Furlough question

[PinkiOcelot]

Sorry not AIBU, but could someone answer a question for me please?
If you are furloughed, can you work for your employers a couple of days per week?

No, because it's for if your job can't be done or doesn't exist.

No you can't.

No, not at all.

Although that may change.

No. But iirc you can be furloughed for 3 weeks at a time, so 4 of you could be staggered furloughed with 3 weeks off, 1 week on.

Nope, absolutely not.

No. This changes from the 1st August I think, but absolutely not at the minute.

No, it might change from 1st August.

No. That would be fraudulent use / misuse of the scheme.

No. And if your employer is asking you to do so then they could, potentially, be claiming through the JRS under false pretences.

No

No - I was furloughed and have since been brought back. They left my desktop at my house and I was told I must not do any work. By about 4 different people.

I wasn't intending to 🤷🏼‍♀️

No, but you can attend training.

So could I get my employee to work for one week and then furlough her for the rest of the month?

She is furloughed now, but I have a busy week coming up, then it will die off again.

No limit on amount of times you can furlough a person but there.must be a 3 week gap between each working period in order to claim.

Of course not. If you are furloughed it’s because there isn’t a job to do.

It would be fraud to be furloughed and work for your employer at the same time.

Interestingly I have been furloughed and I had LOADS of work to do, really productive work that would have helped us to recover when reopening. But the powers that be made a decision to close 95% of this arm of the business. For 2 months. I was gutted. (But getting used to a life of leisure).

I thought that was the case. Just talking at work and one of my colleagues said her partner is furloughed but working a couple of days. I said I didn’t think that was allowed. She said his employer had checked and because he wasn’t making them a profit then he could. That didn’t sound right to me.

@Teddypops The minimum amount of time you can be furloughed is a 3 week stretch. So yes, the employee can work for a week, provided she's done 3 weeks on furlough.

Think I just repeated myself there 🤷‍♂️

@shortsaint And this is where the system is being abused.

No op, it's not right. Employees should not be undertaking any work, regardless if profit is being made or not.

She said his employer had checked and because he wasn’t making them a profit then he could. That didn’t sound right to me.

Nope, that’s not right. They’re committing fraud.

Whether a profit is made from the work or not is irrelevant.

Not in the UK. There is a scheme running in Germany and some other countries where you can work much reduced hours and the government will pay for the time you're not working, but sounds like you are talking about the UK.

@JustaScratch yes it’s UK.

Thanks folks, I thought that wasn’t right.

The guidance for employers says that workers can do volunteer work or training while they are furloughed. What they can’t do is provide a service to or generate revenue for their employer.

If they’re doing a training course, they must be paid at least the national living wage or national minimum wage for the time spent training, even if it is more than the 80% of their wage that will be subsidised under the scheme.

Nope he cannot do that

@SavoyCabbage I have been furloughed even though I had lots of work to do and have rarely been busier, also I should be trying to get sales in for the coming months so plenty to do. The company are forecasting to have a poor May on my site and furloughed me to save some money even though I am busy they say it doesn’t matter it is a business need. The company grew by 7% globally in the first quarter.