Gordon Ramsay ‘using taxpayer-funded furlough scheme to pay staff their notice’

We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Chef Gordon Ramsay, 53, is said to have laid off 500 of his staff after restaurants and pubs were closed due to lockdown back in March.

According to The Sun on Sunday, Gordon is now using the Government’s furlough scheme to pay his staff their notice, if they don’t wish to apply for another job.

The publication states they have seen an email from Gordon Ramsay Restaurants’ HR Director Sarah Anderson, addressed to a staff member.

It reportedly reads: “Should you not wish to apply for a new role, you will remain on the furlough scheme for the duration of your notice.”

Other parts of the alleged email have not been disclosed.

A source, who reportedly knows some of Gordon’s staff workers, has claimed staff have been offered jobs, but these are not in the same parts of the business.

They added: “Someone who has worked at a Michelin-starred restaurant is not going to go and work in a pub.”

A representative for Gordon declined to comment when approached by Express.co.uk.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak introduced the scheme to help businesses during the pandemic.

Any employer is eligible for the scheme as long as they started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020 and have a UK bank account.

Businesses can claim 80 per cent of their employees’ wages from the Government, up to a maximum of £2,500 per person, per month before tax.

The Chancellor recently confirmed that the scheme will finish at the end of October.

Earlier this month, reports claimed the chef took out loans to secure his restaurants.

But, a representative for the chef strongly denied this claim to The Mirror.

They said: “We are a privately owned and privately funded business.

“Any financial agreements between our bank and our owner has nothing to do with any of the government funded loan schemes.”

Gordon is said to have a net worth of around £51 million.

The chef has 35 restaurants worldwide.

He is also widely known for his Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares television show.

As well as this, he appears on Gordon, Gino and Fred: American Road Trip.

Source: Read Full Article