WHO'S TELLING THE TRUTH?

workingmum08

hi everyone, this is my first time using a site like this. I am hoping someone can help as I am finding different answers to the same question online and its a nightmare to get speaking to someone at the tax office.

my workplace was closed on the day Boris announced lockdown. the small number of staff (less than 15) were sent home and told we would be on furlough until allowed to re-open. no one has had any paperwork/letters or furlough contracts. I am unsure if we should have done? alternating information re this online.

since boris announced easing lockdown at beginning of June2020 my workplace has been gradually returning, everyone is doing 1 to 2 days per week, being paid 100% pay for days worked and 80% for days not worked.

I have one problem. I am back doing my 5 day week contract, only me in the small number of staff is back on full working week. when I raised this with my boss she told me im the only person employed that she has been unable to claim furlough for. I have worked within this company for YEARS this company provides an essential healthcare service.

I questioned this and was told she hasn't been able to get "one pound furlough for me in three months" and has paid me from her own bank 80% of my usual wage.

how can this be that only one employee cant get onto the scheme?

many staff have small children and are able to use furlough to keep them at home/ alternative shifts to help with their kids as schools are slowly returning. I don't have this choice! ive been told I must do my full contract hours (37.5) per week.

this is causing me a lot of anxiety as I feel my boss is lying and knows im "soft" just to make sure there is always cover!

when I was looking into the furlough scheme I found an article stating that if an employer cant use the scheme and chooses to keep staff on the payroll through lockdown then they have to pay employee's 100% of salary even if they cant operate for business.

I think I may have to go to CAB but just wondering if anyone has any answers? or if its even worth going and seeking advice. I don't want to not work.. I just feel there is a leniency for everyone else, its more about me feeling that Im not being treated the same as everyone else.

thanks!

sharpe106

Nobody knows if they are telling the truth or not. It does not matter if the money came from the government or from the owners pocket, you agreed to have a pay cut to 80%. They might have forgotten to submit your information and by the time they found out was too late to add you, so decided to pay you themselves which sounds fair enough.
  
Not sure what the issue is now you are back at work and being paid full time. 

workingmum08

i told you the issue is that im being treated differently from everyone else. There was no written confirmation regarding furlough either. 

workingmum08

And yes it is fair enough if shes decided to pay me herself but i have a small child too. Everyone else is having the option to do half weeks etc as schools are off. Ive not been given a choice like every other staff member 

Jeremy535897

"since boris announced easing lockdown at beginning of June2020 my workplace has been gradually returning, everyone is doing 1 to 2 days per week, being paid 100% pay for days worked and 80% for days not worked."

Flexible furlough only started yesterday so this is not correct, or it is a breach of the furlough rules.

You must have agreed a reduction in wage to 80% otherwise you should have raised the issue some time ago. Your agreement to be furloughed does not have to be in writing, and the furlough agreement from your employer may have been in an email. One interesting question is what it says. If it reduces salary to 80% while being furloughed, and you never were furloughed, why were you paid only 80%? if however you are only paid under your contract of employment for hours worked, you might have been overpaid since March. There is no point guessing why you were not put on furlough. It was probably a simple omission, although I would have expected them to pick it up before now, particularly as apparently your employer paid you "out of her own bank". However, this may mean no more than that she was paying all the staff's wages and only recovering everyone else but your wage..

As you were apparently not furloughed by 10 June, you can't be furloughed now. Your employer has presumably decided that paying you out of her own business funds has gone on long enough, which is why you are not being offered the flexibility everyone else is. What you can do about it will depend in part on how long you have been employed.

gary83

Probably not going to help you if you are feeling victimised but I guess you could try and look at it with a glass half full attitude, you’re apparently viewed as the most essential staff member to the company, if they have to make redundancies you should be near the last to get the chop.

sharpe106

Furlough was never about fairness it was about protecting companies.

Not quite sure what outcome you actually want? As for whatever reason they can not furlough you either a mistake or some other reason, it does not really matter. The only other option for them is to either keep on paying you your normal salary or put you on unpaid leave really. 

Grumpy_chap

If you were paid the 80% while furloughed, it doesn't really matter (to you) whether that came from the employer or furlough.

If you are the first one back and full time, and the only one, that can only be a good thing as it must mean you are the most valued member of staff.

Not sure I understand where the issue is.

[Deleted User]

You should be grateful during these hard times that you are back at 100% as many others are not or losing their job completely. 

dunstonh

Why don't you just resign from your job and save everyone a lot of unnecessary hassle?
You clearly have a beef with the employer.   Or is it that you are preferred getting paid 80% for doing nothing?

Dottydoolay

I’m sorry but being different to everyone else doesn’t really matter as there are no legal entitlements to furlough and the harsh reality is the employers can do what they like.

Even if you were originally on furlough there was nothing stopping the employer taking you off it whenever they like anyway either paying you themselves or making you redundant.
Its a minefield with no real protection for employees it’s always been employers decisions.

Personally I would just forget about it and get on with your life and job as you still have one.
Im so sorry if that sounds harsh but it really is the reality of all this and going forward if you do feel victimised I would be looking for a new job.

Totally different reasons but I felt victimised in my job during this put my efforts into finding a new job and have thankfully now escaped what was a terrible employer prior to and during lockdown/furlough.