Furlough

Andy_L

Does the furlough agreement say anything about notice to return to work?

Bradden

ok... I'll revise my earlier statement... the employer isn't being unreasonable at all.. in fact with hindsight, I realise that the furlough payments are paid for out of taxes = everyone else. 

My sympathy for the OP's partner is somewhat limited on reflection :-)

maxgrass

It's funny how other staff have taken on work outside of the company and have said they are unable to return to work. They have stayed on furlough and not been put on unpaid leave. When furlough started one of the bosses told the staff to get a job at tescos or somewhere similar to make up their money. There are also rumours that the bosses have furlough themselves and still taking a wage

[Deleted User]

If the employer allows their employees to take a second job, then that's fine. 

The rumours can simply be ignored.

Grumpy_chap

Is this thread linked to the following?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6286403/furlough#latest

MattMattMattUK

Grumpy_chap said:

Is this thread linked to the following?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6286403/furlough#latest

I suspect so yes, it looks like they have chosen to reply as a new post rather than on that thread.

maxgrass said:

It's funny how other staff have taken on work outside of the company and have said they are unable to return to work. They have stayed on furlough and not been put on unpaid leave.

Furlough is entirely at the discretion of the employer.

maxgrass said:

When furlough started one of the bosses told the staff to get a job at tescos or somewhere similar to make up their money.

Many employers did this, it is not unusual, they would have also however expected people to come into work when told to.

maxgrass said:

There are also rumours that the bosses have furlough themselves and still taking a wage

You get a wage when on furlough, that is how the system works.

mattyprice4004

maxgrass said:

It's funny how other staff have taken on work outside of the company and have said they are unable to return to work. They have stayed on furlough and not been put on unpaid leave. When furlough started one of the bosses told the staff to get a job at tescos or somewhere similar to make up their money. There are also rumours that the bosses have furlough themselves and still taking a wage

All that is irrelevant - it's just hearsay and conjecture. 
Your partner needs to either go back or not be paid - the choice is theirs, and it's perfectly fair. No amount of moaning on a forum will change that. 

I personally don't want my tax money to be spent supporting someone who can't be bothered to go back to their other job because they've 'made plans' and would rather the Government kept paying them regardless! 

TBagpuss

If the bosses are employees (which they may be in a limited company if they are company directors) then they can be furloughed (or on flexible furlough) although of course they cannot claim furlough payment for themselves or anyone else for periods when they are working. 

It is of course up to the company how they deal with people who are on furlough - since it costs the employer to have people on furlough (and costs more from today) I would be surprised if they are keeping people on furlough who they've asked to return - I suspect that it is more likely that there are more details that you don't know, perhaps around timing of someone's return, or the specific hours they are going to be doing.

Biscuit49

Its very simple really, if you are furloughed you should be available to work at any time if required. That could in theory be a phone call at 8am saying we need you in at 9am.

Ideally an employer would give some reasonable notice (1 day i would say is reasonable) but if the business requirements (sickness etc) demanded that period of time was shorter, so be it.

Frustrating for the person furloughed i guess as unable to make too many plans, but thats the nature of the scheme, its not leave, if you make plans be prepared to change them.

If there are days you know you cant work for whatever reason, book it as annual leave.

MattMattMattUK

Biscuit49 said:

Its very simple really, if you are furloughed you should be available to work at any time if required. That could in theory be a phone call at 8am saying we need you in at 9am.

Ideally an employer would give some reasonable notice (1 day i would say is reasonable) but if the business requirements (sickness etc) demanded that period of time was shorter, so be it.

Frustrating for the person furloughed i guess as unable to make too many plans, but thats the nature of the scheme, its not leave, if you make plans be prepared to change them.

If there are days you know you cant work for whatever reason, book it as annual leave.

I think that is where the issue has come in for a lot of people in this position, many have viewed it as paid holiday.

When I speak to customers, suppliers, friends who work in hospitality etc. they have people outright refuse to come back to work when asked for days or weeks, they have had people outright refuse to return to work until the CJRS ends. That has resulted in them putting people on unpaid leave in some cases or in others disciplinary procedures and firing people. Whilst the vast majority of employees lucky enough to have been placed on furlough (time off on full pay, rather than being made redundant as an example of lucky) have been understanding of the scheme and reasonable, a sizable minority have viewed it as a paid holiday and got very comfortable on their life of full pay (or nearly full pay) and no work.