AIBU to think 80% furlough pay should be topped up ?

[MangoMask]

Ok I have Nc’d for this. I’m not sure if how I’m feeling is justified or not and would appreciate opinions.

Firstly can I say I totally understand in many many ways I am lucky to still have a job. People are going through so much worse, and I really hope I don’t sound entitled/ungrateful but I’m just panicking and fed up as this all came totally out of the blue today.

I work for a small charity, only 8 staff and 300 volunteers. I love the place and what we do. Work wise I’ve never been happier. I don’t get paid much - £20k and I turned down a £5k pay rise in September deferring it until next August when my youngest leaves school and any extra help I get from the government ends. I thought this would help save the charity money. I do really care about the place.

I was briefly furloughed on full pay last March for 6 weeks but otherwise have luckily continued to work throughout. And I work hard, really hard because I love it and I want to. I do 15-20 more hours a week than I’m paid for. I don’t mind low pay or long hours at all but I guess I need to feel valued ? And I have up til now.

This morning my boss rang and told me as of today I am going to be fully furloughed at 80% pay. The charity aren’t going to top it up.

This means over £300 a month less pay. Things are already really tight financially here. I have an 18yr old 6th former and a 20yr old who’s not going back to University this term and it makes a huge difference to my food bills. We don’t really have any spare money each month. So I’m feeling scared about how we’re going to manage. I get no help from their dad and he hasn’t had contact with them in 4 years. I just feel so responsible for everything and our belts are so tight already I don’t know what to do. I just keep crying today.

The reason why I’m pissed off is the section I’m in charge of, managed to take £80k over budget despite the chaos of the last year. It’s rare I blow my own trumpet but I put everything into achieving that. So I keep being told we actually have ‘excess funds’ because they weren’t expecting me to do so well. They’re spending £10k on non vital improvements this month alone.

I’ve offered to use all my holiday (18 days from last year which i never got a chance to take and 25 days this year) so that I could still get paid the same - but apparently it doesn’t work like that.
I know I’m just feeling scared today so don’t know if I’m being entitled / unfair or whatever. I guess knowing they have more than enough to top the pay up, but are choosing not to makes me feel unvalued and a bit shit.

So AIBU thinking they could have topped up the 20% ?

But I think your employer has to agree to it.

@redheadwitch

You need to demand an urgent appraisal and get that salary increase you are due. That way you will be getting 80% of the increased salary and it may even you out in terms of monthly income.

However in terms of furlough; no, I don't agree they should be topping you up again. 80% to sit at home and no nothing is a good gig.

It doesn't work like that, the dates and amounts for how you calculate furlough are set already so you can't take into account any payrises while you are furlough.

The system isn't perfect unfortuanately, I don't know what you can do know except change in the future so you get paid for what you do

@MangoMask

KaptainKaveman - No of course I don’t think you’re being cruel. It’s just come as a total shock today as I had no idea I’d be furloughed. I really do understand how much worse other people have it. RaspberryCoulis - I’d much prefer to be at work and thought I would be tbh. I would try and get another job (anything) to make up the difference but I don’t think I’m allowed to. I don’t even think I can volunteer anywhere whilst on furlough but I’m going to look into that. Last thing I want to do is be sitting around at home.

Check the terms of your agreement, don't just assume!

They absolutely can let you take holiday whilst on furlough

www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus/using-holiday

"Employees or workers who are temporarily sent home because there’s no work ('furloughed workers'), can request and take their holiday in the usual way, if their employer agrees. This includes bank holidays.

Furloughed workers must get their usual pay in full, for any holiday they take"

In your situation I would ask how they made the decision not to top you up. It might not change things but it might help you to understand their thinking.

If I were you I'd also stop working extra hours for free. It was nice of you to do that but they've shown you it is not reciprocal.

So once furlough is over do just your hours and then you could always volunteer at another charity who would appreciate your time.

@Robbybobtail

Taking in ironing

I wondered how long til someone said this - bingo on the first page!

Me too!

I mean respectfully OP, YABU. For many/most it's 80% furlough or the business makes you redundant.

At the same time, I think expecting people to be able to live off 80% temporarily was reasonable, in the first few weeks of Lockdown 1, but 10 months later not so much. I have friends who have worked for their full salary for about 4 weeks since March and it's very slim pickings to find something else.

God, people can be such arseholes on here. OP - can you get your upper 6th former and your oldest DC to get P/T jobs. My year 13 has a job in a factory 5-9pm (mon-Thursday) and takes home £140 a week. If they could both do something similar and contribute 30% each?

YABU.
Right now I would be more than happy to be furloughed on far less than 80% from my minimum wage job, as I'm spending up to 3 hours a day on the bus.😥

They absolutely can let you take holiday whilst on furlough

They CAN but they don't have to

@fiorentina

As a charity they are subject to tighter furlough rules, I am sure they’ve checked that they can furlough you, but they may have to justify any making up of the 20%. They shouldn’t stop you getting employment elsewhere though during furlough. Have them adamantly refused part time furlough, can you propose an alternative?

That's interesting, do you know where I can find out what the differences are?

Is your 20 year old going to looking for work or giving any money towards food and lodging?

I think you can do other work and get furlough and pay for that job but do you need it? Could DC not help you make up the difference just while your short?

You turned down the £5k pay rise because it would have taken you over the Government threshold for financial assistance?

The student element is ridiculous.

One of mine is a student and she just has to accept I am in a very low paid job and can’t magic up extra resources for the periods she is at home.

You should be grateful that you still have a job when thousands have lost theirs and have no income whatsoever.

You have 2 adult kids (20 and 18) at home. Tell them to make themselves useful and look for work.

To anyone reading this: don't ever turn down/postpone a pay rise. Things change (a pandemic comes along, the company has a bad year, you suddenly have ill health, new management comes in and don't like you as much etc.) and your first loyalty is to yourself and your financial security: as a company's first loyalty will be, when the chips are down and no matter how lovely ExCo are or how worthwhile its mission, to itself and its continued financial success - with or without you.

You can do other work while on furlough

YABU
The furlough pay should not be topped up.
You can use holiday. You are allowed to take another job - depending on what your contract says, unless it specifically disallows it.

I'd talk to my manager. Ask for the dog increase that you deferred to be bought forward.

You should be grateful that you still have a job when thousands have lost theirs and have no income whatsoever.

Does it always have to be such a race to the bottom?

OP has said she knows she's lucky, that doesn't mean she can't be worried about paying bills and hurt that she has gone out of her way for the charity and put them in a position where they have made a profit and they have decided not to top up her earnings when they did before.

Companies/organisations just can’t afford a top up. I think you’re being unreasonable to assume they can. There are jobs around for your children if they want. For example, what was your uni aged son going to live off if at uni. I can’t understand it’s hard but it’s hard for everyone including the employers.

Yes you are allowed to find other paid work while on furlough.

Actually, it depends on your contract - I was furloughed it was very clear that I was not allowed other employment even though I also had a freelance gig - I had to stop that.

80% Furlough is way better than redundancy. We were all taken off furlough and made redundant, even though our organisation were employing people the day before redundancies were announced, and have continued to employ contractors who they brought in when we were furloughed in some cases.

Companies having to make hard decisions , i have been out of work since march , other than a bit of temping here and there, people always say get a job in supermarket etc but in some areas this is hard and they want people who are likely to stay , so as hard as it is 80% furlough and a job I would be snapping someones hand off .

@Godimabitch

As far as turning down a pay rise so you can keep claiming benefits goes... well that wont have reflected well on you at all and was a stupid decision.

What goes around comes around, as they say.

Yabu. Our annual income is 15k or so a year. My husband is getting 80% of his wages but we make it work because we have to. At least he still has a job when his place of work can reopen. We don't moan about wanting 100% of his wages

How were your wages topped up before? Working tax credits? Child tax credits? I assume those will stop if your sons start earning or you declare them no longer in full time education?

Let's be realistic the ecomony of this country is in tatters. Anyone still holding on to their job or confident they'll have a job to return to after the furlough scheme ends is very fortunate.

You are allowed to do other work when furloughed.

Wish I was getting 80%, I’m self employed and have lost almost all of my work. I think 80% is good if you consider you don’t have to pay for commuting/fuel for driving. It’s pretty easy not to spend as much whilst in lockdown, I’m probably using a lot less fuel in my car, not spending money on eating out or day trips, only thing I’m spending more on is food for the kids.