Furlough

Jude001

I know the furlough closing date has passed but could I of furloughed an ex-employee who left my company w/c 24th feb to go self employed? I had a conversation with him just after lock down and he said he wouldn’t be eligible as he left to be self employed but I’ve since heard that I could? 

Jeremy535897

Jude001 said:

I know the furlough closing date has passed but could I of furloughed an ex-employee who left my company w/c 24th feb to go self employed? I had a conversation with him just after lock down and he said he wouldn’t be eligible as he left to be self employed but I’ve since heard that I could? 

You cannot furlough anyone who wasn't furloughed at 10 June 2020, even if you rehired him.

Jude001

I know the furlough date has passed, what I’m asking is could I of done so in the passed? When I spoke to him when the lockdown first happened he said that he wasn’t eligible for furlough as he left to be self employed and not re employed by an other company. I’ve heard mixed reports since that you can re employ ANY ex employee if they’ve left to go self employed or employed? This is the confusion as he didn’t leave to go to an other employee he left to be self employed. 

Jeremy535897

In theory you could have rehired him and furloughed him. Being self employed is irrelevant.

Jeremy535897

Thinking about it a bit more, I do remember that there was some concern, because the earliest version of the guidance was arguably unclear, that being self employed could stop you being furloughed, but that was resolved a while ago. It was because the guidance said you could have two employments, and it also said that self employed people should look at the self employed grant scheme not CJRS. It became clear later on, when the Directions were published, that this was wrong.

Jude001

Ok thank you for clearing that up the whole scheme has been so confusing. I feel guilty I could of helped him out from day one, he is now on universal credit and starting from scratch. I was so busy dealing with closing down my business and making sure my 7 employees were sorted I didn’t give it another thought. I think he was alittle to proud to ask for help ☹️ 

Jeremy535897

You had your priorities right. There are a lot of complications that arise from rehiring an ex-employee, particularly when you know there is no job in the long term, or even after furlough. You needed to focus on those for whom you have responsibility now, not in the past.