The club insist that chairman Levy would pay any staff he uses privately himself, rather than through their Spurs salary
Daniel Levy has given consideration to putting Tottenham Hotspur ground staff who have not been furloughed to work at his private Hertfordshire estate during the coronavirus crisis.
Tottenham insist that chairman Levy would pay any staff he uses privately himself, rather than through their Spurs salary, as the club attempt to keep employees in work.
Levy and Spurs have come under fire for pushing ahead with 90 per cent wage cuts for their 550 non-playing staff, around half of whom have been furloughed , during April and May.
Members of staff have been upset by the measures, believing they are being treated differently to employees at other Premier League clubs. Norwich City and Bournemouth are both making up the shortfall in wages for furlored staff.
But Levy has stressed that the decision to cut wages and furlough staff has been made to protect jobs for the future and fight the threat of redundancies further down the line.
As part of his desire to keep as much of his staff working as possible, consideration has been given to Levy topping up the hours of Tottenham’s ground staff by using them at his home.
Levy lives in Hertfordshire at a residence which people who have visited say has expansive grounds.
While the pitch at Tottenham’s £ 1 billion stadium will need to be maintained during the coronavirus crisis, there is not currently the need to prepare it for matches with the Premier League suspended indefinitely.
The club’s Enfield training ground is also shut to all but essential staff, with players training at home, which means there is less work to do on the pitches there.
Levy signalled his intent to push on with the furloughs and wage cuts, which include himself and the Tottenham board, as staff received a second email outlining their new terms of employment.
Those being furloughed have been told not to answer club-related calls or emails for April and May, and have been advised to turn off Tottenham devices, while those remaining in work have been asked to sign a document agreeing to the change to their salaries and contracts.
A source told Telegraph Sport : “People are angry and upset . Many are worried about their mortgages and other bills. Other clubs have furloughed staff, but at least they have agreed to top up their wages. ”
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters ’Trust attempted to make one final plea for Levy to change his mind by posting a message on social media that read:“ We have been saying consistently @SpursOfficial – pause and rethink. We are now saying it clearly and in public – do not further damage the club’s reputation, listen to your fans. ”
But there has not been any indication that Spurs are planning to follow Liverpool in reversing their decision to furlough non-football staff.
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