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! There's no need for you to talk to him at all. I appreciate it's hard. But do report him, let HMRC deal with the dick.

Report hiM if you can

I really hope the HMRC manages to do an effective audit of all people claiming....

I'd report him, of course.

I think after MOST people have seen how generously we've been treated in all this we'll have a different feeling towards paying our taxes going forward. I really does lead to more people reporting people who are abusing the tax system and the consequences for those found guilty are very heavy. I'm so sorry you've been out in this position OP.

I absolutely would not make myself party to defrauding HMRC.

I would tell him I'm going to shop him. Hearing about quite a few bosses trying this and it's a risky little game in the current climate.

Your boss sounds awful, but could it be that if he puts you on furlough and you all stop working there will be no business to come back to, yet he can’t afford your wages because the income streams have dried up? Or is he just a nasty piece of work?

He's a disgrace and that's fraud. You work and get paid or you're off and get furlough pay. Tell him that in no uncertain terms.

Hmrc have a specialist covid 19 fraud team. This is EXACTLY Em what it's for

We run our own business and employ people, several people have asked me if we are going to do this.

I say 'No, because we aren't criminals'.

Can't stand people who take the p like this - WE collectively are going to be paying for all this for years to come, as we should to help those most in need and not tank our economy. I'm not willing to support lazy, greedy, bosses who fiddle the system and mug us all.

HMRC will suss him out. He needs to demonstrate that you can't work because of the crisis. My guess is he won't be able to.

Report him to HMRC

^ This. Surely it's also fraud?

try to record a conversation about it when you're expressing your discomfort about it

then report him

wanker

These payment seem lovely right now (And I sat amazed & grateful when they made their announcement - even though we won't be entitled to any of it as DH has to continue to work throughout, unless ill), but at some point the government/country is going to need it paid back through taxes.

My currently primary-school aged children might still be paying this back for yeares once they start work.

So I hope that no body gets away with fraudulent claims. What you're entitled to claim - yes. Fuckwittery - no. Report him, but maybe make it sound like a random-family-member found out about it, if you're worried about the repercussions.

Can you text your boss one day to say you cant come in as feeling poorly - when he replies you have your evidence he's making you work

I have been put into 80% or will be. While it’s frustrating knowing I can’t work, I also know that if we were to be audited that all of it would be taken back and that would in fact be worse for the business.

He could give you a temporary pay cut? My husband is having to continue to WFH for a small consultancy but they can’t afford to pay him full wages after his pay next week.

I'm in the exact same boat. My boss wants us all to keep working under the radar whilst he claims for the money. He told us this is the only way the business will survive but I downright know that it's fraud. I can't report him because there's only 6 of us and he will know it's me and I'll be fired which is not ideal in the modern economy as I've already been made redundant twice in 3 years.

I'm stuck in a rut as I don't like my job anyways but don't know how to get out of it at this moment in time.

It's time for him to get what he deserves

Those of you in this position, even though you don't feel able to do anything about it now it might be a good idea to keep detailed notes about what's going on, just in case you need to build a case in the future

What? That’s terrible. Is he aware of what’s actually going on? Don’t do it

Can you pretend really hard not to be working and do it so well that you actually don’t do any work for the scumbag?

What a bar steward. He know what he’s doing hence phone call not email. Any way you can get proof?

Notice how he has rung you to tell you of his fraudulent plan instead of e-mailing/texting.

Will you be working at business premises or from home ?