Furlough recalled

Lozza88s

My boss has just informed me that the company have decided to recall furlough. So anyone that is currently on furlough, that isn't living with anyone self isolating or living with someone over the age of 70 must return to work. 
This has left me feeling stressed beyond belief. I have a 3 year old daughter, nursery is closed. No family to watch her due to lockdown and both my mum and father in law who would normally look after her if she's not at nursery, are high risk. My other half is a key worker full time, Monday to Friday and on stand by at the weekends. 
My options by the company to returning to work are;
1. Work Saturday (6 hours) and Sunday (6 hours) and take remaining 12 hours as holiday (I'm on a 24 hour contract)
2. Take all as holiday until lockdown is lifted
3. Take all unpaid leave until lockdown is lifted. 
Considering the company have done VERY well having stayed open during this awful time! They are certainly quick to get you to use your holiday up rather than keep someone on furlough at 80% pay.
Option one is fine during the week as I can look after my daughter but what if my other half gets called out whilst he looks after her? I won't be able to just up and leave work. I thought the whole point of furlough was to keep people safe and make sure they have a job to go back to. 
I think it's an unfair position to put me into and get me to use my holiday or not get paid at all.
Surely I would not be the only person in the company in my position either
Please can some shed some light 
From a very stressed mumma x

Mrsn

No the point of furlough was to protect jobs that would otherwise be made redundant, not the people doing the jobs.

They are within their rights to recall you back to work. Childcare options are available to children of key workers (only 1 parent needs to be a key worker) you may have to look into childminders or nurseries that are still operating in your area.

The company in my opinion have actually been fair in the options they have given you, most companies would have only offered you the unpaid leave part.

Im sorry this won’t be the news you are looking for.

gary83

Again nobody will be able to give you the answer you want to hear. Furlough wasn’t designed as an ad hoc social security benefit for those of us that had childcare issues. If the company has done very well and has remained open during this period you could consider yourself lucky  to have been furloughed at all. The harsh facts are childcare issues are irrelevant when it comes to selecting employees for furlough.

looking at it from another point of view if the company decided that everyone without kids had to return to work whilst everyone with kids stayed at home on 80% salary would the childless group in work every day for only an extra 20% think it was fair then?

if the company then hit hard times and had to make redundancies it would be hard to argue against the logical decision to reward those that were in work and the redundancies could fall to the group with children who’d been sitting at home on 80% salary. Would the group with kids still think it was fair then?

EssJayD

"if the company then hit hard times and had to make redundancies it would be hard to argue against the logical decision to reward those that were in work and the redundancies could fall to the group with children who’d been sitting at home on 80% salary. Would the group with kids still think it was fair then?"

It would actually be extremely difficult, probably impossible, to argue a redundancy is fair in this case.  (only pointing this out so OP doesn't panic - true employers may try this on and may get away with it if employees don't challenge it!)  

Grumpy_chap

Being asked to go back to work is GOOD NEWS!

As you say, the company have done VERY well having stayed open during this awful time!

The company have been flexible in the alternatives they have offered you.  There is a scheme to ensure that child-care remains available for key-workers, which you said you partner is, so investigate and take advantage of that now (it should still be available even though you did not need to call on it up til now).

Furlough is not there to give people a leisurely holiday at the tax-payers' expense.  This is easily remembered if using the formal title "Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme" - in this case it has worked as intended and your job is retained going forwards.  A success

Would you rather have been asked back to work, following a shortish period on furlough, or just receive a letter of redundancy?

suki1964

I think I replied to you on your previous thread about finding childcare for your child. Did you contact the council or education authority for them to find your child a place as a key worker?