Hull City announce furlough measures amid coronavirus pandemic

The East Yorkshire outfit are to take advantage of government-backed Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme amid significant financial uncertainty and those furloughed will be paid up to 80 per cent of their monthly salaries up to £2,500, with the club to help further top up all wages of those affected.

Those non-playing staff who are not furloughed have agreed to reduced hours to four days per week and will receive 80 per cent of their pay, while first-team coaching staff have taken a voluntary pay cut of 20 per cent.

Vice chairman Ehab Allam wrote to all staff, including players last week to warn that measures needed to be taken to “safeguard jobs and avoid any compulsory redundancies.”

Players were asked to accept a “salary sacrifice”, with Allam requesting the first-team squad take a 20 per cent cut in line with furloughed workers - but did not offer to defer lost wages unlike many Championship clubs.

A club statement read: "As of today (Monday), the majority of our non-playing staff have become furloughed workers, which means that they will still be employed by the club, but no work can be done while they are confined to home by the social distancing regulations.

"The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will mean that 80 per cent of the salaries of furloughed staff up to £2,500 per month per individual will be paid by the government. The club will make up anything above £2,500 to ensure all furloughed staff will receive 80 per cent of their salary.

"Some staff who cannot be furloughed have agreed to reduce working hours to four days a week and will receive 80 per cent pay from the club.

"All first-team coaching staff have also proactively taken a voluntary pay cut of 20 per cent to help the club deal with the current economic challenges.

"These difficult decisions have been taken in order to best protect the club financially, as we continue in a period of unprecedented uncertainty, and will be reviewed towards the end of May when further decisions will be made based upon the latest information available from the government and the football authorities.

"Until the situation with the 2019/20 season becomes clearer, the club will operate with a skeleton staff across the KCOM Stadium, training ground and academy sites.

"We hope that these measures will help us to protect the jobs of our loyal and dedicated staff.

"We would like to thank all staff for their understanding, patience and show of solidarity in difficult circumstances. In particular, to all who have voluntarily accepted furlough and short working measures, and in doing so have acted in the best interests of the club.

"The club will be assessing the situation as things develop and will continue to act with the well-being of staff at heart."