The retail industry’s campaign for the government to include provisions to bring back furloughed staff part-time in its updated job retention scheme has paid off.

While the details are limited, from July 1 employers can bring back employees who have been previously furloughed for a full three-week period on a part-time basis.

This is significant in that it gives retailers a lot more flexibility to reopen stores while executing the precarious balancing act between the government’s guidance and restrictions, the indeterminate level of customer demand and their own finances.