Furloughed Workers

[jansman]

I'm sorry to hear of anyone going through such tough times. I really hope your company manages to get the money to cover your salary jansman.

At the risk of being shot down here, I think the government are doing a good job. I employ 20+ people and making arrangements for homeworking, allowing staff to reduce hours, change contracts, etc has been utterly crazy busy and mind-blowingly complex. I dread to think what it would be like right now in government, making these plans for the whole country.

Paying 80% of salary for employees and self-employed will save thousands of jobs and companies. It is also true that it may not come quickly enough for some though. I don't think that's the government's fault though.

The government have instructed the banks to make emergency loans available to companies to cover this gap. Of course this is a loan only but may offer some extra support.

I have to agree with you about the government doing a decent job.I would not want a job in The Cabinet right now.They seem to be doing the best they can with what they have.Tough decisions.

[grenfell]

I'm self employed so can't comment directly as such. I've knocked internal work on the head for the moment but can still work outside so there is still some income. Money as such isn't a huge problem , we'd already earned enough for the financial year a while ago. I have one customer who runs a medium sized firm specialising in refrigeration , and as 95% of their work is pub work they effectively closed down a fortnight ago and now only have a couple of engineers on call. Everyone else is furloughed and on the 80% thing.
I also have a friend that works for a large multinational car parts firm ( currently spanish owned i think) and he is currently off work and on the 80%. He and his fellow workers have received a letter saying that after three weeks that will become 70% and time will have to be made up with unpaid overtime at a later date. I'm not going to say which company it is as there is currently someone looking into whether their approach is legal and so on. Seems how a company views this lockdown is something of a lottery.

[Jamesey1981]

I logged in to an email this morning saying that we are all furloughed as of the first of march, yes, I did say march.

Basically it seems that my employers plan is to have us all continue to work, but for 80% pay, which he will claim from HMRC, so we will work without it costing the company anything, including claiming for the month that we have all just worked, and been paid for.

Obviously I am not happy with this situation, I called my boss, and after getting into a circular argument where he showed several times how unfit he is to be managing director, I then called my solicitor on my lunch break, I have legal expenses cover through my home insurance, anyone that doesn't, add it on, trust me.

Anyway, I have sent an email (and I'm not the only one to have done this, setting out that we are either working, or we are furloughed, we cannot be both, and I require clarification by 9 AM tomorrow as then we will be in to a new pay period, and the company needs to decide whether they are going to continue being responsible for our salaries, or if they intend to furlough us and claim from the government, as attempting to have us work and then claim for our income, A) won't work and he won't have the money to pay us, and B) is fraud, which I will not keep quiet about.

I'll probably be visiting the jobcentre shortly, but I won't go down without a fight, wish me luck.

[Yorkshire Andy]

I logged in to an email this morning saying that we are all furloughed as of the first of march, yes, I did say march.

Basically it seems that my employers plan is to have us all continue to work, but for 80% pay, which he will claim from HMRC, so we will work without it costing the company anything, including claiming for the month that we have all just worked, and been paid for.

Obviously I am not happy with this situation, I called my boss, and after getting into a circular argument where he showed several times how unfit he is to be managing director, I then called my solicitor on my lunch break, I have legal expenses cover through my home insurance, anyone that doesn't, add it on, trust me.

Anyway, I have sent an email (and I'm not the only one to have done this, setting out that we are either working, or we are furloughed, we cannot be both, and I require clarification by 9 AM tomorrow as then we will be in to a new pay period, and the company needs to decide whether they are going to continue being responsible for our salaries, or if they intend to furlough us and claim from the government, as attempting to have us work and then claim for our income, A) won't work and he won't have the money to pay us, and B) is fraud, which I will not keep quiet about.

I'll probably be visiting the jobcentre shortly, but I won't go down without a fight, wish me luck.

We I got furloughed I had to hand the company phone in to the office as if your furloughed you are not allowed to work / visit your workplace even if your not working / answer phone calls or emails Or do any work for the company whilst off site

[Jamesey1981]

You know that, I know that, I would even venture that my employer knows that, but he thinks the rules don't apply to him and he has the right to free taxpayer's money.

He has sent out another email, that everyone will receive a personal email by midnight and this will supersede the previous email. "Further to taking more detailed professional advice...." yeah, from me you utter fool, it's plain as day in the government guidelines.

I fully expect to get laid off, but if he has any sense then it will be furlough, as if he makes me redundant I'll be wanting a full month's pay in lieu of notice and all the holiday pay I'm entitled to, which includes commission at the end of april, if I'm furloughed he only owes me 80% and he can claim it back.

[peejay]

I managed a reprieve today, they extended my contract (ending today) by another month. Close call I believe as they've kept on 4 out of something like 30 contractors! We all had our contracts expiring today due to the IR35/PAYE changes but pretty poor show of the client to only be telling people today that it's their last day...

[itsybitsy]

It's all a bit of a bloody mess, isn't it.

I was offered, and accepted, a fantastic new role on 7 March, with a start date of 30 March. I got a call last Tuesday to tell me that they can't onboard me until further notice, as they had furloughed all their staff after BoJo locked us down. Which leaves me in limbo with no income. I do get a bit of Universal Credit, as I signed on in January after my three-month LIEU period came to an end, but trust me, it's *very* little - I get less than 500 quid a month. So I went to Tesco and I got a job - I start on Monday. I'm just glad to get out of the house a bit to be honest. Given that I've been spending all of my time job hunting since I got back from holiday on 4 January, I've been practically self-isolating since then!

[Jamesey1981]

Well, I'm on furlough now.

Honestly, what an idiot, I hate being put in a position like this, but to be honest I'm an employer's nightmare, I know employment law better than most HR departments and I am bloody minded enough to fight, I just wish people would actually think about these things when they are dealing with their employees so I don't have to fight it as really I as an employee shouldn't have to, none of us should, employers should just stick to the damn rules.

I'll have a nice lie in tomorrow though, and I can reconnect my monitors to my gaming PC.

Horrible bit of luck you had there Itsy, couldn't have gone more wrong, glad you have managed to find something to keep you busy though.

[jansman]

The portal for employers to claim furlough will not even be open until the end of April! That is when most employees expect to be paid again.Whilst the government has done the right thing ( in principle),in practice will be another matter. Anyone remember way back when HMRC were tasked with paying tax credits? I do. It was a mess that lasted a good three years until it smoothed out..The new Job Retention Scheme has the propensity to be a right royal cock- up.

Personally,I am one of ten ( out of twenty) employees that has been stood down.My boss said to me to, " tighten my belt,as the money could be delayed".He is mortgaged to the hilt,and I cannot see him getting through however long it will be. I don't kid myself that HMRC will be able to pay 20 + million workers by the end of April.

I have to see the butchery manager ( the job is mine)at a local pork processing plant tomorrow,it's line- work,but it will put more money in my pocket than the government. Less money than I am used to,but it's weekly pay - great!!, Is half the distance, 6 til 2 and for the first time in my life, Monday to Friday!

Its all about economic survival now.

[Jamesey1981]

Employers are still responsible for paying furloughed workers, the only difference is that they can then claim that money back, my company will be paying me, or they'll be going to a tribunal, their choice.

I'm looking around anyway, just seen a rather nice role with the police force, and I'll get a guaranteed interview as I'm disabled, (not massively, but enough that I need a couple of minor workstation adjustments, and they can tick a diversity box.)