Furlough with multiple employers

Becles

I work for four different temping agencies doing who all pay on a PAYE basis. Usually I earn enough to give a decent full time wage that I've been happily living on for some time.

None of the agencies are willing to furlough me. I'm in the vulnerable shielding group and have been advised by the NHS/government to isolate for 12 weeks.

They all claim they cannot furlough me as there is work available but I am choosing not to do it.
None will let me return to work as I've had the shielding letter so they are not willing to put me at risk.
I'm not entitled to SSP with any of them as I haven't earned £118 a week continually with a single agency, although I do earn over that amount in total.
I can claim ESA at £73 a week but this isn't enough cover my basic living costs. I'm single so no other wages coming in.

Is there anything else I can do? I think I'm going to have to take on one of the temporary jobs like supermarkets or DWP to get through this financially.

SuperWizard

Point them to the updated employer guidance which says you can be furloughed if you are shielding on the advice of the NHS/PHE .

Shielding Employees

You can claim for furloughed employees who are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) if they are unable to work from home and you would otherwise have to make them redundant.

I assume you cannot work from home, but I am not sure if they would otherwise have to make you redundant. I suppose it's arguable that they cannot afford to employ someone who cannot work and therefore would have no choice but to make you redundant. Either way, you should be eligible for them to reclaim your wage — but they are under no obligation to furlough you if they don't want to.

You might be eligible for ESA ('new style') and UC at the same time if they refuse to furlough you.

Becles

SuperWizard said:

Point them to the updated employer guidance which says you can be furloughed if you are shielding on the advice of the NHS/PHE .

Shielding Employees

You can claim for furloughed employees who are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) if they are unable to work from home and you would otherwise have to make them redundant.

I assume you cannot work from home, but I am not sure if they would otherwise have to make you redundant. I suppose it's arguable that they cannot afford to employ someone who cannot work and therefore would have no choice but to make you redundant. Either way, you should be eligible for them to reclaim your wage — but they are under no obligation to furlough you if they don't want to.

You might be eligible for ESA ('new style') and UC at the same time if they refuse to furlough you.

I've sent them that link but they're not willing to furlough as they claim there is work there that I could do if I wasn't shielding. 

It's not something I can do at home as the work has to be done at the clients premises. 

Looks like finding a temporary job is going to be the best option. 

unforeseen

Becles said

Looks like finding a temporary job is going to be the best option. 

If you are in the shielding group the that is probably your worst option. 

Why do you think they tell you to stay home and employ additional shielding measures? 

SuperWizard

Becles said:

SuperWizard said:

Point them to the updated employer guidance which says you can be furloughed if you are shielding on the advice of the NHS/PHE .

Shielding Employees

You can claim for furloughed employees who are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) if they are unable to work from home and you would otherwise have to make them redundant.

I assume you cannot work from home, but I am not sure if they would otherwise have to make you redundant. I suppose it's arguable that they cannot afford to employ someone who cannot work and therefore would have no choice but to make you redundant. Either way, you should be eligible for them to reclaim your wage — but they are under no obligation to furlough you if they don't want to.

You might be eligible for ESA ('new style') and UC at the same time if they refuse to furlough you.

I've sent them that link but they're not willing to furlough as they claim there is work there that I could do if I wasn't shielding. 

It's not something I can do at home as the work has to be done at the clients premises. 

Looks like finding a temporary job is going to be the best option. 

Their position seems terribly unfair. They should be furloughing you, but since it is not mandatory to do so, I'm afraid that seeking alternative employment or benefits appears to be the best course of action here. Sorry about that. :-(

sliphi

Becles said:

I work for four different temping agencies doing who all pay on a PAYE basis. Usually I earn enough to give a decent full time wage that I've been happily living on for some time.

None of the agencies are willing to furlough me. I'm in the vulnerable shielding group and have been advised by the NHS/government to isolate for 12 weeks.

They all claim they cannot furlough me as there is work available but I am choosing not to do it.
None will let me return to work as I've had the shielding letter so they are not willing to put me at risk.
I'm not entitled to SSP with any of them as I haven't earned £118 a week continually with a single agency, although I do earn over that amount in total.
I can claim ESA at £73 a week but this isn't enough cover my basic living costs. I'm single so no other wages coming in.

Is there anything else I can do? I think I'm going to have to take on one of the temporary jobs like supermarkets or DWP to get through this financially.

Becles said:

SuperWizard said:

Point them to the updated employer guidance which says you can be furloughed if you are shielding on the advice of the NHS/PHE .

Shielding Employees

You can claim for furloughed employees who are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) if they are unable to work from home and you would otherwise have to make them redundant.

I assume you cannot work from home, but I am not sure if they would otherwise have to make you redundant. I suppose it's arguable that they cannot afford to employ someone who cannot work and therefore would have no choice but to make you redundant. Either way, you should be eligible for them to reclaim your wage — but they are under no obligation to furlough you if they don't want to.

You might be eligible for ESA ('new style') and UC at the same time if they refuse to furlough you.

I've sent them that link but they're not willing to furlough as they claim there is work there that I could do if I wasn't shielding. 

It's not something I can do at home as the work has to be done at the clients premises. 

Looks like finding a temporary job is going to be the best option. 

If you have no work, and your employers are not prepared to furlough you, then what are they doing with you?
Presumably, if you are on temp contracts, they have ended those contracts.

When the work restarts, they'll be paying a small fortune hunting for new workers, and they may even lose their contract to supply workers because other agencies have workers able and willing to work immediately, as their agencies did the right thing and furloughed them

In the meantime for you? It's probably Universal Credit like the rest of the unemployed live off.

If none of your recent places of employment will not allow you to work because you are " in the vulnerable shielding group and have been advised by the NHS/government to isolate for 12 weeks.", why do you think the solution is to work elsewhere.

#StayHomeSaveLives

Becles

sliphi said:

If you have no work, and your employers are not prepared to furlough you, then what are they doing with you?
Presumably, if you are on temp contracts, they have ended those contracts.

When the work restarts, they'll be paying a small fortune hunting for new workers, and they may even lose their contract to supply workers because other agencies have workers able and willing to work immediately, as their agencies did the right thing and furloughed them

In the meantime for you? It's probably Universal Credit like the rest of the unemployed live off.

If none of your recent places of employment will not allow you to work because you are " in the vulnerable shielding group and have been advised by the NHS/government to isolate for 12 weeks.", why do you think the solution is to work elsewhere.

#StayHomeSaveLives

I'm being kept on the books but not being paid anything as apparently I'm choosing not to work.

I need to earn money to live on. It just seems really unfair when some people are getting 80% of their wages to live on and others are getting nothing. I've worked full time most of my life and paid my taxes in just like everyone else.