Return to work from Furlough at reduced salary

the_quiff

Hi I have been asked to return to work, I am told I would be a critical worker, and so I will be paid a reduced salary. 
Can they do this?

sharpe106

That depends if you agree to it or not, what your contract says and if it makes you go below NMW basically. So without more information nobody knows.

yksi

Can they ask? Yes.
Do you have to agree? No (unless, unusually, your contract says that they can do this).
But the quandry is whether it will put your job at risk if you don't agree. I'd probably be inclined, personally, to tell them that if I'm critical then I expect the same rate of pay. YMMV.

the_quiff

Thanks so far. 
They do have you by the short and curlys on this, I pleased to be asked back but do the same at less? 
There are other questions to ask like, how long will I be like this? Will they aim to reimburse the difference?

epm-84

Will you be paid more than you'd get on furlough?

Would other employees remain on furlough?

If the answer to the first is no and second is yes then I wouldn't be inclined to agree.  Why should your colleagues not working be paid more than someone who is working.

If the answer to the first is yes and the second is no then you probably need to seriously consider it.  Although, if you agree then make you don't sign something that allows them to reduce your pay indefinitely - it should be for a fixed period that isn't extendable without your consent.

sharpe106

the_quiff said:

Thanks so far. 
They do have you by the short and curlys on this, I pleased to be asked back but do the same at less? 
There are other questions to ask like, how long will I be like this? Will they aim to reimburse the difference?

How do we know that ? You need to discuss it with them we have no idea what your employers business is like or what there plans are.

the_quiff

sharpe106 said:

the_quiff said:

Thanks so far. 
They do have you by the short and curlys on this, I pleased to be asked back but do the same at less? 
There are other questions to ask like, how long will I be like this? Will they aim to reimburse the difference?

How do we know that ? You need to discuss it with them we have no idea what your employers business is like or what there plans are.

Sorry they were questions I need to ask the employer not to the forum. 

Thrugelmir

If your employer is in financial difficulty. Then cutting rates of pay is one of the avenues open to them. Rather than making redundancies sharing the burden across the whole organisation is preferable. Means that the company can bounce back quicker. 
Your role to the business is critical. Everyone is dispensable and replacable. Worth remembering when using it as a bargaining chip. 

Biscuit49

I have worked throughout albeit from home and on reduced salary of 80%, which matches my colleagues on furlough. I suspect as they should either get a day in lieu for bank holidays or full pay then they are probably better off than me.

I am not 'delighted' by this, its a frustration that some are sort of on an extended holiday and im busting a gut for the same.

I can see the bigger picture though, the business needs to be around at the end of this or we will all be on nothing, and finding other jobs in the current climate may be somewhat difficult. I think sometimes even if you feel hard done by you have to suck it up and do what needs to be done and trust that its for the greater good.

If im honest, i would rather work than do nothing, especially during a lockdown period, it must be boring as hell for those who have been on furlough for nearly 2 months now.

Jonesy1977

They have to ask, you have to have give consent or likely in the letter it will have asked whether you agree or not to being furloughed and returning at a reduced wage..................if you withhold consent (which is within your right) you will add a line of cost to the business which will be part of the calculation all business will be making in the decision to bring staff back to roles...............or make the role redundant.  

epm-84

Biscuit49 said:

I have worked throughout albeit from home and on reduced salary of 80%, which matches my colleagues on furlough. I suspect as they should either get a day in lieu for bank holidays or full pay then they are probably better off than me.

I am not 'delighted' by this, its a frustration that some are sort of on an extended holiday and im busting a gut for the same. 

Unless part of the furlough agreement is to reduce the holiday entitlement to the statutory minimum, which may mean if they usually get 25 days plus BH they find some of those 5 days above the minimum are instead of BHs, rather than as well as.

Also don't know whether anyone you work with would earn less than 1.25 times the minimum wage, if they do and they've been furloughed they'll be getting the equivalent of less than the minimum wage, while everyone in work will be getting at least the minimum wage even if they've taken a pay cut.