Northumbrian includes retraining rather than furlough among Covid measures
Northumbrian Water has joined forces with a pan UK group of organisations in an initiative to help the North East pull through the coronavirus crisis. Measures include bill breaks for customers and retraining staff rather than furloughing.
The water company has signed the C-19 Business Pledge, founded by former Cabinet minister, Justine Greening and entrepreneur David Harrison under which it has committed “to do all it can to help its customers, employees and communities get through the immediate challenges of coronavirus, as well as aiding in the challenges of the recovery.”
Northumbrian Water said measures has taken include agreeing over 4,000 new three-month payment breaks for families financially hit by the pandemic. And it is retraining people for new roles “rather than going down a furlough route.”
The pledge to date has the backing of more than 150 businesses, and includes Asda, EDF Energy, Newcastle University and Teesside University.