Why isn’t Tesco paying me?

mclawler37

My step father works  for Tesco, and has found out he hasn’t been paid for the last 8 weeks. He has self isolated voluntarily because my Mum is high risk. 

He was under the impression he would get paid through furlough due to the monthly Newsletter that says Tesco will look after their staff ? Surely this can’t be right ? Has anyone else had this happen to them? 

whizzywoo

I'm fairly certain that Tesco haven't furloughed any staff because there was always work for them to do.  In fact all the supermarkets have been recruiting thousands of new staff.

Did your Stepfather received a letter or email from Tesco asking that he agreed to be furloughed?

Just because a member of your household is at risk does not mean that you are automatically furloughed.

Undervalued

mclawler37 said:

My step father works  for Tesco, and has found out he hasn’t been paid for the last 8 weeks. He has self isolated voluntarily because my Mum is high risk. 

He was under the impression he would get paid through furlough due to the monthly Newsletter that says Tesco will look after their staff ? Surely this can’t be right ? Has anyone else had this happen to them? 

Has he asked them?

As I understand it, he has no legal right to be paid under the circumstances you describe. Some employers are choosing to do more than the law requires. I think I read that Tesco were choosing to allow several thousand staff aged over 70 not to work but were still paying them? However it is up to them what criteria they set.

You could argue they were "looking after him" in allowing unpaid leave, which they are not obliged to do!

Mrsn

You have answers your own question with the “self isolating” voluntarily. There is no obligation to pay those employees that are doing so and even more no obligation to furlough them for this when there was definitely in this case work available to do.

sharpe106

They have looked after him they have let him take unpaid leave. Very few companies are furloughing people just because somebody else is shielding.

bradders1983

Why is the title of this thread "why isnt Tesco paying ME" and they he goes on to say the thread is about his step father? 🤔🤔

mobilejo

mclawler37 said:

He was under the impression he would get paid through furlough due to the monthly Newsletter that says Tesco will look after their staff ? Surely this can’t be right ? Has anyone else had this happen to them? 

Not sure how a generic statement in a newsletter saying they will "look after staff" can be interpreted as an agreement to furlough any particular employee...

If Tesco have not agreed with him directly to put him on furlough, then he isn't on furlough. Just calling the boss to say I'm not working today as someone in the house is shielding won't result in being put on furlough just like that.

bradders1983

Waiting 8 weeks to raise it as well. One assumes he has actually contacted HR by now?

Biscuit49

Furlough is only supposed to be paid when a business is suffering from financial difficulties due to COVID19...Tesco clearly wont be.

sharpe106

Biscuit49 said:

Furlough is only supposed to be paid when a business is suffering from financial difficulties due to COVID19...Tesco clearly wont be.

That was the original plan, but you can pretty much claim for any reason now. Then the government were surprised with how many people applied for it. 

poppy12345

Living with someone that is high risk doesn't mean you have to self isolate yourself. There's lots of people that have continued to work right from the start of the lockdown and they live with a vulnerable person. Taking extra care and sticking to strict hygene rules when returning from work to make sure the vulnerable person stays safe.