Salary increase to non-furloughed employees

wda04

Hi,
I am furloughed at my company and three others still remain furloughed.
News coming out from the non-furloughed employees is that the workers are having their salary reviews and salary increases at the moment.
Is this allowed? I have been told I will be back in 'the next couple of weeks' but surely if there is the money in the company to give out salary increases, then employees should be brought back from furlough?. 
I've tried to look online for some guidance, but I can't find any, I am hoping some others on this board will have a better understanding.
And yes, I am bitter.

Cheers!

Jeremy535897

They will bring you back when they need you. They are within their rights to give people pay rises, unless there is some union agreement saying otherwise. There may be money to pay increases, but not work for furloughed workers. At least it looks like the business is healthier than many.

prowla

It may be more about whether there is work to do than money available.

It might be that the ones who have been working through rather than being on paid leave merit some recognition.

Jonesy1977

Try looking at it from another perspective.  Your employers have furloughed you, this is due to a shortage of work for your role.  Your colleagues who have been working have quite possibly been in "the trenches" with your employers, battling to regain control of a business which has been impacted dramatically (or you would not have been furloughed).  In this circumstance you could be happy and supportive of your colleagues whose roles were more pivotal, to have succeeded in stabilising to the point that your will be going back to work and accept that perhaps your employers wish to reward efforts in what was likely to be highly stressful.  Your being bitter and looking for ways in which you can challenge this will A. not work (as they have done nothing wrong) and B. Expose your bitterness.  I would suggest that you throw yourself into work when you get back, offer to take up more slack from your exhausted colleagues and push for your own pay rise on merit in the future. 

gary83

I agree with jonesy. I also think your employer has done a reasonably decent thing. I appreciate furlough hasn’t been a holiday, I expect the novelty has worn off and you’re looking forward to getting back to work. 

having said all that though you’ve been off work potentially for around 4 months so far? Some of your colleagues have continued to work throughout for “only” an extra 20% of wages, I don’t think it’s unreasonable they get recognition of that. had they not received a pay rise or bonus all of them would have very possibly been feeling bitter towards you guys that have been furloughed, it seems your employer is trying to do the right thing but can’t please everyone.

Thrugelmir

wda04 said:

surely if there is the money in the company to give out salary increases, then employees should be brought back from furlough?. 

Staffing requirements will depend on activity levels. Furlough suggests there's not enough work to bring you and the others back. Being on furlough has simply prevented you from being made redundant some time ago. Be thankfull that there's been this window. 

[Deleted User]

Morning Forget what he/she has got if you can. Home working (during which I got a payrise BUT) I could easily do 12 hours unpaid extra per week; back in the office I now do around 5 hours extra. The person paid less goes on time and is pretty oblivious to work levels.

Grumpy_chap

I don't think it is correct to look at this and be bitter about it - it is quite possible that the employer is doing the best they can for all staff in difficult circumstances.

It is not correct to say that if there is money for salary increases, then everyone should be bought back from furlough.  The two are separate issues:

• Salary increases are about rate of pay for working
• Being on / off furlough is about the volume of work to be done.

Remember, in normal times, if there is no work, that would mean either redundancy or lay off (without pay).  Many of those that have been furloughed are no worse off financially when everything is considered than working because of the savings in commute costs and reduced spend while everywhere has been closed.  

Indeed, those not furloughed could well be feeling equally as bitter as the OP since they have been working for a relatively small percentage of income over and above those not working and furloughed.

If the annual salary reviews would normally fall at about this point in time, then it is very good that the company is seeking to honour that as many employers are just saying that, obviously, there cannot be a salary increase with the current circumstances, irrespective of the actual financial position of the business. 

Those that are on furlough would not benefit immediately from a pay review as the reference salary used to calculate furlough is unchanged.  It is reasonable to expect that those on furlough will receive a salary review, like the other staff, when they return back to work.  Of course, a salary review can go up or down.

While there is genuine concern, there does not seem to be any reason to be bitter about anything in the OP's case.