McLaren to put staff on furlough amid Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

KUALA LUMPUR: The coronavirus outbreak has badly hit the economy on a global level and its repercussions are clearly visible now. Many companies are laying off their employees or putting them on furlough. The latest to join the list is McLaren. The British carmaker has recently announced that it will furlough its staff because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision is going to affect the several divisions of the company including McLaren Automotive, McLaren Applied Technologies, and McLaren Racing.

The firm stated, “These measures are focused on protecting jobs in the short term to ensure our employees return to full-time work as the economy recovers.”

The company has also decided to cut the pay for not only the management and senior employees but also for drivers; Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz of the Formula 1 team. According to the firm, the temporary three-month wage reduction is part of wider cost-cutting measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic impact on its business.

The McLaren group employs around 3,700 people, with almost 850 are a part of the Formula 1 team. However, it did not disclose the actual number of employees who have been put on standby. But these employees are likely to get at least £2,500 per month from the British government till their enforced leave of absence goes on.

Besides this, McLaren is also a part of the seven-team initiative to manufacture ventilators under the ‘Project Pitlane’ of VentilatorChallengeUK. The 100-150 staff personnel who are involved in this project are not involved in the furlough policy.

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