Victoria Beckham reverses decision to furlough 30 members of staff

‘The welfare of my team and our business means everything to me,’ says fashion designer

(Getty Images)

Victoria Beckham has reversed the decision to furlough 30 members of staff at her eponymous fashion brand.

Last month, Beckham, whose net worth is estimated at £335m, came under fire when it was announced that her company had applied to use public money to support its staff.

Now, the fashion designer has had a change of heart and withdrawn the brand’s application to the government’s furlough scheme.

In a statement given to the Guardian, Beckham has reassured customers that the “welfare” of her team are of paramount importance.

She said: “We will not now be drawing on the government furlough scheme.

“At the beginning of the lockdown the shareholders agreed with senior management to furlough a small proportion of staff.

“At that point we didn’t know how long the lockdown might last or its likely impact on the business.

“The welfare of my team and our business means everything to me.”

A spokesperson for the brand added that after much consideration, it was decided to reverse the furlough because ”there’s a better way forward for our business”.

“These are tough times and tough decisions and we don’t always get it right – all we can say is we are trying to protect our business and our staff,” they said.

The spokesperson went on to say that the brand would be able to protect its staff without using the furlough scheme thanks to the support of its shareholders.

The news comes after Victoria Beckham Ltd was sued by a former employee who claims she developed carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of working for the company.

Kristina Kubiliene spent almost eight years working at the high-end British label as a pattern cutter and “absolutely loved” her job, according to her legal representative.

Ms Kubilene alleges that she worked up to 15 hours a day for seven days in the lead-up to New York Fashion Week.