A COMPANY has been accused of ‘not protecting its staff’ despite making a pledge to ‘top up’ the salaries of furloughed employees.

Stannah Stairlifts last week reassured staff and customers it was safeguarding their wellbeing amid the coronavirus outbreak, as reported in the Advertiser.

But staff have since contacted this paper, revealing that up to 30 staff had been let go as a result of the ‘current climate’.

A member of staff who contacted the Advertiser, but wished to remain anonymous, said: “They are not protecting their staff, as instead of following the government advice and standing by their staff they have let 30 job go without any warning.

“They could have supported their staff with the furloughing scheme.”

A Stannah spokesperson confirmed that the company was forced to “reluctantly terminate the contacts of around 30 fixed-term contract staff” as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

But bosses have also pledged to cover half of the loss in income incurred by staff that have been placed on furlough.

More than 50 per cent of Stannah’s employees have been placed on furlough. And while the UK’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will ensure furloughed staff are paid 80 per cent, Stannah had pledged to pay half of the remaining 20 per cent to minimise its employees’ losses.

Group managing director Jon Stannah said: “We recognise that putting over 50 per cent of our UK workforce on furlough will be a painful measure for all our staff but we have had to act early and decisively to support the UK Government’s measures and in the long-term interests of all our employees.

“Accessing the support of the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme will be key to helping our business through this crisis.”

The company says that its furlough period is initially in place until the end of April but will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

The decision was made in response to a dip in ‘activity levels’ within the business due to client organisations having closed their doors and many domestic customers in self-isolation.