Nursery World - Coronavirus: 7 in 10 early years staff on furlough

Early years settings furloughed 71 per cent of their staff between March and August, according to new research, which highlights the crisis that many providers will find themselves in when the scheme ends next month.

The survey found that the least qualified and experienced staff were more likely to have been furloughed or made redundant

A survey by the Education Policy Institute and the National Day Nurseries Association found that 4 per cent of staff have already been made redundant and predicts that more redundancies can be expected.

In addition, 7 per cent of staff voluntarily terminated their contract, with 30 per cent of settings reporting ‘finding alternative employment during furlough’ as the reason for termination.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the early years workforce: Staffing decisions in an uncertain environment report is based on a survey of 445 early education and care providers in England, Scotland and Wales, employing 4,446 staff. The survey was carried out between 4-26 August.

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