# The Great Resignation is set to turn into The Great Uncertainty Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-10-11 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: Navigating Post-Furlough Challenges with Agility and Resilience Meta Description: Discover how to manage furloughed staff transitions post-scheme end with UKG's human capital management solutions for SMBs. Drive productivity and URL: https://financedigest.com/the-great-resignation-is-set-to-turn-into-the-great-uncertaintyhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/storyblocks-blurred-reflection-of-young-businessman-inside-office-buildingsieqgmidaz-1736837670356-compressed.jpg) _By **Liam McNeill,** vice president, EMEA at UKG_ _, and **Nicole Bello**, group VP, SMB & Channel, EMEA at UKG_ ![Liam McNeill, vice president, EMEA at UKG, and Nicole Bello, group VP, SMB & Channel, EMEA at UKG](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/picture132-1736837670302-compressed.jpg) With the furlough scheme now at an end, some employers face the choice between bringing their furloughed staff back in, potentially to do very little work, or to make them redundant. But to successfully manage the threats and risks this poses, business leaders must improve their agility and resilience, to take advantage of new opportunities and meet future challenges. After being extended to October 2020 and then to April 2021, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, or Furlough Scheme, has [finally wound down at the end of September](https://www.financedigest.com/spain-september-final-12-month-inflation-revised-down-to-8-9.html "Spain September final 12-month inflation revised down to 8.9%"). As of July, ONS figures show that less than 8% of employees remained on furlough for most regions in England and Wales, and for many regions the figure was less than 5%. This equates to a million people [across a wide range of industries](https://www.financedigest.com/digital-transformation-across-the-banking-industry.html "Digital transformation across the banking industry"). This still means that at least one in every 20 employees have remained on furlough until it was wound up and that amounts to hundreds of [thousands of workers](https://www.financedigest.com/thousands-of-british-postal-workers-walk-out-over-pay.html "Thousands of British postal workers walk out over pay") across the country. As the scheme ends, we’re heading toward crunch time for decisions to be made about these [workers and their return to work](https://www.financedigest.com/1-in-5-uk-workers-believe-there-is-a-gender-divide-with-work-uniforms.html " 1 in 5 UK workers believe there is a gender divide with work uniforms"), or otherwise. Many employers contemplating [job cuts](https://www.financedigest.com/icrc-to-cut-some-1500-jobs-as-humanitarian-budgets-seen-sliding.html "ICRC to cut some 1,500 jobs as humanitarian budgets seen sliding") will have carried out their redundancy exercises already. However, the number of redundancies will surely increase now the [furlough scheme has ended](https://www.financedigest.com/switching-to-freelance-could-be-a-smart-finance-move-as-the-end-of-furlough-scheme-approaches.html "Switching to freelance could be a smart finance move as the end of furlough scheme approaches’"). What is critical is for many organisations is not only how to handle this process, but to look at what talent resource they retain and how that is squared with a rise in productivity. UK productivity – measured in terms of output per hour – improved in Q1 2021 after a small overall increase of 0.4% in 2020, [despite the economy contracting](https://www.financedigest.com/asias-factory-activity-contracts-despite-chinas-covid-reopening.html "Asia’s factory activity contracts despite China’s COVID reopening") 9.8% and with many still on furlough. Output per hour also rose 0.8% quarter-on-quarter (q/q) and 1.0% year-on-year (y/y) in Q1 2021. While we [expect most of these staff to return](https://www.financedigest.com/lufthansa-expects-further-significant-improvement-after-return-to-profit.html "Lufthansa expects further ‘significant improvement’ after return to profit") to their previous roles, a significant number will not. In recent months, redundancy [figures have been relatively low](https://www.financedigest.com/cheque-fraud-figures-reach-record-low.html "Cheque Fraud Figures Reach Record Low"). Indeed, in August 2021, they were at their lowest [level in seven years](https://www.financedigest.com/2016-must-be-the-year-of-board-level-transparency-and-good-governance.html "2016 must be the year of board level transparency and good governance"). This is likely to be because many employers had already made large scale redundancies in the past 18 months and have no appetite to do a fresh round of morale-sapping [job cuts](https://www.financedigest.com/telecom-italia-in-talks-with-unions-on-up-to-2000-job-cuts-in-italy.html "Telecom Italia in talks with unions on up to 2,000 job cuts in Italy") if they can possibly avoid it. Choosing the right HR technology to support your [organisation is vital](https://www.financedigest.com/why-an-orchestrated-digital-identity-strategy-is-vital-for-financial-organisations-in-fighting-fraud.html "Why an orchestrated digital identity strategy is vital for financial organisations in fighting fraud"). It requires a full [understanding of overall business](https://www.financedigest.com/changing-face-b2b-business-practices-understanding-timeless-behaviour-important-ever.html "The changing face of B2B business practices – why understanding timeless behaviour is more important than ever.") objectives, strategies, and how these two channels align within your company. This means that you can make [effective and forward-thinking decisions that not only help the business](https://www.financedigest.com/how-businesses-can-effectively-pivot-marketing-game-plans-for-christmas-2020.html "How businesses can effectively pivot marketing game plans for Christmas 2020"), but its employees too. UKG specialises in human capital management, payroll, HR service delivery, and [workforce management](https://www.financedigest.com/6-keys-to-managing-a-remote-first-workforce.html "6 Keys to Managing a Remote-First Workforce") solutions. Our customers’ objectives range from improving employee engagement and retention rates, to driving greater workforce [productivity and gaining a deeper understanding](https://www.financedigest.com/understanding-management-theories-and-maximising-productivity.html "Understanding management theories and maximising productivity") of operational insights. The end of the furlough scheme will pose significant [challenges for SMBs as they re-evaluate the health of their business](https://www.financedigest.com/new-business-launches-to-support-it-professionalsfacing-mission-critcial-sector-challenges.html "NEW BUSINESS LAUNCHES TO SUPPORT IT PROFESSIONALSFACING MISSION CRITCIAL SECTOR CHALLENGES") based on customer demand and the overall labour costs which are going to rise. This will be further compounded by the rise in National [Insurance employment costs due to come into force](https://www.financedigest.com/the-glorious-twelfth-what-underwriters-should-be-doing-as-the-insurance-act-comes-into-force.html "The Glorious Twelfth: What Underwriters Should Be Doing As the Insurance Act Comes Into Force") in April next year. Without a [modern workforce management](https://www.financedigest.com/5-tips-for-a-modern-manager.html "5 Tips For A Modern Manager") tool, the insight needed to manage these aspects may feel impossible. While some economists expect most of these staff to return to their previous roles, a significant number will not and as we [face into the end of Government support for businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/overcoming-challenges-faced-by-women-in-business.html "Overcoming challenges faced by women in business") the only certainty is that SMBs need insight to help them prosper. Put simply, these tools enable [managers to easily and accurately put the right people](https://www.financedigest.com/banks-need-to-digitise-financial-wellbeing-support-to-help-young-people-manage-through-this-recession.html "Banks need to digitise financial wellbeing support to help young people manage through this recession"), in the right place, at the right time. We are entering a period of major economic [uncertainty](https://www.financedigest.com/combatting-economic-uncertainty-in-2023-with-the-payments-sector-2.html "Combatting economic uncertainty in 2023 with the payments sector") with the real potential of many people facing redundancy as businesses attempt to adjust to a new economic environment. Much has been written about the so-called Great Resignation, perhaps [business leaders](https://www.financedigest.com/how-leaders-can-develop-their-business-intuition.html "How Leaders Can Develop Their Business Intuition") now need to think in terms of the Great Uncertainty. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---