Wife being refused her furlough pay

kaMelo

epm-84 said:

bradders1983 said:

By the letter of the scheme your wife has to be available to work. 

Incorrect. It's for those who can't work due to reasons relating to COVID-19 including but not limited to those who employers have no work for.  The GMB union were told by the government that workers who were living with someone who is on the shielding list can be furloughed.  They meant can remain at home during the shielding period and not risk picking up the virus at work and taking it home even though their employer had work for them.

Or an employer can just say no, if they do then everything else is irrelevant.

bradders1983

epm-84 said:

bradders1983 said:

By the letter of the scheme your wife has to be available to work. 

Incorrect. It's for those who can't work due to reasons relating to COVID-19 including but not limited to those who employers have no work for.  The GMB union were told by the government that workers who were living with someone who is on the shielding list can be furloughed.  They meant can remain at home during the shielding period and not risk picking up the virus at work and taking it home even though their employer had work for them.

Is the OP shielding? No.

The scheme certainly wasnt designed for people to go on a jolly abroad and then not be able to work due to their own actions.

unholyangel

epm-84 said:

bradders1983 said:

By the letter of the scheme your wife has to be available to work. 

Incorrect. It's for those who can't work due to reasons relating to COVID-19 including but not limited to those who employers have no work for.  The GMB union were told by the government that workers who were living with someone who is on the shielding list can be furloughed.  They meant can remain at home during the shielding period and not risk picking up the virus at work and taking it home even though their employer had work for them.

There was a changing to the wording in the July amendment that now means that it needs to be the employment activities of the worker that are adversely affected by covid. Compare this to the earlier wording which was that they can claim costs of employees who were furloughed due to covid. 

JamoLew

This is what most NHS organisations have been implementing:

Q. What if I booked my holiday prior to COVID-19 restrictions being put in place on 20th March 2020 and I am now required to quarantine for 14 days on return? A. Special leave or working from home will be offered but evidence of booking must be provided.   Q. What if I booked my holiday on or after 20th March 2020 and I am required to quarantine for 14 days on return? A. Use one or more of the following options, as agreed with your manager: ·       Annual leave and/or unpaid leave taken for the 14 day quarantine period ·       Work additional shifts within six months of your return to the UK to make up for those not worked during the 14 day quarantine period ·       Work from home (where your role can be performed from home)

Please note: if you choose to visit countries against Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice (e.g. where essential travel only is advised) you will be required to use unpaid/annual leave for the duration of the 14 day quarantine period - all FCO guidance can be found 

adamp87

I think you have to look at it objectively & a business viewpoint. 

Employee can’t return for 14 days, through no fault of her own directly but on the other hand the company’s not to blame either & now has to get someone potentially to cover.

Its perfectly logical for them to ask to use annual leave or unpaid. Ultimately going away since March is a risk that if we take we have to deal with the potential consequences I’m afraid

Whilst some employers may pay it, I don’t see many organisations doing so. 

GibbsRule_No3.

I wonder how much difference the pay will actually be over the year, if you take 14 days unpaid? When I decided to work three days a week, rather than the five, I was pleasantly surprised at the small amount of difference the take home pay was per month. Certainly worth the additional two free days a week. Tax went down.

epm-84

bradders1983 said:

epm-84 said:

bradders1983 said:

By the letter of the scheme your wife has to be available to work. 

Incorrect. It's for those who can't work due to reasons relating to COVID-19 including but not limited to those who employers have no work for.  The GMB union were told by the government that workers who were living with someone who is on the shielding list can be furloughed.  They meant can remain at home during the shielding period and not risk picking up the virus at work and taking it home even though their employer had work for them.

Is the OP shielding? No.

The scheme certainly wasnt designed for people to go on a jolly abroad and then not be able to work due to their own actions.

Living was someone who is shielding was just an example of where the furlough scheme has been used to furlough employees when their employers do have work for them.  

I hope the employee in question is using their annual leave for their 'jolly abroad.' Like I already alluded to if they booked pre-COVID-19 pandemic and the FCO aren't advising against non-essential travel but are insisting on a 14 day quarantine then it's the government's policy that is causing this not the employee's decision to book a holiday.

LeicesterWorker

I wouldn't complain, some people will die of poverty due to not being allowed to work, while been excluded from any benefits.
Just enjoy the holiday and save up so you don't miss the benefits too much.

sweetsand

I'm 100% with the employeer. We were going on , due our second hols this year as we spent several weeks earlier and came back first week of March. However, we carried out a risk assements of what we knew and we were not prepared to go to another country and be stuck there, high rates of virus, self isolate/etc so we decided not to go.