Furloughed by a company in profit

lilibug

I was furloughed a few days after my large global company announced good profits and paid shared profit bonuses to all employees including me. months later, the company is still making large profits. Should they be paying the government's money back?

[Deleted User]

No.  Companies are still permitted to make a profit from their business.             

CKhalvashi

Companies are allowed to make a profit.

Just because one part of a business may be profitable doesn't mean another part will be. The furlough scheme (which we chose not to take part in due to my wanting to push a number of ideas into commercial practice) is therefore allowed to give the flexibility to companies in this way.

[Deleted User]

I worked for a small company where communication was so very poor but saw the company financials easily, who furloughed me because well I was the easiest I suppose. The one time when I could kick myself for doing a year.  I didn't half scoff at ACAS 'initial suggestion but they were right.
Sad thing is I was truly paid less then the part-timer who hadn't been with the company very long.  I imagine I'd have gone on Furlough and had 2 part timers conveniently replace me....
Only thing good to come of it, my ex Employer didn't get out of pension contributions when I checked recently. Not bad for at least two month's fictitious wages though I imagine it will disappear so I'm looking into my options!! Plus I now don't have to bother buying own toilet paper! Result!
Furlough was so clearly poorly policed and used wrongly in many aspects.
I hope it is published like the not paying minimum wage dodgers, but something tells me it won't be. 

Thrugelmir

Perhaps they already have, as many companies have done. 

mrlegend123

unlucky but do move on! 

mrlegend123

remember companies do not care about their workers, just profits.
As a manager, workers are disposable of course, it is depending on the industry. 

adamp87

End of the day this is the governments issue to deal with. It was a fantastic scheme (not without faults) but without any set criteria for an aftermath -I.e. what if a company performs well despite the pandemic..

And to be fair the company’s just used the means available to help. There wasn’t any rules about profits at the time, so they aren’t legally doing anything wrong.