Covering 2 people job for the same pay

[Undecided91]

Just wanted to hear your opinions on this. Since Covid lockdown around 90% of our business has been put on furlough. Fair enough. All being paid 80% for staying home doing no work. Now the remaining 10% (including me) are doing almost double hours to cover all the duties and "keep the business rolling". The management keeps coming back with more strict deadlines which means I work exactly double shifts (instead of 7hrs Im doing like 13hrs to finish jobs on "time") and it is draining me. I also have a small child which needs a mummy. Would it be fair for me to ask for more money for this overtime or tell them I will do what I can during my contracted hours 9-5 and wont be working evening for free anymore? To help me fully cover this role they would need to unfurlough someone.. Or should I suck it up and hope this wont last and they would maybe increase my salary later? Now I work for 23k a year which is shit already and if Im doing 13hrs shifts it works out as less than a minumum wage. I feel so envy of people getting 80% for doing nothing and me getting this extra 20% for working so so hard. I kind of get why managers are doing it but they are paid 60-80k a year so they cant complain but I feel like I am already underpaid as it is and now all this extra work is just too much. So would I come accross as rude if I mentioned it to my boss next week? What would you do?

[Undecided91]

bump

[Luzina]

Have you worked there longer than 2 years?

[Undecided91]

No, I have worked there exactly 12 months now :( Does that make a difference?

[Luzina]

This is the very basics of it:

If you are in England/Wales (don't know rules for Scotland), 2 years is the point from which you are better protected. Before the 2 year point your employer can fire you and you can't claim unfair dismissal (this doesn't apply if your dismissal is discriminatory).

So yes, personally i would bring it up with my boss if I were you, provided you have an ok relationship.

[Undecided91]

So they could technically fire me if I dont agree to work unpaid overtime? :/ This sucks

[SoloMummy]

However furloughing means they're saying they have no work for those 90%.

So you should be doing the work you do only.

Are they actually paying you for the overtime?

Can I ask your role?

[MKmummy123]

My understanding is that furlough is supposed to be for companies to use when there is no work to be done and the alternative would be to have to make staff redundant. It seems that your company has plenty of work but instead is choosing to abuse the scheme and let the government pick up their wage bill for a few months. This abuse of the scheme is precisely why it is highly likely that it will not be able to be extended and everyone will be forced back to work sooner rather than later.
Of course it is not fair that they are expecting you to pick up the slack whilst earning 23k a year and trying to juggle it with having your children at home.
Could you explain your situation to them in a nice way and say that whilst you are happy to continue to work your usual hours, you cannot manage all the unpaid overtime and suggest that maybe someone be unfurloughed to help with the increased work? They would be highly unreasonable to fire you in these circumstances and if they did, I would report them to the government hotline for abusing the scheme!!

[Undecided91]

My role is accounts for the online sales so it includes invoicing, payments control, debt chasing and another hundred similar tasks. Ie I used to manage around 50 sales a week on my own and now its got to 40 sales a day last week. Which is low for the business but ridiculous for 1 person to look after.I dont want to be more specific sorry. they are not paying anything for overtime... we are all "salaried" workers

[Undecided91]

Of course I also should just be grateful to still have a job and its not like Im risking my life doing it. Its just feels so unfair. Thats all.

[Tanfastic]

It is unfair, it's shit. I'd have to say something if it were me. They are taking the piss out of the furlough system and taking the piss out of you knowing you are in a vulnerable position so prob won't want to rock the boat.

[user1487194234]

It is unfair, I would probably have to say something,risk is of course that they fire you/Very difficult.i think in the current climate not unreasonable to do a bit more work,but this is really pushing it
Are you in a Union
Or speak to ACAS

[cabbageking]

I would have a word with your boss and discuss the additional work is to much on top of the worry 're covid. There should be no additional work if you were already at capacity and perhaps he needs to review taking someone off furlough as work needs dictate. If you go off sick he needs a contingency plan and he would pull someone off furlough anyway. He may have underestimated staffing levels

[Undecided91]

No I am not in a union. I will try and mention something next week. I will tell him that I just physically cant finish all the work on time and go from there.