This letter should be used where you are furloughing an employee for the first time.
Update: Until 30 September 2021, all employees can be placed on furlough, regardless of whether or not they had previously been furloughed, provided they were on their employer's payroll by 30 October 2020 (for claims ending on or before 30 April 2021) or by 2 March 2021 (for claims on or after 1 May 2021).
Notify your employees of your intention to change their status to furloughed using this furlough letter to employees. In order to access the Government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, employers will need to designate affected employees as ‘furloughed workers’ and notify them of this change. Changing the status of employees remains subject to existing employment law and may require the employee's permission.