Furlough Ending despite being a High Risk Shielder

Employee777

Hi everyone,

I'm high risk and work at a retail store. I have been furloughed since March 23rd. My initial letter detailing my furlough was that it would last for 12 weeks and be reviewed afterwards. They recently sent me a new letter telling me that now the 12 weeks is nearly up (June 15th), they have decided to end my furlough from that date and I can either come back to work or continue isolating under Statutory Sick Pay. I disagree with this decision completely considering it isn't my choice to isolate, even more so thatsthat have been told to continue isolating until at least June 30th. When I agreed to the first letter (which I was essentially forced into if I wanted furlough) was because I assumed when it was reviewed in June it would likely be extended with the shielders isolation like it has been. 

I called up my HR and queried everything and was essentially told that it is the company decision to end furlough for everybody isolating after the 12 week period. 

This seems insanely wrong to me considering myself and many others don't have a choice in the matter of shielding if we value our life. Correct me if I'm wrong but if the government is paying employees furlough, but stores pay employees sick pay, what does my store have to gain from switching people from furlough to SSP?

Does anybody know what kind of steps can be taken here as none of this seems fair to shielders like myself.

At the very least I would hope to have my  furlough extended to the end of the government shielding guideline. 

Thanks in advance 🙂

bradders1983

No steps can be taken. Furlough is entirely at the discretion of the employer and assuming its a shop that is currently still open it was a noble gesture in the first place. 

p00hsticks

Employee777 said:

Even the CVJRS information on the gov website says that employers can only start asking shielders to return to work from July 1st.

Can you please provide a link for this as I can't find any such statement and know several people who may be affected if this is indeed the case ?

(I presume you are referring to returning to work in an outside workplace, as the guidelines have never prevented someone shielding from continuing to work from home). 

poppy12345

You've been very lucky so far to be furloughed. If you've received the shielding letter from the NHS then all you're entitled to is SSP. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do if your employer decides to end your furlough.

poppy12345

Employee777 said:

Even the CVJRS information on the gov website says that employers can only start asking shielders to return to work from July 1st. 

Does it? umm, i don't think that's correct. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

Employee777

p00hsticks said:

Employee777 said:

Even the CVJRS information on the gov website says that employers can only start asking shielders to return to work from July 1st.

Can you please provide a link for this as I can't find any such statement and know several people who may be affected if this is indeed the case ?

(I presume you are referring to returning to work in an outside workplace, as the guidelines have never prevented someone shielding from continuing to work from home). 

poppy12345 said:

Employee777 said:

Even the CVJRS information on the gov website says that employers can only start asking shielders to return to work from July 1st. 

Does it? umm, i don't think that's correct. 

Apologies, I appear to have read that information wrong. I've removed it from the main post.

Employee777

bradders1983 said:

No steps can be taken. Furlough is entirely at the discretion of the employer and assuming its a shop that is currently still open it was a noble gesture in the first place. 

poppy12345 said:

You've been very lucky so far to be furloughed. If you've received the shielding letter from the NHS then all you're entitled to is SSP. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do if your employer decides to end your furlough.

I see. Thank you for the information. That's a shame, but it is what it is. 

sharpe106

As has been posted before you have been quite lucky so far getting furlough. Starting next month the furlough will start costing employers more. Do you work for the type of store that had to closed and is now opening up or for a store that has been just as busy during covid. i.e. supermarket?

Gonna-be-debt-free

A friend in a similar situation asked for a risk assessment to be done for her return to work.  On completion of the risk assessment they then decided to put her on "special leave" instead as they decided they couldn't make the workplace safe for her.  Obviously that's very dependent on individual circumstances and the specific employer, but an employer does have a duty of care towards employees, so need to have taken appropriate actions towards safety.

sharpe106

In this case the employer has already decided what they are going to do if they are unable to work safely, SSP.