To request flexible furlough

[Archie1989]

Happy new year!

Me and DH have a two year old son. He was just over one when everything kicked off with Covid. We both now work from home, and managed with no help, no furlough etc during the last nursery closures. I would work at every opportunity in shifts with my husband to do our work and parent our son. I had a pay cut, like most, but we were both very lucky to keep our jobs and be in jobs with some level of flexibility so I could work at any time. So I would get up and start work at 6.30am, plough through until 10am, then work through my sons nap time etc. It was exhausting.

We are in Scotland and nursery has closed again until at least 18th January. I don’t know how we will do it again as my son doesn’t sleep during the day much....I am also exhausted as he wakes every two hours at night (this was the case before too, but caffeine got me through). During the last lockdown I struggled to keep up with work, I could see colleagues getting frustrated and the odd comment about me being able to join conference calls. I used up so much annual leave just trying to get my timesheet productive and took unpaid leave where I needed to.

Our son’s grandparents haven’t seen us all for nearly a year, so I don’t want to use all my leave on work again....I want to save it to spend time with loved ones.

I am tempted to ask about flexible furlough this time. If it’s possible do what I can. I don’t know why, but I am scared to ask. Scared how it will be perceived and scared it will raise my head against the parapet for redundancy.

Any advice, comments welcome. I know I’m lucky to have my health and job. My mental health is struggling a bit.

This is the current guidance

If you cannot maintain your workforce because your operations have been affected by coronavirus (COVID-19), you can furlough employees and apply for a grant to cover a portion of their usual monthly wage costs where you record them as being on furlough.

Yes furlough can be used for those who have additional childcare needs, but it sounds like your employer needs you in the workplace and therefore probably wouldn’t agree to furlough.

I think you need to be proactive either way on this one - ask for a meeting with your manager, express your concerns in detail. Go with a few solutions in mind (furlough, temporary flexible working, unpaid leave), and be prepared to work with them.

Ahh so your work have been allowed furlough before so I can’t see why they wouldn’t do it. It’s your life, if the next few weeks seen impossible right now then ask, he’s only young so obviously doesn’t understand mummy needs to work etc. When I was on flexi furlough I was told I could only do 30% of my work but that may be the particular deal my work had with them I’m not sure, and this was after the first lockdown so maybe it’s more flexible now for work places. Still think your colleagues are knobs aswell, having a young child is hard enough let alone having to work everyday and try as make them so fun things and enjoy life too. Some people! Good luck, I say just ask!

Of course you can be furloughed for childcare reasons! I can’t believe the misinformation on this thread.
As an employer I wouldn’t been keen on pt furlough as the administration of it is incredibly taxing and not worth it.
Also, from what we’ve been told we can’t furlough someone and then brings in temporary staff to cover them, so there would need to be less work someone else who can pick up your roles.
Chat to your employer and talk about options.

I have asked my company to furlough me but I got no. My work isn’t essential so I can’t get keyworker schooling. It’s out of my hands, schools shut. We are in Scotland too. It’s very unfair. I know someone who works in sales for sky and they get keyworker status. The whole keyworker list should be scaled down. The Scottish schools are going to be busy as there seems to be a lot of keyworkers

@hwory they know that I already have more assigned to me than my contracted hours. If I am honest, the senior management have not planned resources and programmes effectively. They should really be doing that, and contractually making changes with the client to account for this. Under NEC3, it would be considered a contractual change and they would apply for an extension.

@RelightMyPfizer on the government website.

Where?

It was possible originally but it isnt in the more recent guidance plus companies have to show that they have financially suffered (lower vat returns) or are closed (tier 3 or 4) and larger companies can't pay dividends if they have furloughed anyone

Everything you're posted is wrong, are you mixing furlough up with something else?

Please don't anyone think this is correct, where on earth are you getting your information from?

Childcare wasn't an original reason, it is now
You don't have to show anything about financial suffering to claim and certainly not a VAT return
No way is payment of dividends linked to the whether furlough has been claimed

What a load of nonsense

[quote Waxonwaxoff0]@RelightMyPfizer on the government website.[/quote]
But they can't claim ANY furlough payments now unless the business has been financially impacted by CV19

There are a number of criteria including reduced VAT payments. They also can't pay dividends if they have claimed furlough (larger companies)

I totally understand where you're coming from. I can't work from home, but I'm a 'key worker'. However DH is not, but can't work from home. Childcare closed, No family to help (haven't seen grandparentsfor over a year), friends all working too. Last time I was furloughed due to shielding, so childcare problem solved. This time that's not the case. (Workplace is covid safe and now there's no requirement to shield people like the first lockdown).
DH lost his job last March. He got another then had to quit when they put them on shifts (not in his contract, but he was new so couldn't argue) as I do shifts too and we had no childcare for the extremes of the shifts. We had three forms of childcare at one point to patchwork it all together because of the reduction in childcare service provision due to Covid, but now all have gone, one only temporarily thankfully.
DH can't ask for time off from his new job because he's only been there a month. But I am the main earner so we cannot afford for me to take time off. I've already had a pay cut, and there are likely to be redundancies soon. On top of all this DH suffers from depression so it's been an incredibly difficult few months for all of us. I often end up keeping the plates spinning because he just can't.
At this rate I am actually going to end up off sick with stress, purely because of the pressure the government is putting on working parents. I am so angry with them.

My advice would be to speak to your employer and see if you can flex your hours somehow. Maybe work less while nursery is closed and make up the hours another time. They may offer you flexi furlough, especially if they're already utilising the scheme. The problem is we don't know if the closures will continue, or if it will happen again, so it's impossible to plan for and manage the situation.

@satnighttakeaway

Where?

It was possible originally but it isnt in the more recent guidance plus companies have to show that they have financially suffered (lower vat returns) or are closed (tier 3 or 4) and larger companies can't pay dividends if they have furloughed anyone

Everything you're posted is wrong, are you mixing furlough up with something else?

Please don't anyone think this is correct, where on earth are you getting your information from?

Childcare wasn't an original reason, it is now
You don't have to show anything about financial suffering to claim and certainly not a VAT return
No way is payment of dividends linked to the whether furlough has been claimed

What a load of nonsense

I am not wrong.

In order to claim flexible furlough the business has to be closed (tier 3 or their 4) or be able to demonstrate that they have been financially impacted by Cv19.

the wording says
If you cannot maintain your workforce because your operations have been affected by coronavirus (COVID-19), you can furlough employees and apply for a grant to cover a portion of their usual monthly wage costs where you record them as being on furlough.

The guidance gives scenarios- linked to VAT and dividends.

But they can't claim ANY furlough payments now unless the business has been financially impacted by CV19

There are a number of criteria including reduced VAT payments. They also can't pay dividends if they have claimed furlough (larger companies)

Can you link to the gov.uk actual confirmation of this please, saying it twice doesn't make it true

Rather than asking some random people on the Internet, why don't you just ask your company? I'd imagine they would be best placed to know whether they can furlough you or not.

Is anyone on furlough in your work? You sound really busy and so I think that's going to be the main stumbling block - not what your furlough is used for, but if the company needs to use the furlough scheme at all.

Check all your policies for parental leave rights, etc - but to be honest, keeping your holidays for better times is not a luxury you have, you need to use holidays if you have them. DH too.

So if they are are a business eligibel for furlough then they may be able to furlough you

BUT

They need to be a business eligible to furlough and those rules tightened up in October.

@Throwntothewolves oh crikey! Sending you good wishes. It sounds like an awful time. I know exactly what you mean about trying to keep those plate spinning. No matter what you do, you feel like you’re letting someone down.

My sons speech hasn’t been developing as it should, and in part I feel it must be where we are just trying to get through the working day and not paying him the right attention. The overwhelming guilt, stress and exhaustion gets too much. I am trying so hard to be professional, but I really want to just scream at the next person at work who gets stropping about a deadlines etc when I am trying my best.

The guidance gives scenarios- linked to VAT and dividends

Yes, scenarios, not criteria, those are totally different things.

You don't have to demonstrate anything to make a claim, if the claim was investigated later you might be asked for back up for the claim I suppose but there's no requirement to provide any kind of supporting evidence to claim.

Could you hire a nanny to help you out? That is what we are trying to do.

I'd definitely ask - if schools close where I am I will be asking for flexible furlough. I can't maintain my hours with my young children home. My husband is in busy, critical role, but he says he can work weekends and have some time off during the week so I can work some days. It is either furlough or unpaid leave for me so worth asking.!

@LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett there is a lot of support staff on furlough - by support staff, I mean people who can not book their time to a client as billable. So the company is trying to get their wages covered and then putting their work on the others. I have been pretty disgusted at the company for that.

Back in the first lockdown; the company went into overdrive bidding for work as they thought there would be a turndown in projects....but it all came through and now there’s too much work. I specialise in a field, so my skills have been in demand, and before nursery closures I was getting pulled in every direction.

I cant comment on the furlough but do you co sleep with your toddler? I resisted for years but when he turned 2 and I got pregnant again I just could not cope getting up multiple times a night so DH moved into DS' single bed and I co-slept. Really helped me not getting up even if he still woke as frequently (medical problems).

How active is he? Can you get him out for early walks before work so then he can watch cbeebies a bit whilst you work?
Good luck

I’ll be honest, in the current climate I wouldn’t ask. I would perhaps suggest working 2 weekend days and three weekdays (assuming DH works weekdays only. So that you can do full childcare 2 days, DH can do 2 days and you only have one day to juggle.

I would also consider sleep training. If you can crack his overnight sleep everything else will seem more manageable.

Pfizer they can claim furlough if an employee requests to be furloughed for childcare reasons. My workplace has done this.

@InvincibleInvisibility we do co-sleep :). He still breastfeeds too, and I am trying to wean, but the lockdown situation has made that hard. We live in a flat, and so meltdowns disturb the neighbours. There are mega meltdowns If I say no to milk. He’s a very active boy too....a lot of energy, so we have to really run him ragged....and he still wakes all the time

It is at the discretion of the company though. So they can refuse.