New job affected by Coronavirus - what can I do?

Fx777

Hi all. I resigned from my previous employer at the end of February before the virus situation started to get like it is now. My notice expires on 31 March.  I was due to start my new job at the beginning of April.  I had an offer by email from the company which i'd accepted by email however I had not received any form of contract yet which I had been chasing over the past week.  The new employer phoned me yesterday at 5pm to tell me they had to retract their offer due to a recruitment freeze because of the implications of the coronavirus.  The new job was at a main national clothing retailer.  Since that yesterday, i have got in contact with my current employer to see if I can withdraw my notice, however as it was given 3 weeks ago they have said no because someone else has already accepted my old position.  A few days ago my current employer closed their shops due to the virus so I am currently off on full pay until 31st March (my leaving date) whilst the shop is closed.
So my question is with these announcements yesterday regarding wages, where do I stand?  I cannot live without some form of wage obviously (I have never been on benefits, worked all my life)... but i'm confused now as I seem to have no job after 31st March seemingly through no fault of my own but because the virus outbreak has made my new employer put a freeze on recruitment and retracted my job offer.  Thanks for any help or guidance. 

Jeremy535897

I am afraid that you are in a difficult situation, because your old employer cannot treat you as furloughed when they have replaced you, and your new employer is not going to employ you at all. You say you were offered a job and accepted the offer. You could try the Citizens Advice Bureau or talk to a lawyer as to whether you have any right to force the new employer to give you the job, or offer compensation for what may be a breach of contract.

Fx777

Thanks for the guidance, someone did suggest the latter option (ie complain re new employer compensation etc) however this would involve a legal procedure which I really don't want to do, the stress and anxiety would be not worth the outcome (probably  a months wage at max I have been advised) - I would imagine there are quite a few people around the UK in this situation where job offers have been retracted because of the virus.  I accept the new job is no more.  My main concern is to do with some form of help (benefit or something similar) given this situation.  Because it was the virus that caused them to retract their offer is there no form of help from the government?  Of course i'm happy to start looking for a new job in time but it would be pointless at the moment with most high street shops either closing, reducing staff or closed already. 

calcotti

Fx777 said: My main concern is to do with some form of help (benefit or something similar) given this situation.  

Look at Universal Credit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/

There are benefit calculators you can use to check entitlement https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

merrydance

I hear that the supermarkets are employing new staff. Also 111 Phone line.

onwards&upwards

Hospitals are crying out for staff at all levels, that would be the most secure job you could find right now. 

mattyprice4004

A new employer can let anyone go for any reason within the first 2 years -
 so I doubt they’d be culpable. 

Put yourself in their shoes - why would you take staff on when you might not even have the money to pay existing staff?

It’s a tough situation and you have my sympathy, but unfortunately you don’t have any recourse on the new employer. Offers are retracted all the time sadly. 

Undervalued

Jeremy535897 said:

I am afraid that you are in a difficult situation, because your old employer cannot treat you as furloughed when they have replaced you, and your new employer is not going to employ you at all. You say you were offered a job and accepted the offer. You could try the Citizens Advice Bureau or talk to a lawyer as to whether you have any right to force the new employer to give you the job, or offer compensation for what may be a breach of contract.

Very unlikely I'm afraid.

Whilst a contract has been formed the only thing that would entitle the OP to is the contractual notice. If the OP could show that say a month's notice had been agreed for the new job then, in theory at least, they are entitled to paid from the start date until the end of the notice. Notice has already been given (lets say on 20 March) so IF it were to be a month's notice they could argue that the new employer should either let them work or give pay in lieu until 20 April. Also, if we are being pedantic, about 1.5 days holiday would have accrued during those days!

Statutory notice is however zero in the first month of employment, so unless the OP can show a contractual entitlement to more that doesn't help. It would be worth checking carefully any job particulars and even, if it is a larger company, what their normal terms of employment are for similar jobs. Any evidence that one month (or even three months if you are very lucky) is the norm would help.

Given that you can be lawfully dismissed for no reason at all during the first two years, it is normally hard to impossible to claim anything else.

weavedribbon

If you've paid enough national insurance over the last two tax years then you could look into New style JSA as well as looking into Universal Credit as calcotti mentioned above