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Original poster

Furloughed, still working for 20% less pay while furloughed colleagues get same with no work?

93 replies

ditherwood · 14/04/2020 13:54

I work for a small school, we were told a couple of weeks ago by email that all staff were having a pay cut of 20% which would take effect this financial month (April) and last until September. This was a huge blow as our salaries are already very low. A week later the company then sent an email around stating that some employees would be furloughed so would also be paid 80% by the government but wouldn't have to work.

Today I found out that two people in my team of five have been furloughed. They are thrilled, said they are looking forward to catching up with gardening and DIY etc. While I am running the course online, having to use my own resources, laptop, wifi, printer etc, develop new course material, manage a body of students who are all livid about having to go online for learning etc. We haven't been supplied with any instructions, resources or materials, were initially asked to consider being available for extended hours to facilitate student zoom calls etc (I said a firm no to this).

What would you do in this instance? It feels massively unfair, I can't see how I can manage financially on 20% less income, so am hugely stressed about that, having to figure out a new way of working and my direct team mates are getting the same albeit reduced pay and nothing is expected of them. Should I demand that I work 20% fewer days?

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Original poster
ditherwood · 14/04/2020 15:13

Genevieva this is so helpful thank you, I think I am going to do as you suggest and ask how they made their decisions re furloughing and on that basis ask for 100% of pay to be reinstated. x

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ditherwood · 14/04/2020 15:16

cologne4711 that's interesting, I wonder if I can find out f they are getting 80% of the 80%

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DollyDoneMore · 14/04/2020 15:27

I am in the same boat - well, a similar boat.

I am on furlough. My earnings are being topped up to 80% of my full salary. (The govt are paying only 80% of £2500 a month.)

Some of my colleagues are being asked to work 4day weeks for 80% of their money.

So they are working 32 hour weeks for 80% of their salary. I am working no hours for 80% of mine.

Original poster
ditherwood · 14/04/2020 15:29

DollyDoneMore this feels possibly more fair although I appreciate that you'd rather be paid 100% of your salary! but it feels like the company you work for has made some attempt to help its staff feel there is some equality and fairness to what is happening. Mine have just done knee jerk reactions, no planning, no strategy and those of us unfurloughed and working hard feel a bit shafted...

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Castreet · 14/04/2020 15:34

@ditherwood I am in a similar position, working 100% of my hours for less than 100% of pay. Colleagues who are furloughed are getting the same % of pay for 0% of work.
I am starting to get over the anger (a bit, my company have never treated staff well) and I know the furloughed staff are very worried they will be laid off. So might I of course.
I have taken legal advice and in normal times it would be worth refusing the change in contract and raising a grievance/going to tribunal. But these are far from normal times.
I am intending to wait this out and find other work with a better employer or go self employed when it's all over. There's no point doing that now as there won't be alternative work in my field until then.

Anychance123 · 14/04/2020 15:36

My company have done the same. Everyone has been expected to take a 20% pay cut whether they have been furloughed or not. It does seem unfair as some people asked to be kept on as they couldn’t afford the drop and now it’s been forced anyway. The company won’t meet half way at a 10% drop, and it’s still full time hours. I just keep hoping that I will actually have a job at all by the end of all this.

Xenia · 14/04/2020 15:48

You do not have to accept pay cuts under employment law although if the alternative is redundancy then plenty of people accept them. One of my children recently refused one as they are leaving the job in 6 weeks so not reason to accept less pay as not preserving a career there.

Castreet · 14/04/2020 15:52

That's interesting Xenia. The legal person I spoke to (via my home insurance, I'm sure she wouldn't have your experience) said they would probably just dismiss me if I refused, it wouldn't even be redundancy, so no payout either. I haven't been there long, so redundancy would be very little.

GivenchyDahhling · 14/04/2020 15:56

Assuming you’re a teacher - I would be looking to find a new position at the earliest opportunity. Like many things in this crisis, poor behaviour in the bad times should be remembered in the good times and this seems very unfair to me.

Xenia · 14/04/2020 16:00

Castreet, that is correct - they could make you redundant instead of the 20% pay cut and if you have not been there long I think you don't get redundancy (need to work 2 years there first and it is very low). However if you could get a different job on a higher salary - eg there are lots going in supermarkets etc at the moment it might not be a bad plan.

Also if you could persuade them to furlough you instead you are often allowed to take a full time job whilst on furlough by the way so some people out there are almost doubling their normal pay

Flyinggeese · 14/04/2020 16:00

Hi OP sorry if I've missed this but did your furloughed colleagues take a paycut too (so they're on 80% of a reduced salary) - or is it only non-furloughed staff such as yourself who have taken a cut? This seems very unfair if it's the case.

SportingInjustice · 14/04/2020 16:04

It's shit but then so is everything at the moment. My DH is in the same situation. Everyone in the company was told, two days before the governments furlough scheme was rolled out, that there would be an enforced 40% pay cut made in order to survive this situation. When Sunak made his speech, this was revised - 70% of staff were immediately furloughed and the remaining 30% had their cut reduced so they were also getting 80% but from the company, not government and would continue to work full-time. Last week, they furloughed another 100+ of the remaining staff. There are now 32 people left in the company from an initial total of almost 600. DH is one of those 32 and is working very hard to keep the very essential functions of the company running. Yes, the 20% pay cut is worrying us and yes, it's a bit galling to think that the vast majority of his colleagues are getting the same money to sit about while he works harder and more hours than ever before but the security and hope we are feeling about him being considered as essential in this way outweighs all of that.

I can only hope that this works out for him in the long term and also for you, OP x

Mummyoflittledragon · 14/04/2020 16:23

If those staff members were furloughed on their former pay, this is very very unfair. Especially as if they do decide to offer rotating furloughs, you will only get 80% of the 80%. Id be getting my information together and speaking to management about this ASAP. The pay cut should have been put on hold.

Marpan · 14/04/2020 16:41

Well it means they like you and think you are better at your job, if redundancies need to be made then the furloughed will be the first to go.

chickensandbees · 14/04/2020 16:46

In my company those being furloughed and being topped up to 100% by the company so they are getting the same as me for doing nothing.

However I would much rather be working. I do worry about redundancies after and think if they aren't furloughing you maybe you are less likely to be made redundant.

SmallBearOwner · 14/04/2020 17:19

I empathise. I’m in a similar situation, the majority of my colleagues have been furloughed, I haven’t but I have been asked to take a 20% cut in hours to bring my salary down to 80% in line with their cut which the company is not topping up.

So I’ve made the decision that while I could look at it negatively, like I’m working while they’re off on 2 months of free holiday, but for my own mental health, I’m choosing to look at it as giving me to occupy myself with in lockdown and helping ensure there’s a company there for everyone to come back to. I’m lucky that I WFH the majority of the time and my company picks up expenses anyways, but just wanted to say you’re not alone in your ‘this sucks’ery. If it helps, try to find a positive, grasping onto those is the only way I am clambering through this very odd situation we’re all finding ourselves in right now. It’s not much but it does help a bit.

Lulu1919 · 14/04/2020 17:23

I'm working my usual hours for my usual pay ...other staff are staying at home for 80 % so I'm sort of working for 20 % pay !!!
Mmmmmmmm

Original poster
ditherwood · 14/04/2020 19:21

So sorry to hear you're going through that Castreet I hope you find somewhere better when this is all over

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ditherwood · 14/04/2020 19:22

Anychance123 it's awful isn't it.. I hope you have a job at the end of it too, hope we all do.

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ditherwood · 14/04/2020 19:23

Xenia interesting thanks

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ditherwood · 14/04/2020 19:24

Hi Flyinggeese we all were told our salaries were being cut by 20% then they announced staff would be furloughed. It feels very unfair.

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ditherwood · 14/04/2020 19:25

SportingInjustice so sorry to hear it sounds like your husband is having to work so hard but it sounds like he is a crucial member of the company and that is a really good thing. x

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ditherwood · 14/04/2020 19:26

Mummyoflittledragon you're right, the pay cut should have been held. I will be emailing my manager tomorrow once I've prepped my arguments.

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ditherwood · 14/04/2020 19:27

thanks Marpan, I know I should feel some satisfaction and security in not being furloughed but I think I'm still a bit shocked and angry about it all. It feels really unfair.

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ditherwood · 14/04/2020 19:28

It is a bit galling chickensandbees isn't it. You're right though; better to be working.

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