Furlough Cutoffs And Eligibility

hanhamvillager

Hope someone can help as I have a very upset step daughter
The company she is working for employs her at a school who have now announced they are doing their own food and won't need the company. For the last 3 months she has been employed by them and has payslips. But because she wasn't in the Feb-20 payroll according to the rules they are saying she cannot join the furlough scheme. But she has been in their payroll ever since Feb-20
Hope someone can clarify this

epm-84

I'm not sure she'd qualify for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (that's commonly referred to as furlough), even ignoring the cut off date.  The scheme is for people who temporarily have no work to do due to reasons relating to COVID-19 but from what you say the school has cancelled a contract with a catering provider to bring the work in house.  Unless the catering company can argue that the loss of the contract is COVID-19 related and that they may have work at another place later in the year, then unfortunately the affected employees aren't eligible for furlough pay.

If the school are employing people directly could she not either asked for TUPE or apply for a job at the school?

mattyprice4004

The cut off date is 19th March - so you need to find out exactly when she was put on the payroll. 
However it's worthy of note that they don't have to furlough anyone - it's entirely at the company's discretion, and given soon that companies will have to pay some of it themselves, they may just choose to let her go (which they can if she's been employed less than 2 years). 

sharpe106

I would think they would probably not want to furlough her as it sounds like the contract is gone and no chance of it coming back, in the not to distant future it will start costing them more and form there point of view for what benefit. 
Although if you are going to try to get them to furlough her then you need to be quick as the last date to be furloughed if you have not previously is pretty soon. 

Grumpy_chap

Latest date for first furlough is 10th June, and it does not look likely.
Can she contact the school directly for a job doing what she did through the contract caterers?

hanhamvillager

Many thanks for all your advice. It looks likes a manouevre not directly connected to Covid but precipitated by the current problems in general. Things probably would have sailed on but the Covid crisis has made the school re-appraise their options. If anything else does occur to anyone please let me know

sharpe106

She could look to see if she was eligible for any benefits.