Thousands of Guernsey businesses to benefit from further government support
Thousands of businesses and self-employed workers in Guernsey will receive further financial support from the government.
The Policy & Resources Committee today announced a new Payroll Co-Sharing Scheme and a grant scheme, which will help make sure businesses are well-positioned to resume trading as soon as conditions allow.
How will it work?
The States will fund 80% of employee wages, based on the minimum wage of £8.50 per hour which equates to a gross payment of £238 for a standard 35 hour week, pre income tax and States insurance contributions. This would be on the basis that employers contribute a minimum of 20% to reach the full minimum wage although employers can opt to pay more given many employees will be on higher rates.
How long will it last?
The initial period of support proposed is three months (13 weeks) which will cover the period to late June.
Does it include all businesses?
Specific sectors have been identified as being sufficiently impacted by the crisis to which the support will be restricted initially. These are:
hospitality and tourism
passenger transport and travel
rental and leasing of cars and recreational goods
manufacturing
recreation and entertainment
event management and event services
personal service activities such as hairdressers, beauticians and animal boarding
commercial fishing
private extra-curricular education such as dance and riding schools
non-food and non-pharmacy retail
advertising and marketing
construction.
In terms of size of business, there is no restriction on the size of the business.
The number of businesses that could potentially qualify is estimated at 1,700 with total employees of 10,500.
A further measure confirmed is the award of a £3,000 grant to all businesses and the self-employed with fewer than ten employees.
Businesses who require support should send their details to business.support@gov.gg.