Furlough due to childcare/ homeschooling - my company does not participate in furlough at all

JSurrey

I am seeing a lot of discussion around the possibility with the new furlough rules to ask your employer to furlough you, if you are unable to work due to childcare constraints due to children being home from school. But my company is not willing to offer this (as a general rule). 
I am looking to take unpaid leave to manage the next few weeks / months so asking to be furloughed / part furloughed would be of great interest. However, my employer ( a large professional services firm) has not taken part in the governments furlough scheme to date and I am told they are not planning to do so. Which puts the cost of taking time off to look after my children at home onto me. I am not sure I can realistically afford to take more than say a month of unpaid leave - but it's impossible to work at home with 3 young children here. Can I challenge my employer to offer furlough, or can they continue to chose not to participate in the scheme?

macman

You can certainly challenge them, but furlough remain an option that is entirely at the employer's discretion.

elsien

This gives some of the ways to negotiate with employers and the implications of some of the courses of action.
What-to-do-if-your-employer-refuses-to-furlough-you.pdf (workingfamilies.org.uk)
The flexible furlough looks like it may be a compromise?
Is the children's other parent able to help out at all so it's not all down to you?

Thrugelmir

The aim of the scheme is to protect jobs. Employees who would otherwise be made redundant. Not to pay people to remain at home. Your employer isn't participating as there's work to be done. If you don't do the work then somebody else will need to paid to do it. Lots of people are being forced to make sacrifices for a period of time.. 

calcotti

You can also look at claiming Universal Credit if you will be without income for a while. Usea benefits calculator to check possible entitlement https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

JSurrey

Thrugelmir said:

The aim of the scheme is to protect jobs. Employees who would otherwise be made redundant. Not to pay people to remain at home. Your employer isn't participating as there's work to be done. If you don't do the work then somebody else will need to paid to do it. Lots of people are being forced to make sacrifices for a period of time.. 

I agree that's what the initial furlough was for and the exact reason my company didn't take part last year. I think the recent change to rules that specifically allows parents to request furlough for childcare reasons is a departure from that and is more about protecting the individual/ their children (and their mental health) than the company. 

poppy12345

You could have been furloughed for child care reasons when furlough first started but it's still entirely the decision of your employer and if they decide not to there's nothing you can do.

Jonesy1977

Since December firms are listed as having been in receipt of furlough support.  Large companies who can operate remotely and who are not in need of government subsidies are discouraged and potentially even penalised if they avail themselves of public money when they do not need it, as a professional services firm they are also likely a LLP and as such they would not be able to pay bonus (dividend) to partners or staff if they use furlough.  The unfortunate reality is that you have work to do, can do it from home but your childcare needs mean that this is difficult, it would be unreasonable for you to expect your company to pay you not to work, unreasonable for the company to ask the tax payer to pay you not to work and unreasonable for you to have to take unpaid leave to look after your children, but unfortunately someone does have to pay.  I would speak with HR and see if you can come to some arrangement to flex your hours and work around or outside normal working hours if you can?

gettingtheresometime

Also remember that unlike the furlough scheme in the very beginning, employers are liable for employers NI and pension contributions so there is a cost to them.

sheramber

If your company need to furlough some workers then those with childcare needs could be  chosen to furlough.
If your company has no need to furlough workers then they cannot furlough you for childcare reasons.
It has to be because they do not have work for the workers to do.

Andy_L

sheramber said:

If your company need to furlough some workers then those with childcare needs could be  chosen to furlough.
If your company has no need to furlough workers then they cannot furlough you for childcare reasons.
It has to be because they do not have work for the workers to do.

No it doesn't. They can furlough carers & the clinically extremely vulnerable even if they have work for them.

However that doesn't help the OP as offering furlough is entirely at the discretion of the employer

"Your employee is eligible for the grant and can be furloughed, if they are unable to work, including from home or working reduced hours because they:

are clinically extremely vulnerable, or at the highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus and following public health guidance

have caring responsibilities resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19), such as caring for children who are at home as a result of school and childcare facilities closing, or caring for a vulnerable individual in their household"
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme