Employer refuses benefits for furloughed staff

Jeremy535897

Lulabell_99 said:

This is not a moan, this is a query. I thought this was a forum to seek help and advice?
By the way, I am not a Manager and i too fall into the threshold for the payment. I thought I'd try and help a few people out, sounds like I am on my own.

If you fall into the threshold, is there someone at work you could ask without getting into trouble? I understand the observations on here, but if we are talking about a hardship payment, logically that should be applicable whether you are on furlough or not (if anything it is more applicable if your furlough is at 80% of normal wage). As I and others have said, I don't think the employer is obliged to extend it to furloughed employees, but it is hard to follow the logic of excluding them.

Grumpy_chap

Lulabell_99 said:

Thank you for your comments. Just to be clear, this is not a "bonus" payment to those who have worked all through lockdown. I worked from home with 2 small children for 7 weeks at the beginning so i know how tough it is. The employees still working have all been given assurances of bonus payments to reflect their hard work.
The payment I am querying is a hardship payment for employees who are struggling on lower wages.

I am now unclear what is meant by the "hardship" payment.
Those that were working and, presumably, being paid at 100% have no more (financial) hardship now than at any normal time, yet some were paid the "hardship" payment.
Those that are on furlough and receiving 80% of salary may be in financial hardship.  However, those not working will have made savings in no commuting, no coffees/lunches at work, no costs for going out and social life (because everything was closed), no shopping for clothes and various other ways that expenses may well have reduced by more than the 20% cut for furlough.
There could be something more to this that is not clear so far.  Are those still working also at 80% salary?  Are those on furlough at far less than 80% salary (because no shift / overtime)?

Thrugelmir

Lulabell_99 said:

 My question is, can they exclude furloughed workers from these benefits as we are technically still employees?

Employers can reward who they wish. Nothing that says all employees have be treated equally. Perhaps your colleagues have been working extremely hard in difficult circumstances. 

sharpe106

Grumpy_chap said:

I am now unclear what is meant by the "hardship" payment.
Those that were working and, presumably, being paid at 100% have no more (financial) hardship now than at any normal time, yet some were paid the "hardship" payment.

I was wondering that too as surely if they are working what difference does the current situation make?

poppy12345

Marvel1 said:

Lulabell_99 said:

This is not a moan, this is a query. I thought this was a forum to seek help and advice?

It is, report them 

Report them for what? because the OP didn't get the replies they wanted? I don't see any replies that warrant being reported.

Marvel1

Grumpy_chap said:

Lulabell_99 said:

Thank you for your comments. Just to be clear, this is not a "bonus" payment to those who have worked all through lockdown. I worked from home with 2 small children for 7 weeks at the beginning so i know how tough it is. The employees still working have all been given assurances of bonus payments to reflect their hard work.
The payment I am querying is a hardship payment for employees who are struggling on lower wages.

Those that are on furlough and receiving 80% of salary may be in financial hardship.  However, those not working will have made savings in no commuting, no coffees/lunches at work, no costs for going out and social life (because everything was closed), no shopping for clothes and various other ways that expenses may well have reduced by more than the 20% cut for furlough.

I don't see your point as those working are also saving not spending on going out, clothes shopping.

Marvel1

poppy12345 said:

Marvel1 said:

Lulabell_99 said:

This is not a moan, this is a query. I thought this was a forum to seek help and advice?

It is, report them 

Report them for what? because the OP didn't get the replies they wanted? I don't see any replies that warrant being reported.

Being scarastic, and not being nice to newbies, also this part of the forum was created to help, not for keyboard warriors to have a snipe.

poppy12345

Marvel1 said:

poppy12345 said:

Marvel1 said:

Lulabell_99 said:

This is not a moan, this is a query. I thought this was a forum to seek help and advice?

It is, report them 

Report them for what? because the OP didn't get the replies they wanted? I don't see any replies that warrant being reported.

Being scarastic, and not being nice to newbies, also this part of the forum was created to help, not for keyboard warriors to have a snipe.

Sorry but i'm still not seeing it. A lot of newbies post here expecting certain replies and when they don't receive the answers they "want" they often throw it back at peoples faces.

Grumpy_chap

Marvel1 said:

Grumpy_chap said:

Lulabell_99 said:

Thank you for your comments. Just to be clear, this is not a "bonus" payment to those who have worked all through lockdown. I worked from home with 2 small children for 7 weeks at the beginning so i know how tough it is. The employees still working have all been given assurances of bonus payments to reflect their hard work.
The payment I am querying is a hardship payment for employees who are struggling on lower wages.

Those that are on furlough and receiving 80% of salary may be in financial hardship.  However, those not working will have made savings in no commuting, no coffees/lunches at work, no costs for going out and social life (because everything was closed), no shopping for clothes and various other ways that expenses may well have reduced by more than the 20% cut for furlough.

I don't see your point as those working are also saving not spending on going out, clothes shopping.

That is correct, but the ones working still have the costs of commuting and possibly things like child care.

What I was trying to understand is what is the "hardship" payment for?  Especially as the OP says that has gone to those that are still working and, presumably, getting full pay.  They will be in no more hardship than normal times.

Even those that are on furlough, and 80% pay, may also not be in overall worse financial position.

Galloglass

@Lulabell_99

Is this not simpler than it looks? If any payment was made, it would be through PAYE (either tax-paid or not). Any PAYE payments to furloughed staff under PAYE during the furlough period would immediately be flagged up to HMRC under RTI. So it is a case that no payments can be made to furloughed staff without creating issues with HMRC.