To ask for another week of furlough?

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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.

@thedancingbear

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.

So, how is that "arse about tit"?

Of course, some people can be forced to take furlough. We were simply asked - boss said "we need x people in, rest on furlough. Who wants to work?" My hand was up like a shot.

On the second point, my boss was pissed off when our colleague, within 30 minutes of coming in, booked 3 weeks off. No, he's not doing any of us a favour - I haven't had a day off in 12 weeks (although there wasn't much point), but have been putting in long hours so my boss rightly said "Sorry, the ones who've been here working get first choice". I was also pissed off (colleague always been a shirker) so I said I needed two weeks off at around that time.
Secondly, leave can be deferred to next year for all employees, so there is no concept of everyone storing up 4 weeks leave to take over the course of 2 months.

This may help... you should of had a letter detailing furlough from your employer, if they said they will give you x amount of notice to return, if so point that out if the notice you received is not whats given, or of not notice period mentioned they have to give reasonable notice taking into consideration childcare etc,

Well done OP - on the personal PR to edit the 'real story' and save yourself from a roasting on AIBU.

I hope it works out for you as from the stories I've heard in interviews the last 2 days - employers have their pick. People v highly qualified willing to do what it takes and for less salary.

I will add there's another interesting thread on capitalism at the moment. A comment was made about people willing to pay £5 for a coat or other cheap clothes means there will always be demand for v low cost labour so customers are equally to blame as the business owners.

The other side of that is people who are desperate will take anything and there is a sliding scale of desperate, from those on less than minimum wage/zero hours, to those highly skilled people but who still need to pay higher expenses they're committed to. I see and hear this daily. The economy as it is brings down the average earnings of everyone as it's simple supply and demand - we have lots of surplus workers so employers have their choice and can pay less.

I think it's fine to ask for another week. They should have given you more than one week's notice of your return. I would write a very humble request, saying all the things in your post about how much you love your job and are keen to go back, but that you have been trying all week to sort childcare starting next week and just can't find any cover at short notice. Ask them if there is any way you can have an extra week of carer's leave to get childcare in place, while coming in two hours a day. It can't hurt to ask, as long as you do it nicely.

Yes the government advice does state that if childcare is an issue furlough could be extended, however I think that it's the morality of it that comes into question to a certain extent.

As a parent I understand where you are coming from and as a high earner I can also relate strongly with the amount of salary that's paid in taxes. My husband also earns a high wage and neither of us have claimed any government funding either. Having said that it was not like we were not made aware via the news and online that people were returning to work. You should have contacted your employer and discussed this with them and advised that you would need notice to ensure that childcare was sorted. That's pre planning.

I have 4 members of staff who also have young children and they were contacted by me to advise that furlough would likely be ending shortly and asked if they had any issues with childcare. They thanked me for. Being prepared and have all made the correct arrangements including one taking leave.

Speak to your employer and see what they say. You can claim this and legally they don't have a elg to stand on but personally I think you and your husband should share the workload and take leave. His employer also cannot dictate that he can't have leave if there is an issue with childcare, legally they won't have a leg to stand on either.

Wow, I can’t believe you have the cheek to expect us (who have worked every day and extras to cover others) to support you for another week because, us paying tax and working is effectively allowing you to languish at home. Take annual leave and pay someone to look after your children later in the year £5,000 pcm is ample plus your partners salary. Greedy and lack of morals! We are still likely to lose our jobs in the next few months whilst you lot have been sunbathing and sorting your gardens, setting up businesses and working for other companies whilst collecting free money. Ask away and your company will see you for who you are and when redundancies happen I’m sure your morals will put you on their hit list. Your company needs you, the country needs your tax payment not your scrounging!

Umm I think this shop has sailed.. a while ago!!!