Boss wants to claim furlough 80% but make us work anyway

[badboss2020]

I've name changed just in case.

I work in a very much effected industry and we've seen most of the business crumble over the last two weeks.

But because of the nature of the business there is still a lot of actual work to do.

My boss is a bully and always has been. My colleague and I have been wanting to leave for a long time and intended to start looking around now.

Basically my boss has now made us all sign the furlough contract that we no longer will be working but that we will get the 80% pay that he will claim from the government.

HOWEVER he has rung us all and told us that he'll only do it if actually keep working throughout that period but pretend not to be.

I don't feel comfortable at all with that. Plus it's surely downright fraud?

What would you do?

Report him to HMRC

Report.

Not on at all. Report this, it is an abuse of the system.

Report this to HMRC. They are going to come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who defrauds one of these schemes.

also you could tweet Martin lewis.
sorry you are being treated so terribly

I was saying this the other day, this could actually happen. Please report to HMRC

What a complete dick!!!!

Absolutely report. Please don’t let people like this get away with it.

Report and leave!

I'd message and just say, I found your call confusing.. Can you clarify that you want us still to work but claim the 80% if he's stupid enough he will reply and you have evidence

I know others this has happened to. I suspect quite a few will do it.

Ask him to put it in an email to clarify the details. That way you have evidence! Complete fraudster. OR, just say if you are working, you want FULL pay, not 80%!!! But get it in writing and report him.

Absolutely report him. Unfortunately I'm sure he's not the only one doing this, but please don't let him get away with it

Report to HMRC - Fraud Hotline is 0800 788 887

HMRC advise is not to try and find out more about fraud, or to let anyone know you're making a report

The furlough by definition is a 'temporary period of absence from the workplace'

Report report report. This is a safety measure put in place to help people isolate themselves without fear that they'll end up destitute, not for employers to pay 80% less wages but still get the staff working.

Report him and hope he gets shut down perminently and if you have the means to just don't go back there once we're able to go back to work.

Report him: HMRC hotline: 0800 788 887 or you can do it online.
Do it now, they’ll crack down hard on his greedy, unscrupulous plans.
Good luck to you in your job search

That money could be going to the NHS or to support people in real need. Its a difficult time for all companies and I hope you and you colleagues will get through this one way or another (and find a better place to work once it's all over!). But your boss is reprehensible for considering this.

Report the scumbag. That's fraud, it's a criminal offence. HMRC will be very alert to this kind of thing.

It's so hard because I don't really have much chance of another job right now.

I think I will have to stand up for myself anyway. My colleague wants to too. I think if I refuse to work fraudulently he just won't put the claim and I won't get paid. I rent and I don't think my landlord will be all that understanding either.

What a mess. They really should pay this direct to employees. Not through employers.

While it is fraud, you realise your boss is trying to do you a favour.

If the business needs to keep you actively working, but at reduced hours. Then instead of working 5 days a week, you would work 1 day a week. In this case you do not wualuft for furlough. You get paid 20% of your wages since you are now only working 1 day a week.

Your employer could do this. So you don't get furlough at all. Instead you take a massive pay cut.

What your boss could be doing is giving 1 person on the payroll full time hours - working fill time doing everyone's work. Then furlough everyone else.

If this isn't possible and your employer needs you to do small amounts of work very week - then your only legal option is to not be furloughed. Instead your employer carries on paying you, but at a huge pay cut as reflected in your hours worked.

Given the great personal risk to your own finances - an option is to do it but report after. Far from ideal. But needs must.

Stop answering calls, make him text or email.

People like this are defrauding all of us and taking advantage of a crisis for personal gain.

I’d do a slightly disingenuous, “are you sure that this is how it’s supposed to work?” Then I’d report the robbing git. The book will be thrown at him.

Report him immediately