My employer will not confirm either way if they will put me on furlough - what can i do?

McSooo

Hi There, 

Looking for advise, I was paid off on March 17th with a month notice, which takes me (paid) up to 16th of April, was sent my P45 last week. I have reached out to my old employer last week requesting I be put on furlough, sending them links to the gov.uk that stated all the info needed and who would be eligablie etc which had been newly updates on the 26th with the criteria..

There reply was -  "our accountants advice is at present, not to commit to anything until the portal is open and operational, incase there are any changes, which I don’t believe there has been a date set" 

I am now in the assumsion that they do not want to pay out thier own pocket first and then be back dated. My question is are if they allowed to wait till the last minute to reinstate me (god willing) or do they need to reinstate me before to be able to get this scheme, someone from Job center plus advsiee that i would need to be on there payroll before they could apply....Also is there anything i can do to get them to confirm they will do this (when the time comes)...other then beg??? 

neilmcl

You'll just have to wait and see I'm afraid.

gary83

Were you paid off And made redundant because of the coronavirus or was it unrelated?

unfortunately there is nothing you can do, they’ve made you redundant and fulfilled their obligations by paying you for a month (which Im assuming was correct) They have done everything they needed to, now you’re going back and asking them to rehire you, put you back on their payroll, pay you 80% of the salary (although they already agreed to pay you up until the 16th of April) pay someone to claim the money back from the government for you and wait to receive it, at the end of the process the government will stop paying the 80% of the salary so they’ll have to fund it themselves, or make you redundant again. Personally I can’t see many companies, volunteering to do that kind of favour for ex employees, especially at a time when they’re all going to be hurting, I think most would just say no.

McSooo

Hi Gary, 
I was paid off due to COVID-19, your post seem very negitive....my understand is this scheme is for exactly for people like me, and in fact the goverment is wanting this to happen to keep the economy going? Have a missed something here? 

gary83

my post might seem negative, but I’m not having a go at you, or anybody else in your unfortunate situation. that’s just the facts, furlough is entirely optional at the company’s discretion, they have to want to do it, looking at it from the company’s perspective what’s in it for them? why would they choose to do it? It costs them time & money (paid upfront that they could claim back) at a time when they can probably least afford both and also risks another potential redundancy which they couldn’t claim back, businesses are not set up to function as administrators & to pay the upfront costs of a makeshift social security scheme. Furlough is not meant to be a makeshift security system, it was introduced to help companies, not individuals.

McSooo

Well here is hoping Gary that a little bit of morals kick in....I wasnt the only one effected in this company...a total of 10 people where!