Staff demanding to be furloughed

cunn20

We have small business that can still be operated within the government guidelines, ie safe social distancing, (one or two people to each site, no customers on site), hand washing facilities etc.  This work cannot be done at home, but the employees want to be furloughed. 
How would this work as we have lots of work on our books but we don't want to be accused of fraud or putting employees lives at risk.

Hermann

As the employer you are the decision maker.

You have been provided with guidance and are to use your discretion when making a decision.

You have to read the guidance for employers and judge how your situation fits into it.

Further guidance may come forward or the situation may change with a stricter lockdown.

I don't believe anyone can be certain until HMRC have actually challenged an employer and worked through that challenge which won't be for a long time.

General_Grant

I really do feel for employers who are having to ask employees to do the jobs they have been hired to do.
[ETA:  The current situation is making me very grumpy!]

Andy_L

You can only furlough staff if you don't have (enough) work for them, not because they don't want to come in. It is not something staff can demand, you offer it & they have to agree.

Quite how that is being policed I don't know.

neilmcl

Good to see the other point of view for a change.

yksi

Putting it politely, you tell your employees that as you are still trading and the job can be done safely, you are not offering to furlough them - and that furloughing is only when there is no work available to be done.

sharpe106

If you furlough them yes the government will probably pay up but at some point somebody will be looking through all these companies book and asking why they have furloughed staff. The scheme is to protect jobs not so staff can have a paid holiday, tell them if they want to isolate they can but they will only be able to claim SSP and even that would be limited.