To think that as I am furloughed, my employer shouldn’t be expecting me to be spending my time doing training courses?

[Anquin]

I’ve been furloughed for 8 weeks and am likely to remain on furlough for another few weeks. My boss wants me to pick online courses to do which will benefit the Company if or when I return to work.
At the same time, the senior management are sending weekly updates that are increasingly negative about the future of the Company.
I find it extremely difficult to self-learn, and I’m becoming more worried about the future as I think I might be made redundant. My immediate boss keeps asking how the training is going (we have meetings weekly to catch up) and I’m getting really upset and anxious about it.
AIBU to think that if I’m on furlough I should be able to spend my day at home doing gardening etc. without worrying about training?

I hope it's not a serious thread.
Yes you must do the training otherwise face up to unpaid lay off (If your contract allows it) or redundancy potentially. It's a reasonable request.

My OH closed his takeaway and furloughed all the staff, paying the 20% top up out of company funds. He took no money himself so that the funds would last longer for his staff. He then organised online training (with certificates) for all of his staff totalling around 4 hours to be taken at any time over the 7 weeks he was closed. These certificates also helped his staff CV.
All of them did this except one who just didn’t bother as he was “too busy”.
This staff member will be last in line for promotion and first in line if redundancies have to happen (unlikely to be fair). I can’t believe anyone here wouldn’t agree with this.

Lazy! You want to swan around your garden then take unpaid leave. You're still getting paid, so earn your money.

And yes to whoever said about interviews.

Before this shite we were facing restructuring at work. I'm a keyworker. Public sector. So have received 100% pay. Have done a mixture or working on site, WFH and training specifically given to us. We were also sent some suggestions of relevant reading and courses.

So once is done the required I've done ou open learn badges. I recorded all I did and made sure I worked in a week the equivalent of my paid hours (or min 95%).

And boy am I glad I did. We were asked last week to a complete a wfh form with what we've done, when we've been onsite and any extra.

I'm sure when we are back properly and restructure starts again that will benefit me. I know other colleagues who have been like you. "Nah couldn't be bothered. I've liked sitting in my garden"

Just do the trainning!

You seem lazy, and entitled.

Why on earth would someone worried about not having a job to go back to NOT do free training!? Unbelievable.

You're finding them asking upsetting OP because you know deep down you're being called out on your laziness.

I'm SE, absolutely fucked in the current situation and I'd kill to have paid training right now. Get yourself together.

Personally, I'm viewing my furlough period as paid study leave. I'm studying about 4 or 5 hrs a day which leaves plenty of time for gardening, walking and hanging out with the kids.

@Alialialiali

If you go do your garden whilst on furlough, your garden will look nice.

Eh? Is there something missing from your post?

Nice, Pleasantville!

I was furloughed for three weeks and understood an employer cannot require you to work, which is correct, I believe? I wasn’t aware you could be required to train so absolutely stand corrected there, however unless the OP is being paid by her employer to do so, it’d be against the rules of furlough. They can’t, as I understand it, require her to train while the taxpayer is paying her salary.

Oh, and my courses are not paid for by my employer, I'm paying for them myself. My kids are expected to self study so I join them and help teach them good study skills! It's quite nice to all be learning together!

It doesn't sound like it's required though... it sounds like they're offering employees free training, and like any reasonable person, assume that they'd want to improve themselves! Even if the company folds they're bettering her employability by offering this.

As others have said, she will be first in line to go and rightly so.

Different if she had kids or some other difficulties the rest of us are facing trying to juggle but she wants to... garden. honestly, I'm baffled and slightly enraged.

They can’t, as I understand it, require her to train while the taxpayer is paying her salary

Yes they can

When your employees are on furlough

You cannot ask your employee to do any work that:

• makes money for your organisation or any organisation linked or associated with your organisation

• provides services for your organisation or any organisation linked or associated with your organisation.

Your employee can:

• take part in training
• volunteer for another employer or organisation

www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

They can’t, as I understand it, require her to train while the taxpayer is paying her salary

Yes, they can. As long as OP is receiving minimum wage, she can be required to undertake training.

Is your employer paying for the course you choose?

You need to change your mindset and see it as a benefit. Pay, time and a paid for course pretty much never happens.

Just do the training. It’s usually a piece of piss anyway.

Even if they’re not paying and it’s free it’s still good.

They can’t, as I understand it, require her to train while the taxpayer is paying her salary
Still not true. Why would any government ban training? It wouldn’t make sense. Furloughed staff can train and should increase their skills. The employment landscape looks different and many businesses will, sadly, fail. Anything to get people back to work is in everyone’s interest, especially the government and training helps this. There are even links to free online training on the Governments website.

You sound like you've started your own union OP

Seriously, you're a grown adult, get on with the training, presumably you're saving commuting time by not having to go to work, so still some time to do gardening.

Furlough isnt supposed to be paid dossing time.

Look to be honest- don't do the training. If it negatively imapcts your current job or any job propsects then you will just free up a job for soneone who wants it.

I'd love it if not employer did this. They don't care about us in the slightest and I'm sure they are going to get rid if us. I've bee signing up to courses myself to keep myself up to date and hopefully improve my employability in the future.

I’ve got a feeling the OP won’t be back to clarify but agree she’ll likely be high on the list of employees not to invite back... It doesn’t change the fact they can’t require or pressurise her to train unless they are paying the the NLW, though.

I’ve managed to increase activity in my self-employed role, to educate four children, and achieved a diploma in something to support my self-employment whilst furloughed from my employer role. And I’ve managed a bit of gardening, too!

This whole furloughing scenario is going to have repercussions for years to come not only in terms of divisiveness across the workforce but also in terms of the National work ethic. I can totally appreciate why people furloughed from employment with no independently generated income are up in arms about the OP.

For all those who are wanting to study and get employability skills.

Oh open learn offers a variety of courses for free. If you do a badged course you can link it to your linkin account etc.

I wish I had been furloughed on 80% pay with only some training to do, instead I have worked throughout, started work every day at 5.30am to fit around DS, homeschooled every single day and worked myself into the ground juggling so many plates.

Do the training OP, your future self will thank you for it, definitely do the training

You'd probably be less anxious if you finished the training. Gardening sounds like classic procrastinating. Just crack on, get your boss off your back and feel like you've accomplished something.

You're getting piled on a bit OP..

I can understand why spending 8 hours sitting in front of a computer "training" would send anyone a bit potty. Just set aside a certain number of hours every day to do it (in that time you actually have to concentrate - no breaks!) and other than that you can just switch off from work. Pps are right that doing the courses will be positive for your employability after ask this is over. Good luck!