Furlough Leave

IanAllen

I work 25 hours a week.  Today, my boss has asked me to go on Furlough and he will make up my wages to 100%. He then said he wants me to spend 25 hours doing online training courses.  Is this right as I was lead to believe I should not work for the company.  
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ian

moving2015

My last day with my current employer is 1st April, I have requested to rescind my resignation but they have declined.  They have confirmed that my job role will be furloughed, but still not agreeing to keep me.
My new job offer has been rescinded ( even though I signed a contract) due to Coronavirus.  I will be jobless from 2nd April.
How can I plead with my current employer to keep me and furlough me?  

Illusionary

moving2015 said:

My last day with my current employer is 1st April, I have requested to rescind my resignation but they have declined.  They have confirmed that my job role will be furloughed, but still not agreeing to keep me.
My new job offer has been rescinded ( even though I signed a contract) due to Coronavirus.  I will be jobless from 2nd April.
How can I plead with my current employer to keep me and furlough me?  

There's little benefit to your current employer to place you on furlough given that you clearly want to leave. While there's no net monetary cost to your employer to place you on furlough at 80% pay, there is a cash flow impact and  admin burden, so any request for furlough is going to have to depend on the strength of your relationship with your employer/HR - but crucially, they're not obliged to offer this, I'm afraid.

IanAllen said:

I work 25 hours a week.  Today, my boss has asked me to go on Furlough and he will make up my wages to 100%. He then said he wants me to spend 25 hours doing online training courses.  Is this right as I was lead to believe I should not work for the company.  
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ian

You can be required to undertake training while on furlough, so long as you're paid in line with NMW/NLW requirements. From the Government guidance:

Once you are on furlough you will not be able to work for your employer, but you can undertake training or volunteer subject to public health guidance, as long as you’re not:

• making money for your employer
• providing services to your employer

If workers are required to for example, complete training courses whilst they are furloughed, then they must be paid at least the NLW/NMW for the time spent training, even if this is more than the 80% of their wage that will be subsidised.

7Phil

@IanAllen I agree with the above.
You are able to keep training during your furlough. I would encourage you to keep doing that especially if you are being granted 100% pay. 

@moving2015 please start a new thread for your own issue to be answered. It is not related.

andrew1245

So my employer has suggest that if we are to be furloughed we should complete training but our pay would still only be 80% is this correct? or should it be the 80% furlough pay from the Gov + NLW for time spent training ? 

Illusionary

andrew1245 said:

So my employer has suggest that if we are to be furloughed we should complete training but our pay would still only be 80% is this correct? or should it be the 80% furlough pay from the Gov + NLW for time spent training ? 

Your employer isn't obliged to pay more than the 80%, provided that doesn't fall below the NLW/NMW.

Hermann

Use the training to improve skills and certifications, then when back to work time for pay rise to reflect your new found skills that are so essential for the employer!

Should certainly be useful at your next review!