EMPLOYERS in Britain will pay more to keep on staff part-time under the new coronavirus Job Support Scheme (JSS) compared with schemes in other European countries, Labour revealed today. 

The party said that Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s new scheme, to take effect on November 1, penalises employers for bringing two workers back part time, rather than keeping one on full-time hours.

Its analysis compares the difference in weekly wage costs between employing two workers on half their hours and one full-time across the arts, hospitality and manufacturing sectors.