To ask for another week of furlough?

[Fasttrack321]

I was furloughed at the start of lockdown and have not been working since end of March. I have been looking after my 2 young children full time as my DP has been working full time. Luckily DP's job is secure and their employer is flexible with WFH.

My furlough pay is capped at the limit of £2,500 and has not been topped up so my income has been about half of my normal pay. I am very grateful to have been furloughed rather than lose my job.

My employer wrote to me on Friday and informed me my furlough was ending and I was expected back to work on Monday. I discussed this with my DP (who is classed as a key worker, not front line) as the kids are only in part time childcare. DS is 5 and in Reception, DD is 3 and in nursery 3 days per week.

My DP is working full time 9-5 and cannot change working hours this week at such short notice. So cannot do drop off and pick up for the children (nursery and school are about 15 minutes drive apart). DP also cannot WFH and look after DD who is 3 and needs constant supervision.

This week will be impossible to juggle, but from the following week we can manage with flexible working hours and the help of a grandparent.

AIBU in asking my employer to extend my furlough by one more week? I checked the government guidance and there is a specific provision for this which allows furlough for those with caring responsibilities. I would only want this for 1 additional week.

I am incredibly grateful my employer has asked me to return and I do want to return. I have been there years and have a good reputation for being one of their top employers and managers.

My only other option would be to use a weeks annual leave, but then I'd have none left for the rest of the year and summer holidays when I would need to take leave to cover childcare again.

Most of the company were furloughed and now being brought back bit by bit.

YABU - get back to work immediately.
YANBU - take an extra week furlough to sort your childcare out.

She said so. In the OP even.

Can You quote that below?

The OP is being coy on the matter of the sexes of the two adults in this relationship, but whether she is a woman living with a man or a woman, or is a man living with a man or a woman, it matter not one jot, just that the other adult in this relationship appears to have opted out of looking after their DC during working hours for reasons that have not been explained, leaving the OP to expect the taxpayer to pick the cost up rather than either parent.

Selfishly, they are holding those back so that they can take leave for a holiday.
Again, no. Op said they were wanting to save the annual leave to cover the children’s school summer holiday.

Honestly, you just can’t make stuff up to suit your argument

Want your cake and eat it,YABU, in my opinion you should have been picking up litter for you money, or some other work, which was way too much anyway, many people have been working full time and looking after their children without a well paid partner. People like you make me sick. You should pay back all that money when you are working. It's nothing more than a paid holiday, money should have been equal for all at about £300 a week. Then paid back like a student loan.

Fucking hell, the grammar and punctuation in this is atrocious.

Can you not juggle for even just one week OP? A friend and your grand parent?

BadShirt - totally agree with your post, for those of us in the real world.

I would ask my employer for another week, that’s the purpose of furlough.

I thought had to give 3 weeks notice to end furlough ?

No there isn’t a minimum timescale.

@MushyPeasAreTheDevilsFood

Selfishly, they are holding those back so that they can take leave for a holiday. Again, no. Op said they were wanting to save the annual leave to cover the children’s school summer holiday.

Honestly, you just can’t make stuff up to suit your argument

Yes, I read exactly that. Strange, then, that they didn't initially consider taking leave to cover this week and, instead, looked for another week of furlough.

Put it another way, if there wasn't free cash being handed out to not go to work, I am fairly sure they would have both found a solution like the many that have been suggested in this thread.

They are pulling a fast one, I am afraid.

@MushyPeasAreTheDevilsFood

and push myself to the back of the queue for any redundancies if they happen. That’s not how redundancy works.

It does in smaller organisations like the one I work at.

@thedancingbear

Want your cake and eat it,YABU, in my opinion you should have been picking up litter for you money, or some other work, which was way too much anyway, many people have been working full time and looking after their children without a well paid partner. People like you make me sick. You should pay back all that money when you are working. It's nothing more than a paid holiday, money should have been equal for all at about £300 a week. Then paid back like a student loan.

Fucking hell, the grammar and punctuation in this is atrocious.

But, she didn't resort to bad language.

I don't agree with her post though. To be honest, the furlough scheme was necessary. But, it is being abused now.

My neighbour who can't work on "safety" grounds (he works in a public facing business), has had no end of visitors to his house during this lockdown, and there were nightly bbq parties going late into the night. Not great for those of us who had work the next day. Odd thing is, if he wasn't getting 80% of his salary, he'd have been the first back in work.

It must be nice to live in fantasy land where the 'rules' of redundancy are adhered to. Those of us in the real world (director here) know they can easily be circumnavigated so spare us the employment rights agenda that doesn't exist. I say that as someone who makes those decisions and is subjected to them.

I've recently made people redundant and had to put some on furlough. I've checked in with them regularly to see how they're doing as genuinely want them back. They all will be end of this month. I've also got people (including myself) who have juggled work with kids throughout, male and female - I don't care as we're all parents. I expect they will be able to take leave when others return as everyone needs a break.

What makes a great employee vs someone I can do without is not just aptitude - but attitude. I don't mind when work is done as long as it mostly is and they're available for a few key hours during the day. If people are having a bad day at home we can deal with it as a team if everyone is upfront and pitches in, it's give and take. Someone coming up with excuses like this is a major red flag.

Saying I'm struggling with childcare to come back next week, can I take leave etc. that's a conversation. Asking for more furlough is taking the piss and unfair to others. Their manager doesn't think they are key if they haven't been in touch.

Times like this show the real difference in employees and employers have the pick of the bunch. We have HUNDREDS of applicants for open roles (unusual as in a highly competitive sector/part of the country).

I would take someone hard working and a team player any day of the week and twice on Sunday than the attitude displayed here.

If the OP doesn't need to or want to work suggest she step down for others who can.

@thedancingbear

Want your cake and eat it,YABU, in my opinion you should have been picking up litter for you money, or some other work, which was way too much anyway, many people have been working full time and looking after their children without a well paid partner. People like you make me sick. You should pay back all that money when you are working. It's nothing more than a paid holiday, money should have been equal for all at about £300 a week. Then paid back like a student loan.

Fucking hell, the grammar and punctuation in this is atrocious.

OP is that you with a name change and is that the best you can come up with for an insult?

OP has done a runner. Trolling some other forum no doubt.

The OP’s attitude is sadly a strong example of what is wrong with entitled thinking.

Pre Covid, they were taking home a salary of six figures and now being furloughed at a maximum 2.5k.

I need not say that 2.5k is more than a lot of people take home to provide a roof, food and clothe 4plus children.

OP just take the hit and declare sick leave.

Your attitude of “technically, TECHNICALLY, this is what I’m entitled to” is awful.

@NoisyNeighours

The OP’s attitude is sadly a strong example of what is wrong with entitled thinking.

Pre Covid, they were taking home a salary of six figures and now being furloughed at a maximum 2.5k.

I need not say that 2.5k is more than a lot of people take home to provide a roof, food and clothe 4plus children.

OP just take the hit and declare sick leave.

Your attitude of “technically, TECHNICALLY, this is what I’m entitled to” is awful.

But not uncommon. My neighbour says things like "I pay my taxes, just getting something back", as if his taxes have never been spent on a service he uses.

He refuses to work on "safety" grounds (he has mild asthma), because where he works is public facing. Fair enough, but then he has lots of friends over for late night bbqs during the good weather and at a time when we were all locking down.

My wife works in a care home, had to isolate for 2 weeks because our daughter had symptoms, got paid £95 a week for those 2 weeks. In the meantime, our neighbour was refusing to go back to work, and got furloughed at £500 a week.

Like I say, the furlough scheme was necessary to keep businesses afloat, but it is being abused by a small number of people. I am glad I chose work over furlough because, despite me having to work even longer hours for the same pay, I feel I am helping my employer and I feel that when the redundancies come (and they will), I have a few people ahead of me who need to get axed. Including one colleague who tried to book 3 weeks off on his first day back.

Some very interesting responses here. Thanks for all the feedback and good to see a little debate going on.

I had a really good conversation with my employer and agreed I will return to work next week. I'm really looking forward to going back to work and contributing to the economy, and paying those all Important taxes!

There are several people in my position at work and we are all returning next week. It'll be great to part of a high performing team again.

This thread is full of people jumping to conclusions and making assumptions, as well as clearly making up details along the way to suit their own agenda.

Maybe I should have worded my original post differently.... my employer gave me less than a working days notice to return to work and I was left with very few options and little time to arrange childcare on Monday morning for my two young children. I was feeling a bit annoyed at this, but I am lucky I had lots of options available to me. One of those is an understanding employer who values my contribution to the success of the business.

Best of luck to everyone who has been in a similar position, or has worries about their job security in these difficult times.

Glad it worked out for your, OP.

I think most people would have struggled with less than 1 working days' notice to return to work under the current climate: limited childcare options/access for so many. Being well off or not well off is irrelevant to that issue.

Well done on a good outcome, OP. Good employers value good employees and vice versa, and the world works better when both parties are flexible where they can be.

The benefit bashing types need to take their semi-literate ramblings back to the Daily Mail comments section. You don't get to earn what the OP does by shirking.

OP I am sorry you had such a hard time here. AIBU is not the best place to post for support for your future reference. Chat or the employment section are better but less traffic. All the best.

I am glad I chose work over furlough because, despite me having to work even longer hours for the same pay, I feel I am helping my employer and I feel that when the redundancies come (and they will), I have a few people ahead of me who need to get axed. Including one colleague who tried to book 3 weeks off on his first day back.

This is arse about tit. First, the furlough scheme is voluntary - no-once can be forced. The employer then gets quite a lot of government money in exchange for excess capacity they can't use. If people don't volunteer the employer is stuck. Of course some people like yourself were worried about how it may look. But good employers noticed that dynamic quickly and made it clear they were grateful when people agreed to be furloughed. Most of the time they already know the staff they want shot of.

Second, the guy who has booked three weeks' leave on his first day back has done nothing wrong, and again may be helping his employer. The time off is going to be taken at some point anyway, and I know companies are worried about people not taking summer leave because they can't go on their usual holidays. It then of course gets stored up and people will end up taking it later in the year, when things have hopefully picked up, and they are really needed.

The furlough scheme isn’t voluntary. It is decided by the employer. If an employee refuses to be furloughed, the employer is entitled to make them redundant. Everyone is entitled to annual holidays but they are not entitled to decide when to take them. They can request certain dates and the employer will approve or reject.

The furlough scheme isn’t voluntary. It is decided by the employer. If an employee refuses to be furloughed, the employer is entitled to make them redundant.

This is not quite right. Yes redundancy may be an inevitable consequence if staff refuse to be furloughed. But in many cases a redundancy consultation is a long process, by the end of which the company may have gone bust if it hasn't manage to reduce its staff costs. I should clarify that I'm talking about larger organisations (like, I presume, the OP) rather than a local business that has been forced to shut laying off its two employees.

Everyone is entitled to annual holidays but they are not entitled to decide when to take them. They can request certain dates and the employer will approve or reject.

Fucking hell, I hope I never work where you do. We like to give our staff some choice and to be as flexible as we can. In any event my point still stands: if no-one takes their leave during the summer, then it will all get taken at the end of the year, and the business will be fucked.

I always try and accommodate holiday requests but many employers don’t. My problem is employees across three countries and everyone wanting July, August and Christmas!