The building arm of the BAM  group decided that for April any furloughed employees should be paid in full, although no decision has been taken about whether a 20% top-up to the 80% Government support will be applied in May.

The board and senior management team has decided to reduce their salaries by 20% from April with the board also forfeiting their annual pay review for 2020.

James Wimpenny said: “It is likely that in the coming months we will need to take further steps to protect the long term sustainability of our business.

“Our priorities are to protect lives and livelihoods so we can further protect the vital jobs that will be so important when the pandemic subsides and the country starts getting back to normal.”

He added: “We have more than 200 colleagues self-isolating or absent from work because they are showing symptoms of Covid-19.

“We send our thoughts and very best wishes to all these colleagues and their families at this worrying time.

He also urged staff to follow the hygiene and social distancing rules, particularly as the Government had warned that the peak of this pandemic has yet to come.

The furloughing of workers will bring active staff numbers just below 2,000.

BAMs teams are working hard building new NHS Nightingale hospitals, and rapidly completing coronavirus wards at existing hospitals.

BAM’s FM teams are also working flat out helping essential public service clients like hospitals, emergency services and local authorities keep going.

Wimpenny said that construction sites that remained open were operating in line with industry and Government guidelines by reducing operating levels and enhancing welfare facilities and changing work patterns to help our teams avoid crowded public transport.