter CVs. It's also free to sign up for.
Members of staff who've worked for the firm for longer than two years but fewer than 12 years require one weeks' notice for every year of employment.
There must also be a consultation period before you're put out of work, and if you've been employed there for more than two years you are entitled to a payout.
TM Lewis said that the job losses are "regrettable" and a direct result of lockdown.
An EasyJet spokesperson said that it is a difficult time for the industry as a whole and added: "Unfortunately the lower demand environment means we need fewer aircraft and have less opportunity for work for our people."
A spokesperson for Airbus said: "The information and consultation process with social partners has begun with a view to reaching agreements for implementation starting in autumn 2020."
SSP Group and Harveys Furniture have been contacted for comment.
If you’re one of the unlucky workers already laid off, The Sun is here to help.
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