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Liverpool Football Club announced that they will be furloughing some of their non-playing staff while the Premier League is suspended.
The plan appears to be that the club will take advantage of the British government’s decision to pay 80% of the wages of everyone who gets paid off due to the coronavirus pandemic. The club has then pledged to make up the remaining 20% to ensure that the staff receive their full wages while the crisis continues.
It’s a bit disappointing from a club raking in millions and millions of pounds a year that it is using tax payer money to take care of their staff.
In a statement, the club said:
“Liverpool FC has placed some staff who are impacted by the Premier League suspension on furlough. The club has confirmed those staff will be paid 100 per cent of their salaries to ensure no member of staff is financially disadvantaged. Last month the club also confirmed that it would pay its matchday and non-matchday staff while the Premier League is suspended.
Even prior to the decision on staff furloughing, there was a collective commitment at senior levels of the club – on and off the pitch – with everyone working towards a solution that secures jobs for employees of the club during this unprecedented crisis. There is ongoing active engagement about the topic of salary deductions during the period matches are not being played to schedule. These discussions are complex and as a result the process is ongoing.”
In addition to this, the club also detailed some of the tools they are providing their staff with to help them through their quarantine. These include healthy eating tips from the head of nutrition and mental wellness advice from the sports psychologist, as well as a new learning and development platform for working remotely.
Putting aside the ethics of the super rich taking the government’s bail out money or players taking a pay cut to offset costs, it’s a relief to know that the hardworking staff will remain comfortable during this tumultuous time.