Can you be put on Furlough twice ??

chezap

Hi all,  This is unclear on HMRC website but my employer has said that we are likely to be put on Furlough at the end of next week for the minimum 3 week period, if after that they have some work for us we will be asked to go back in but if work drops off again we CANNOT be put back on furlough, leaving us with unpaid leave !! Any advice appreciated, thank you.

gary83

The scheme is for a minimum of 3 weeks and a maximum (currently!) of 3 months it doesn’t have to be taken in 3 week blocks

calcotti

I can see nothing that says that. The government guidance simply says that the minimum period of furlough is three weeks. Many of us think that an employer could furlough employees for three weeks, bring them back for a week (say) and then furlough them again. However there is nothing that definitely confirms this.

InA

IMO, taking into account that the initial lockdown was for three weeks, I think the three week period might have been designed with the cyclical enforcing/easing of restrictions after a three week review. So if that was the intention, I don't see why it would not be possible to place employees on furlough again.

However, it may be that your employer feels they would not be able to continue to pay staff (whilst waiting for the grant) if the workload was to drop off to that extent?

lostmariner

calcotti said:

I can see nothing that says that. The government guidance simply says that the minimum period of furlough is three weeks. Many of us think that an employer could furlough employees for three weeks, bring them back for a week (say) and then furlough them again. However there is nothing that definitely confirms this.

Does anyone have any update on this? I was asked to go back to work last week to help out and have been, but it's not my usual job (I usually work in a shop but have been asked to help in the warehouse) I've been back for a week but work has started to dry up and I don't like not having something to do. Can I ask to be put back on furlough?

Jeremy535897

Latest guidance to employees:
"If your employer chooses to place you on furlough, you will need to remain on furlough for a minimum of 3 consecutive weeks. However, your employer can place you on furlough more than once, and one period can follow straight after an existing furlough period, while the scheme is open. The scheme will be open for at least 4 months."

Grumpy_chap

chezap said:

my employer has said that we are likely to be put on Furlough at the end of next week for the minimum 3 week period, if after that they have some work for us we will be asked to go back in but if work drops off again we CANNOT be put back on furlough, leaving us with unpaid leave !!

The employer might be thinking that, if furlough starts 11th May and is in place for the minimum period 3 weeks (or longer), i.e. 29th May, then they need to bring you back for a short while, it might not be possible if work drops off again to go back to furlough and meet the 3-week criteria before the current end-date of the scheme at the end of June.

Other than that, I can't see any reason why you coudl not be furloughed for 3 weeks minimum, do some work, and then another furlough period.

If you have kept in full time work up until now that it great and potentially bodes well for you business being able to restart soon and easily