Confused about 10th June Furlough deadline

rjwiles

Asking on behalf of my partner who is struggling to get an answer from her employer. She was furloughed from the beginning of lockdown and went back to work mid May. Like her, there must be many employees worried that the business they work for is now virtually dead, with the real prospect of hours being cut or worse still. It is highly likely that the business may close again temporarily and seek to put staff back on furlough in the hope that more wider restrictions are eased and so trade can pick up again.

My question is if this happens, can she be furloughed after the 10th June as she has already been furloughed once, or does she have to be re-furloughed by 10th June? All the advice I have read online, including here and Gov.uk contains wording which I feel is ambiguous and could be interpreted either way, so wondered if anyone knew for sure.

Similarly, I have been furloughed and am due back on the 15th along with many others on Phase 2. As this is after 10th June, would the same apply to me?

Would appreciate any guidance, thanks.

Mrsn

As I understand it as long as you were previously part of that scheme before the 10th June (regardless of whether you’re still on furlough or not) then the scheme can be used again if needed for those employees.

rjwiles

I'm inclined to agree, it would seem more logical that way. Just a nagging doubt in my head telling me this is one reason why the government is rushing everyone back to work, allegedly against scientific advice.

poppy12345

As long as you've been furloughed once you can be furloughed again after June 10th.

Grumpy_chap

There was a recent thread that covered this and if you have been furloughed for a complete period of 3 weeks before end June, then you can be part time furloughed from July onwards.  That qualifying period of 3 weeks furlough can be at any time since furlough began so long as it was concluded before end June, this makes 10th June the latest date for new-and-first-time furloughs to start.

EDIT - Government advice here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

sharpe106

It is just new people that can't be furloughed from the 10th June, so no issues for either of you, if that is what the company decides.

Icequeen1

poppy12345 said:

As long as you've been furloughed once you can be furloughed again after June 10th.

yes, but there is a second rule that has been announced which may make things less straightforward. Say an employer has furloughed 10 staff, but on rotation - 5 at a time. The employer wants to bring them all back on reduced hours, and so they are on flexible furlough. However he won't be able to, because there is a new rule saying any new claim (after 1 July) cannot exceed the maxmium number claimed for at any one time prior to that. Which in this case is 5.
So to answer the OP, yes in theory your wife can be furloughed again after 10th June, but it depends on how many other people are involved and what the employer plans to do in.  

Grumpy_chap

Thanks Icequeen - does that mean that we can expect to see employers furlough everyone for the last day of June to maximise their flexibility after 1st July?

calcotti

Grumpy_chap said:

Thanks Icequeen - does that mean that we can expect to see employers furlough everyone for the last day of June to maximise their flexibility after 1st July?

No, because if they did they would have no one available to do any work.

Thrugelmir

rjwiles said:

I'm inclined to agree, it would seem more logical that way. Just a nagging doubt in my head telling me this is one reason why the government is rushing everyone back to work, allegedly against scientific advice.

Only companies and organisations can decide if it's viable for employees to return to work. The longer a business remains closed the the more damage it's going to suffer. 

jayzor

I would be more worried about what happens when we get to the end of July. Hopefully the lockdown would of eased more by then, but that’s the point businesses are going to have to decide regarding getting rid of staff and reducing hours as it will start to cost them more to keep staff furloughed.