Furlough extended, England eases lockdown restrictions
On 10 May, government changes the lockdown slogan in England from “Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives" to “Stay alert. Control the virus. Save lives.” The original slogan to stay at home remains in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
To try to protect more jobs, the CJRS is extended until October and the government publishes its return to work roadmap urging people in England to return to work where they can.
Senior advisor Dominic Cummings faces public backlash after it emerges that he travelled to Durham during lockdown when display symptoms of coronavirus.
Towards the end of the month, prime minister Boris Johnson announces the relaxing of restrictions for vulnerable individuals in England that have been shielding since the start of lockdown measures.
Black Lives Matter
Sparking civil unrest around the world and a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, is killed at the hands of a white police officer on 25 May.
On 31 May people gather to protest Floyd’s death in cities around the UK.
In the immediate aftermath, businesses are called upon to take a stance against societal racism and reasses their approach to discrimination in the workplace.
The best bits of HR magazine from May 2020:
Keeping employees safe online during lockdown
Our May/June cover story asks what HR’s responsibility is to keep employees and organisations safe from cybercrime while many are working from home.
Getting the best out of people at Unicef
In our last in-person profile of the year, Unicef director of people talks about HR’s need to take ownership of organisational development, inciting change in the charity sector and lockdown preparations.
How businesses are harnessing technology during the switch to flexible working
We take a look at how businesses have coped with making the majority of their workforce remote overnight.
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