Furloughing for redundancy notice

Jeremy535897

There is certainly a risk that employers might start to make employees redundant soon if they think they can cover notice with furlough up to end July only.

sharpe106

Hi - I’ve just been made redundant after a good number of years employed with the company. They ignored my repeated requests to furlough me and defer the decision until we knew more about the recovery and whether there could be alternative employment. I think this is personal and will be pursuing a claim but my question is now that they wouldn’t use the furlough scheme to retain me

 

The furlough scheme is optional and still has costs for an employer. So I can’t see how a claim against them will work.

 

But want me to now agree to them using it to pay my redundancy notice. I can’t find anything or anyone to ask if this is legal? After all it’s a retention scheme not a redundancy scheme! I guess as long as I get paid (it’ll be at 100%) I shouldn’t worry but I consider it to be an unethical use of the scheme.

 You have to agree to be furloughed so you decline it. It is not what the scheme was designed for but it can be used for that.

 They are also forcing me to use all of my accrued leave which it’s in my contract they can tell me to do but given that I’m already furloughed, can’t go anywhere and the whole idea of asking furloughed workers to take leave so that they don’t come back with loads owing doesn’t apply as I’m not going back.

If they did not make you take the leave they would then owe you that as well when you left. So it saves them money making you take the leave now.

Seeker03

I was given a letter by a colleague and placed on Furlough at very short notice, no meeting or consultation etc. on Fri 27 March (to start immediately) a few hours prior to leaving office.

The company have contacted me and a few others to request information relating to our jobs etc and to work whilst on Furlough at 80% salary. On 4th May received call to state we will receive letter that we are risk of redundancy and will receive letter via email same day. Letter received 5th May (Letter confirmed sent to 22 employees) to state meeting by phone will be held at 2pm, which I deferred until 6th may 11.30am.  Conference call took place with 2 colleagues (by agreement).  2 of us told will be made redundant and there are no other positions available for us.  We stated it should have been collective consultancy and they denied this to be true as only 17 employees were going to be redundant.  Is this right?

We have also been told that our notice period will be the month of June and PILON be paid at 80% furlough rate.  Is this correct?

We have also been told that our holiday (untaken) will also be at 80%. I believe it should be full pay 100%, can anyone confirm this please?

Our bank holidays are also part of our 5.6 wk hol ent and they are denying it is part of our holiday stating we are only entitled to 20 days holiday per year from the company and bank holidays are part of our normal pay not holiday pay (we do not work bank holidays).  I believe this to be incorrect and continue to send emails to the company of which they are not responding.  Can anyone verify this please?

To cap it all the company is not in financial trouble whatsoever and they have stated in their redundancy letter to us that the reason is COVID-19 and the business has been forced to close, when in fact 5 employees have been kept on and relocated to another local office and the depot we were renting we have given notice on.  I only want what’s right for me and my colleagues, no more, no less and feel very let down by their actions or non-action at present.  Any help much appreciated.