We owe the employer hrs!!?? paid through covid

hulaloopylou1971

Currently employed by an outside school catering company. During covid lockdown we were told if we were available for work then we would get paid. Due to some schools not operating not all staff worked but still received a full wage because they were available for work. 

We have returned from the summer holidays and very short staffed. We have been informed that there is no paid overtime as we were paid during lockdown so we as the employees owe the company hours! My question is can they do this as a company and why didn’t they just furlough some of us at the time. There certainly was no mention of this rule when lockdown happened. 

elsien

It sounds like the company should have made their stance a lot clearer at the time, but you weren't furloughed so I can kind of see the employers perspective with regards to the overtime.
How many hours do they say that you owe - have they quantified it on an individual basis. Are you one of the people that didn't work but still got paid, or one who has worked through?

Comms69

Furlough was optional, not mandatory.

hulaloopylou1971

elsien said:

It sounds like the company should have made their stance a lot clearer at the time, but you weren't furloughed so I can kind of see the employers perspective with regards to the overtime.
How many hours do they say that you owe - have they quantified it on an individual basis. Are you one of the people that didn't work but still got paid, or one who has worked through?

Most of us like myself worked through but hours were reduced, some more than others. If we said we weren’t available for work then we didn’t get paid.

Apintplease

hulaloopylou1971 said:

elsien said:

It sounds like the company should have made their stance a lot clearer at the time, but you weren't furloughed so I can kind of see the employers perspective with regards to the overtime.
How many hours do they say that you owe - have they quantified it on an individual basis. Are you one of the people that didn't work but still got paid, or one who has worked through?

Most of us like myself worked through but hours were reduced, some more than others. If we said we weren’t available for work then we didn’t get paid.

Did you get your full pay for the time you were working or did you get reduced pay to go with the reduced hours?

If you got full pay, then yes you owe hours

TELLIT01

Apintplease said:

hulaloopylou1971 said:

elsien said:

It sounds like the company should have made their stance a lot clearer at the time, but you weren't furloughed so I can kind of see the employers perspective with regards to the overtime.
How many hours do they say that you owe - have they quantified it on an individual basis. Are you one of the people that didn't work but still got paid, or one who has worked through?

Most of us like myself worked through but hours were reduced, some more than others. If we said we weren’t available for work then we didn’t get paid.

Did you get your full pay for the time you were working or did you get reduced pay to go with the reduced hours?

If you got full pay, then yes you owe hours

Simply not true.  Staff were available to work and unless it was made clear from the outset that unworked hours were effectively being 'banked' by the employer they have no right to expect people to work extra hours unpaid now.  That may actually break the minimum wage laws.

hulaloopylou1971

Certainly no mention of owing hours, be available for work or don’t get paid. Most of the staff are on minimum wage, those that aren’t get around 30p more per hour. Also we are on spread over pay so any Un worked hours are deducted at full rate. So not only did some not get paid out of no choice due to having children at home during lockdown they owed money back. 

oh_really

This is one to get union involved due to lack of clarity and implementation.