The "I've been furloughed" Thread

[Whatsmyname]

Family members entire team (working for a large global operation) was asked if any of them would voluntarily be furloughed, some one in the team talked everyone into saying fk off no chance. They are all on 40% rate of tax but I can see it ending well with that response.

[TCX]

ezi said:

Just this week been asked to take all remaining holiday days before the end of the financial year, normally we are allowed to roll over a few days into the next year but this year been told no so that's me off until next week.

Some of our staff are still working as normal, others have been thrown into the unknown; got to phone in on Friday afternoon to find out what happens from Monday. Our gaffer is wanting to keep some staff on standby ready to work for which we'll get paid just £35/day for being on call, normal day rate is approx. £125-130 so this feels like a smack in the mouth if I get asked to do this.

If a company is struggling to find work and has furloughed some staff without consultation/asking for volunteers, is there any way in which I can force myself into being furloughed instead of this £35/day rubbish?

Thought time allowed to use holidays was extended to two years,or is this a 'take it or else' proposition from company?

[ezi]

TCX said:

ezi said:

Just this week been asked to take all remaining holiday days before the end of the financial year, normally we are allowed to roll over a few days into the next year but this year been told no so that's me off until next week.

Some of our staff are still working as normal, others have been thrown into the unknown; got to phone in on Friday afternoon to find out what happens from Monday. Our gaffer is wanting to keep some staff on standby ready to work for which we'll get paid just £35/day for being on call, normal day rate is approx. £125-130 so this feels like a smack in the mouth if I get asked to do this.

If a company is struggling to find work and has furloughed some staff without consultation/asking for volunteers, is there any way in which I can force myself into being furloughed instead of this £35/day rubbish?

Thought time allowed to use holidays was extended to two years,or is this a 'take it or else' proposition from company?

In not so many words, it does feel like that kind of proposition yes.

[RammyMP]

One thing that’s bothering me is how does this stack up with your employment contract? My niece has been told getting furloughed and she’s having her wage cut by 20%, what’s to say when she goes back to work her employer doesn’t reinstate her original wage?

Are our contracts of employment not worth anything?

[Jasey_]

RammyMP said:

One thing that’s bothering me is how does this stack up with your employment contract? My niece has been told getting furloughed and she’s having her wage cut by 20%, what’s to say when she goes back to work her employer doesn’t reinstate her original wage?

Are our contracts of employment not worth anything?

I would urge your neice to worry more about if there is anything to go back to at all.

The furlough process will not affect your contract of employment at all.

[anonymous-user]

Jasey_ said:

I would urge your neice to worry more about if there is anything to go back to at all.

The furlough process will not affect your contract of employment at all.

A lot of employers are paying 80%, are they all in breach on contract? I can’t see employee objections standing up long term?

[Jasey_]

Sambucket said:

Jasey_ said:

I would urge your neice to worry more about if there is anything to go back to at all.

The furlough process will not affect your contract of employment at all.

A lot of employers are paying 80%, are they all in breach on contract? I can’t see employee objections standing up long term?

Anyone arguing with an employer paying the 80% to stay home safe while key workers put themselves in harms way would be shot at dawn in Jasey's Britain.

I think people are still in denial about the situation we find ourselves in.

Yes it's tough but we don't have time to find a better solution just now .

[airsafari87]

I am fully set up to work from home, but I was informed last week that as of Monday 30th March I was being furloughed on 80% until the end of May.

For the past couple of months work was thin on the ground and we had 4 or 5 of us engineers scratching around for work. I am very doubtful that I will have a job to go back to unless some live tenders are awarded to us soon.

Both myself and my partner were working from home last week though. She is working in our office upstairs and I had set myself up downstairs and it was working quite well.
She is continuing to work from home for the foreseeable future. So with her wage and my 80% wage we are ok for now.

I am taking this week to get a few jobs done in the house and the garage and I also have myself a bit of a personal project set up which will keep me using my brain and keep me occupied during this time and may even provide me with a new opportunity.

If I do get made redundant at the end of this I am not looking forward to trying to have to find a new job at all.

[SD_1]

Has anyone in this position been asked by their employer to sign a permanent amendment to their contract allowing them to be furloughed at any time?

I'm not a contract lawyer, but this seems a bit odd. I know of a fairly reputable firm that is doing this, and they are saying if the employees dont then they cant be furloughed and risk redundancy instead.

[anonymous-user]

Chuffedmonkey said:

There is talk about a % of staff being Furloughed soon but it could all be rumors. Its nervous times for most.

Does anyone know if the business can furlough staff if the company has not seen any drop in revenue? Our company shouldn't see a drop in revenue in the coming months but it does have a lot of staff with reduced work due to restrictions on certain work. I would imagine the government would not be happy if they furlough staff using government money whilst potentially still making money/profit.

Ours is the same, the sales side (us) has been furloughed this morning while we are operating at historic levels of business and overachieved budget. Senior management all still in though...

[ozzuk]

SD_1 said:

Has anyone in this position been asked by their employer to sign a permanent amendment to their contract allowing them to be furloughed at any time?

I'm not a contract lawyer, but this seems a bit odd. I know of a fairly reputable firm that is doing this, and they are saying if the employees dont then they cant be furloughed and risk redundancy instead.

I checked with HR, if there is a lay off clause in the contract then it seems like if an employee refuses they are then likely up for redundancy. If there is no clause, it means a contract change, and if refused then likely a breach of contract situation. Best case is both parties agree to it - this is a job retention scheme after all.

[Chuffedmonkey]

1974nc said:

Ours is the same, the sales side (us) has been furloughed this morning while we are operating at historic levels of business and overachieved budget. Senior management all still in though...

is that on 80% or are the company topping up to 100%?

[mondeoman]

Ltd Co contractor, furlough ilo 4 weeks notice.

Time to get searching for the next contract....

[zippy3x]

mondeoman said:

Ltd Co contractor, furlough ilo 4 weeks notice.

Time to get searching for the next contract....

What? Your client can't furlough you, you don't work for them....

[StevenB]

Has anyone managed to find out (officially) if you can get another job, ie tesco etc while your are furloughed ? (with the furloughing company being aware)

Some of our drivers are going to struggle as they do overtime to get there hours up (bus and coach industry)

If you already had two jobs it's ok to carry on with the one you are not furloughed from,thats mentioned in the government guidance

Thanks

Steve

[CoolC]

Got the call this morning that I am furloughed from tomorrow until the end of May on 80% (no chance our stingy lot would top up) I'm just over the cap, so lose a bit more than the 20% but only a bit.

I'm one of one in my job role though, and wouldn't put it past them to use this as an excuse to make the role redundant. Unless the whole economy goes fully to st they will come out of the other side of this.

[21TonyK]

StevenB said:

Has anyone managed to find out (officially) if you can get another job, ie tesco etc while your are furloughed ? (with the furloughing company being aware)

Only going on what my daughter has been told. Her employer still sends her CAD work to do but has said fit it in around anything else you are doing, even sent her links to local casual stuff.

[Jasey_]

21TonyK said:

StevenB said:

Has anyone managed to find out (officially) if you can get another job, ie tesco etc while your are furloughed ? (with the furloughing company being aware)

Only going on what my daughter has been told. Her employer still sends her CAD work to do but has said fit it in around anything else you are doing

Fairly sure that's against the "rules" of furlough.

You can do training but not work.

Mind you the chances of anyone finding out will be slim !

[StevenB]

Jasey_ said:

21TonyK said:

StevenB said:

Has anyone managed to find out (officially) if you can get another job, ie tesco etc while your are furloughed ? (with the furloughing company being aware)

Only going on what my daughter has been told. Her employer still sends her CAD work to do but has said fit it in around anything else you are doing

Fairly sure that's against the "rules" of furlough.

You can do training but not work.

Mind you the chances of anyone finding out will be slim !

The tax you pay on the other job might cause a problem.

I think it's the company you are furloughed from you can't do any work for except for the training and something else i've forgotten what it was now...

It's my understanding that if the company your daughter is furloughed from is sending her work then that is against the rules of furlough. from here

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-t...

Employees you can claim for

Furloughed employees must have been on your PAYE payroll on 28 February 2020, and can be on any type of contract, including:

full-time employees
part-time employees
employees on agency contracts
employees on flexible or zero-hour contracts

The scheme also covers employees who were made redundant since 28 February 2020, if they are rehired by their employer.

To be eligible for the subsidy, when on furlough, an employee can not undertake work for or on behalf of the organisation. This includes providing services or generating revenue. While on furlough, the employee’s wage will be subject to usual income tax and other deductions.

[RobXjcoupe]

The 80% government wage is free from deductions. Currently for 3 months I think? I would assume if you took on another job (paye) the earnings are simply taxed accordingly on those earnings. So if you could find work for the lock down period it’s just lucky you. Personally I’m making the most of being paid by the government to stay at home safe with family. 30 years of working shifts and now a rest for a few weeks to let our nhs survive this pandemic is absolutely fine with me.
I would imagine the cash in hand workers are knackered though