News
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Mar- 2020 -26 March
Self-employed to get 80% income grant
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the government will pay self-employed people a taxable grant based on their previous earnings over the last three years, worth up to 80% of earnings, and capped at £2,500 a month. Sunak said it will run for a minimum of three months, with scope for…
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26 March
Wetherspoons’ boss was right to withhold wages
The media and the Twitterati have had a field day vilifying the founder and owner of pub chain Wetherspoons over his decision not to pay his staff in light of the coronavirus restrictions. Tim Martin had sent an email to his 43,000 staff saying he could not afford to pay…
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26 March
Covid-19: Banks under fire over emergency loan scheme
Banks have come under fire over government-backed emergency loans which require business owners to sign for a personal guarantee, as the UK battles with the Covid-19 pandemic. The British Business Bank (BBB) opened applications for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) on Monday (23 March), and claimed the loan…
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25 March
Assay offices close their doors
All four assay offices across the UK have closed their doors amid the coronavirus crisis. The assay offices, in Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Sheffield, will now be closed for business for “at least” three weeks. In a statement, the British Hallmarking Council said: “The pandemic has caused many disruptions to…
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24 March
NAJ postpones 2020 summit
The NAJ has announced that it will be postponing its 2020 Seminar amid the current coronavirus situation. It is now scheduled to take place in June 2021. The Summit was due to take place between the 20 June and 22 June at the De Vere Staverton Park Estate in Northamptonshire,…
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24 March
Birmingham Assay Office closes operations
The Birmingham Assay Office has announced that it will be “closing all operations” from today (24 March) for the three weeks stipulated by the government. The office said that the decision came in light of the Prime Minister’s lockdown announcement on Monday evening, and said that the move would “protect…
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24 March
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Advice for employers
The Job Retention Scheme is a huge incentive for companies to keep employees on payroll. To access the support companies need to classify employees as a furloughed worker, which means they should not undertake any work for the company while furloughed, including answering calls or emails. In exchange employers can claim a grant of…
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23 March
PM bans ‘non-essential retail’, instructs public to stay at home
The UK public are only allowed to venture out of their homes for essential supplies and one exercise outing per day, or face fines, under new measures introduced this evening by the prime minister. In a recorded address filmed in No 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson said the police will…
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23 March
H.Samuel announces temporary store closures amid Covid-19 virus outbreak
High street jewellery store H. Samuel has announced the temporary closure of all its stores amid the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. The retailer announced all store closures will take effect from today (Monday 23 March) but its website will be “open as usual.” In a statement, the retailer…
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23 March
F. Hinds and Chapelle close all stores until further notice
Family-run jewellery business F. Hinds, which also operates Chapelle, has announced that all sites for both brands are to close until further notice. In a newly released statement, the Hinds family said: “It is with great sadness that we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close all of our…
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