Rural Scotland Business Panel survey: report

9. Workforce and Fair Work

Key findings

Among employers, 46% considered their business to be employee-owned, while 54% did not.

Around a third of businesses had staff on furlough in the few months leading up to the end of the scheme (up to 30th September 2021). Of those that did, the majority (84%) said recently furloughed staff were back in their usual role.

A further 8% had brought staff back but at reduced hours and 1% into a new role or different part of the business. A small minority said staff had left the business (6%) or been made redundant (4%).

The majority of businesses (76%) were taking measures to support Fair Work for their staff. Around two thirds (65%) were paying the real Living Wage, while 59% were committing to flexible working after the pandemic and 51% had Diversity and Inclusion policies. Fewer (35%) were measuring their gender pay gap.

Employee ownership

Among employers, 46% considered their business to be employee-owned, while 54% did not. Employee-ownership was more common among small businesses (1-4 staff) (55%), and those in remote rural locations (49%).

Note that "employee-ownership" was not defined in the question wording, therefore findings are based on businesses' own understanding and interpretation of what this term means to them.

Staff on furlough

Around a third (32%) of businesses had staff on furlough in the few months leading up to the end of the scheme (up to 30^th September 2021). Of those that did, the majority (84%) said recently furloughed staff were back in their usual role.

In addition to those that had brought furloughed staff back to their usual roles, a further 8% had brought staff back but at reduced hours and 1% into a new role or different part of the business. A small minority said staff had left the business (6%) or been made redundant (4%).

Base: All that had staff on furlough in recent months (863)

Variation in use of furlough scheme

Those businesses more likely to have furloughed staff were:

• tourism (39%) and non-growth sectors (37%),
• large businesses (25+ staff) (61%), those with 11-24 staff (53%) and those with 5-10 staff (50%).

Businesses more likely not to have furloughed staff were:

• food and drink (88%),
• small businesses with 1-4 staff (67%), and
• those in accessible rural (75%) and remote rural areas (74%).

Supporting Fair Work for staff

The majority of businesses (76%) were taking measures to support Fair Work for their staff. Around two thirds (65%) were paying the real Living Wage, while 59% were committing to flexible working after the pandemic and 51% had Diversity and Inclusion policies. Fewer (35%) were measuring their gender pay gap.

Base: All buisinesses (2,726)

Variation in use of Fair Work measures

Each Fair Work measure was more common among businesses with 5 employees and above. In addition:

• tourism businesses were more likely to measure their gender pay gap (42%)
• those in small towns and peripheral urban areas were more likely to be committed to flexible working (63%), have Diversity and Inclusion policies (54%) and to be measuring their gender pay gap (38%).

Fair Work measures were also more common among businesses that were importing and exporting from outside of Scotland and those that were striving for growth in future.