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% ?

Why are you doing 15 hours of overtime? It's one thing to do tons of overtime for someone who is a very highly paid professional like a lawyer but I wouldn't expect that of someone on 20k a year. That's on you. And so is refusing the pay increase and not taking holiday. You're an employee, not a volunteer, and what you have is a business relationship.

And also, totally and completely YABU for expecting 100% for sitting on your arse. Be extremely grateful for that 80% because it's a hell of a lot of money for doing nothing.

@Canwecancel2020 Not if your employer/contract/furlough agreement specifies you cannot - it is not up to the individual to decide if they want to work, it is up the employer to allow them to work elsewhere.

Seriously, you thought that the government should cough up more rather than your employer presumably so you could walk away with more money in a year where furlough was entirely possible and now you are complaining about the fact that your own decision has banjaxed you?

Finding it particularly hard to have sympathy.

You wanted to have your cake and eat it, and it backfired.

Unlucky.

I’ve worked full time throughout the entire pandemic and had to take a 20% pay cut to keep my job 🤷🏻‍♀️

Just to say I work full time not part time (just don't get paid a lot 😂).

I'm glad I posted, even if it's uncomfortable to hear. Definitely stopped me feeling sorry for myself !

Like everyone else I'm finding life tough at the moment. Excuse the pity party but I'm also caring for my elderly unwell parents, one with dementia and having to clear up shit (literally) daily as they are too scared to have anyone in the house to help. Add in a chronically depressed teenager (been suicidal and getting counselling) trying to stay cheerful and juggle all the balls feels hard at the minute. This just felt like one ball too many !!

But absolutely I need to count my blessings right now. Thank you for putting it in perspective.

I would wonder if there are additional restrictions with being categorised as a “charity”. For example the money raised will be earmarked for a specific purpose which can’t be drawn upon to supplement furlough. I was under the impression you could in theory take on other work but that most employers have restricted this so to avoid the loss of staff in the long run and the costs of recruitment and training new staff (would make sense if they only have 8 employees)?

Sorry OP :( I'm in the YABU category. I am one of the 3 million self-employed people who have been refused any help whatsoever because I have only done ONE tax return. According to my accountant you need two. Great!

I just want to say though that you seem lovely and I am sorry things are a bit tough. But we don't know your work situation on Mumsnet, know nothing about the charity itself. But in hindsight that pay rise probably didn't seem like a bad idea now!

@Sittingonabench I don't think rules for charities are different. We had multiple millions in a bank account when we were furloughed, there was work, they brought in outside contractors to do some of the work... and we had to attend meetings whilst furloughed which I have actually just read is not allowed either!

I don’t think many people would be happy to hear that someone working for a charity is being topped up so I can see why they’ve made the decision they have.

Nonsense. I'm a trustee for a charity and we have unanimously supported continuing to pay employees where they haven't been able to work. We don't want to see them falling behind on bills etc. That's the opposite of charitable.

Some of these responses are so harsh. My company does the 20% top up because they understand staff have financial commitments built around their usual take home pay. Others I know who’ve been furloughed also received the extra 20%.

But OP the furlough talks with your employer should’ve been a discussion between both of you? Did you raise with them that you could do part time? It seems odd they’d furlough you completely when you’ve been responsible for all this extra money they earned recently.

@HeckyPeck

Companies/organisations just can’t afford a top up. I think you’re being unreasonable to assume they can

OPs work can afford it though. They are £80k in profit and spent £10k on non essential repairs.

I think th charity commission would take a dim view on charities who are in profit but not paying staff.

You do realise when she says they £80k in profit that means the amount over and above the running of the charity which is the amount they use to do the charitable works though, don't you?

As regards working you can do voluntary work during furlough and you may be able to do paid work but this will depende on the terms of your furlough agreement with your employer.

Why are some people such fuckers against those who are furloughed? Would you prefer they lose there jobs and homes instead? Bunch of pricks.

My husband works for a charity, he was furloughed last year and paid 100%, no special rule for charities, who tend to be very ethical and fair employers.

Can you ask for the pay rise now?

Next time remember it’s a business and they are not your friends, it’s business. Don’t turn down free money again really.

(There is no being nice in businesses, there are those who you can and can’t take advantage of, that’s it)

I think for lower earners furlough should be paid at 100% of their usual wage. I’m a higher earner, I am now on flexi furlough, paying me my full wage would be nice but also ridiculous as it would be very costly.

However to me turning down a £5k payrise should be seen as a deprivation of assests where benefit claims are concerned.

I would try and get another job (anything) to make up the difference but I don’t think I’m allowed to

yes you can

though the mn judge and jury don't like it, but they aint paying your bills and its legal and above board

I'm sorry OP but you face up 20% of income to claim more benefits, that's not really on, but indeed, it was your right to do so then if it meant you had more that way.
.it us now coming to bite you as you'd have that extra 20% furlough you now don't have.

Sometimes what appears the best decision then turns out not to be but it doesn't make them wrong.

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

You can certainly volunteer, so long as it is not for your current employers. Whether you can work for pay depends on the terms of the furlough agreement - your employers should be sending it to you shortly if they haven't already.

Can at least one of your teenagers get a job?

@GlobeUs

Whether you can work or not depends on your contract and your furlough agreement - it is not guaranteed that you can work. Check both out before you do any other kind of work, please.

Posters who are saying it is a given and a definite that you can work clearly haven't been in the position where their agreement tells them they cannot work elsewhere. I actually had legal advice on this as I lost additional income because of it - it is correct that your employer can request you do not work elsewhere - so double check.

That’s really mean of your employer, as long as it doesn’t mean working for the competition or poaching clients etc, I can’t see why they would do this. That 20% lost income could be food, heating or defaulting on rent... it seems so wrong to take away someone’s income while legally depriving them of the opportunity to make the difference back

I’m afraid I also can’t understand your logic op, if things are really tight and you can’t tighten your belts any more why would you turn down a pay rise.

I do see why you want yout employer to top it up though. However they do not have to

I hope this is period you get through more easily than you think and I’d be looking to bring that pay rise forward, as I’d suspect it was at risk

You do realise when she says they £80k in profit that means the amount over and above the running of the charity which is the amount they use to do the charitable works though, don't you?

Well yes exactly. Usual costs covered. £80k to be assigned elsewhere.

£10k on non essential and unscheduled maintenance doesn't paint the picture of a charity that can't afford to top up furlough.

I hope you can muddle through op. I want to apologise for my previous rather acidic post moaning about my own situation. Not sure why I'm taking that out on an internet stranger! It's not helping.

Sorry you're finding things tough.

Thank you again everybody.
To those questioning why I do the extra hours I can't explain how much I love working there. Nobody asks or expects me to. My ex husband destroyed me and my self worth was at rock bottom. Here I feel I'm actually making a difference and am good at what I do. I never thought I'd be able to say that.
So I don't regret doing extra for a minute but yes it's maybe made me question things going forward I guess. I just thought we were a close knit team but I could be deluded.
I'm truly sorry if I've offended anyone, especially those who have it much worse than me. I just was very scared today but realise I am still lucky.

How could the country afford it?
Its not economically Possible or makes sense.

I know every so often I see window displays of rainbows symbols

This country or NHS hasn't got a massive endless Amount pot of money/gold .😕
"Like wizard of Oz "

1. Read your employment contract. Many of them do not restrict your taking another job so you might even be able to double your pay!
2. Never turn down a pay rise again in future.