Furloughed- Employer recruits

Clems0710

I was furloughed due to lack of work but I have just had notification that my Employer has recruited a new member of staff. Albeit not the same job as me but they now have 2 doing one job when we have no work apparently!
Can they do this?

sharpe106

Yes, they may be planning on an upturn in business as soon as the lock down ends. 

Clems0710

Really?!
Surely they should be having their existing staff back first?

sharpe106

There is nothing laid out against it. But one would have thought they would. This other person might have been offered a job previously, without asking nobody know whys.

Grumpy_chap

Maybe, and I can understand why you think that.
But the key note here is you admit "not the same job as me" and various reasons why that could be fair and reasonable.

[Deleted User]

Yes because it is very easy to get rid of someone under 2 years.
I came across a sales & customer service job earlier at 18k, paying just over 1k more then a year on from info stored, (a vacancy which again was a claimed no remote working possible) but wondered if someone had got on wrong side of the boss or whether you sat in a dual role on Todd - pending the arrival of the colleagues in future.

Dr_Crypto

Maybe they are expecting to be busy when things reopen? Perhaps there is some reason you can't be redeployed? Or maybe it is cheaper for them to hire someone to do the other job and have you furloughed on the government's expense than to bring you back and have to pay you themselves?