Furlough help needed

Busyrascal1979

My employer has said she can’t continue to furlough me because it actually costs her to furlough me, she said she is effectively paying twice for someone to cover my work because I can’t due to childcare issues. She has told be to apply for universal credits, is this correct before I get back to her, I may have to hand my notice in if this is the case. 

poppy12345

Yes your employer is correct. If work is available then you must return, if you don't then you won't get paid. Employees can be furloughed because of childcare issues but it's still entirely down to the employer whether they furlough you or not.

Grumpy_chap

Exactly as Poppy said.

Furlough is entirely at the discretion of the employer and there is a cost to them of keeping you on furlough - holiday accrues etc.  If there is work for you to do, then you cannot be on furlough.  If they are paying someone else to cover your work, that that is truly a direct cost to your employer.

How did you cover childcare before coronavirus?  (Sorry, you don't mention the age of the child/ren.)  Given that social distancing etc will go on for a long time, what is your plan to cover childcare whenever you do have to go back to work, or will you just give up work for the long-term?

Rather than hand your notice in, which is final, why not prepare a plan for how you can return to work and cover child-care, together with a timescale to get there?  You can then discuss options with your employer, and consider changes of working hours / days, possibly a short period of annual leave or unpaid leave to bridge the gap, possibly work from home some of the time...

thumpthump

It's so hard for employers in small businesses! 
And it's so hard for parents too.

Actually it's hard for everyone.
I'm sorry your going through all this!
I didn't want to read and leave.