volunteer for 80% pay

050569

I currently work in a cafe which is closing due to COVID-19.To receive 80% pay the company i work for is asking me to volunteer into home care, hospital, defence or cleaning. If i dont volunteer i will receive no pay and may lose my job. Has anyone else came across this issue. 

Jeremy535897

No. Sounds bizarre. Defence versus cleaning? Are you sure? It can't be anything to do with the coronavirus job retention scheme, because that requires you to do no work for your employer, and the employer cannot attach conditions like you describe. So I conclude your employer is some work ethic motivated philanthropist who is going to pay you 80% of your wage for doing some volunteering rather than sitting at home watching Netflix (other subscription based streaming services are available). I'd do it if I were you, unless you don't need the money. (If you have worked there for over 2 years they would by law be obliged to pay you redundancy if they sacked you.)
I don't want to seem flippant, but your query has brought more of a smile to my face than all the previous 100 questions I have answered this evening put together!

Splatfoot

I'm thinking the employer just doesn't want you to get money for doing nothing. That's not really up to them though, if they're claiming it from the government. You'll be doing your bit by staying in.

Skybluetart

Please can you confirm that come April who pays the 80% of my wage.  Is it paid by my employer and then they claim it back or is this paid directly by the government/HMRC?  The reason why I ask, is because my employer has said he will not pay me the 80% until you pay him!   

neilmcl

Skybluetart said:

Please can you confirm that come April who pays the 80% of my wage.  Is it paid by my employer and then they claim it back or is this paid directly by the government/HMRC?  The reason why I ask, is because my employer has said he will not pay me the 80% until you pay him!   

The full detail of how this work has not been released but the idea is that your employer will continue to pay you your wage and they will have this supplemented by the Govt somehow.

calcotti

Skybluetart said:

Please can you confirm that come April who pays the 80% of my wage.  Is it paid by my employer and then they claim it back or is this paid directly by the government/HMRC?  The reason why I ask, is because my employer has said he will not pay me the 80% until you pay him!   

Our understanding is that it will have to be paid by the employer and then reimbursed by HMRC bit full details of how the scheme will work have not yet been provided.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses

Support for businesses through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers with a PAYE scheme will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis.
This applies to employees who have been asked to stop working, but who are being kept on the pay roll, otherwise described as ‘furloughed workers’. HMRC will reimburse 80% of their wages, up to £2,500 per month. This is to safeguard workers from being made redundant.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to 1 March and is initially open for 3 months, but will be extended if necessary. HMRC will set out more details shortly.

HornetSaver

Unfortunately, who is furloughed and the criteria for it is the employer's decision. On the face of it, it's highly irresponsible for the employer to say "well, you should definitely be out there doing something, notwithstanding the advice is to stay at home", and in theory they might be in dicey territory if you were to contract covid-19 as a result of being instructed to volunteer as a condition of remaining employed. But neither of those points change the fact that you seem to be in a position here.