PRESS COVERAGE
We are always happy to respond to requests from journalists and to provide our input on HR and employment matters. To get in touch please e-mail sebastian@my2020hr.co.uk.
June 2022 | South East Business Magazine
”Based in Ashford, Kent, 20/20 HR provides [...] HR services [...] and offers clients ongoing tailored support. Founder [...] Sebastian Mattern believes that the pandemic has expedited many areas of business. Sebastian explains that flexible and/or hybrid working, or even full remote working, is now one of the most important things employees expect, not only in their existing employment but also when looking for a new role. “This creates a challenging environment for businesses, and the shortage of suitable candidates which has formed a very strong employee’s job market is intensifying the situation. For now, employees are certainly in the strongest position to negotiate which I have ever known.”” More...
August 2020 | Chartered Management Institute
”The long and short of it is, if your staff are furloughed, they’re accruing leave. However, furloughed workers can take leave without it disrupting their furlough. If you decide to require your furloughed staff to take leave, consider whether they are under any restrictions, such as the need to self-isolate, that would prevent them from relaxing.
Sebastian Mattern, [...], explains that the general legislation on annual leave sets out that..." More...
June 2020 | Personnel Today
”Reports have emerged that some organisations may be using employees’ lower rate of furlough pay, 80% of their usual salary, to calculate how much they are owed when making them redundant. “I have heard about two businesses which are doing this, luckily not our clients,” said Sebastian Mattern, lead employment consultant [...], “It’s a very, very grey area.” Mattern said the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme guidance stresses that employees’ redundancy rights are not affected if they are put on furlough, but noted that they must also agree to a change of employment terms because their salary has been reduced. “Our letters have included a paragraph about redundancy pay and that it would be calculated at pre-furlough salary but in absence of that it’s a different story,” he said. More...
April 2020 | WIRED
”[Sebastian] Mattern says. “An employee with less than two years’ service has very few rights to bring a claim. Likewise, there is no entitlement to redundancy pay for anyone with less than two years’ service.” Mattern adds that it’s theoretically possible for the former employer of someone who left in February to start a new role in March to take them back and to put them on furlough. “Whether employers are doing so, especially in the current situation, is another story of course,” he says." More...
April 2020 | The Sun
”"In an ideal scenario a business would ask for volunteers to be furloughed and this is what has been happening in general," said Sebastian Mattern, lead consultant for employment [...]. "Whilst pay is reduced, an employee on furlough retains all employment rights and even accrues annual leave whilst on furlough. "There is no direct or legal consequence of refusing furlough but it’s obviously a risk as the alternative is usually redundancy." He added that for employees who've been working there for under two years, this can be a simple process as newer workers have fewer rights than those who've been working longer." More...
