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% ?

[quote ivykaty44]@Ch3rish

oh I didn't expect the mn judge and jury to be along so soon

perhaps have a look at the furlough rules yourself[/quote]
www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme#while-youre-on-furlough

Maybe you should let the gov.uk website know they have the rules wrong, a quote from the link

"If your contract allows, you may undertake other employment for the time your current employer has placed you on furlough,"

What could be clearer IF YOUR CONTRACT ALLOWS (shouting for effect )

Perhaps you could link to the rules that say that everyone is OK to get a second job

@BornIn78

OP you're not allowed to do anything nice on mumsnet without being a martyr

There's being nice, and then there's turning down a 25% payrise despite voluntarily working an extra 15-20 hours a week unpaid, while having absolutely no spare money each month. That's not "nice" it's bloody stupid.

I think the word you were looking for was "altruistic", not stupid. There are still a few people in the world who actually care about others in a way that doesn't involve hiding behind the curtains and anonymously ratting out their neighbours.

You should be going through CMS to get your children’s father to pay, your 20 year old should be contributing keep from their student loan, especially given they’ll be receiving the Max loan and potentially a bursary too.

That would more than make up the 20% different. Hth.

@MangoMask

Thank you for all your comments, I'm taking it all on board good and bad ! With regards to the pay rise, we actually would have been worse off with the reduction in tax credits plus a bursary from the school for bus fares and a maintenance grant for the one at University. I'm really sorry if anyone feels this is fiddling the system, again the last thing I mean to do. I really struggled to even begin claim them for 18 months after my ex left because I had too much pride. He gave up work so he didn't have to pay maintenance (clearly no pride 😂) That's why I love my job and work hard because it's given me some self worth back. The kids are both looking for work and I'm very proud of both of them.

OP says in her initial post and here that she would have been worse off with the pay rise, so she turned it down. I don't see what's stupid or soft about that. She clearly didn't anticipate being furloughed.

You're getting paid 80% to sit at home doing nothing, and you're complaining? Some of us have had to work all year, while trying to home school at the same time. Others have lost their jobs. Do something else to top up your income! An extra £300 is not that difficult to come by if you haven't got the responsibility of a job to go to and small kids to educate. Get your 18 year old and 20 year old doing something! My 17 year old earns about £600 - £800 (depending on how much overtime he takes) stacking shelves in Sainsbury's and he'd help out if the family needed it. I can't believe how ungrateful some people are.

@MangoMask It doesn't seem right that you have annual leave to use and cannot use it now so ensure at least some of your time off is on full pay. I would query this. Are you being furloughed because there is no work for you to do? The premises are closed? In these cases, it would make sense to use your holidays.

If you are not able to immediately increase your income, take a look at your outgoings to see if anything can be trimmed. The MSE forums are full of ideas. All the best.

You turned down a pay rise because it suited you to continue claiming top up benefits. Dont think youre really in a position to moan now do you?

Can you find other ways to cut back? Ive just reduced our tv package, mobile phone & switched gas & electricity suppliers.

Im doing more batch cooking & making extra large portions to use the following day etc.

No, I'm sorry, I think furlough is very generous indeed for not having to do any work. There are people who have lost their jobs or are working harder than ever because of covid.

It would be unfair.

It is legal for you to do other paid work or voluntary work while furloughed. Do something else temporarily to fill the gap if possible!

Charities can't just choose to spend their money on whatever they want. They have strict obligations to spend it according to their charitable trust. I have no idea whether topping up furlough pay would be something that your charity is able to do, but it is certainly more complicated than for a business.

a 20yr old who’s not going back to University this term and it makes a huge difference to my food bills

Assuming they are still receiving their student loan then they should be paying you something towards their food bills. They’d be paying for food at university, so they can pay for food at home.

Take your holiday while on furlough. They have to pay you 100% then, and if you’ve got holiday to burn why not? Cash it in

Yes you are fortunate. Otherwise it's not fair on those who have to do the work they normally do

Op there is a real hatred for furlough on here and it's likely from a load of sahm so I wouldn't worry about their opinions.

For what it's worth whether you took the salary increase or not (I think I read it was sept) would hold no baring on your furlough pay as this is based on your earnings from this time last year not your current salary. This is what infuriates me about the scheme is that someone who started with a business post March 2020 get their current salary other long standing employees get their old salary and yes this included nmw staff.

You can take other employment if your organisation is ok with this (check handbook/policies and speak with line manager)

I'd also be inclined to have a word with both your ds as times are tough so they will need to step up and maybe find temp work?

Sending you times are really hard at the moment

@NutHatchHQ

Take your holiday while on furlough. They have to pay you 100% then, and if you’ve got holiday to burn why not? Cash it in

You can't claim furlough on holiday pay the whole point of the scheme is because the work isn't there. This is why most businesses won't allow it as it's an additional cost to them

The charity may well feel that topping up furloughed employees pay is misuse of the funds they get from donors.

You can use holiday while on furlough they just flexi furlough you around your holidays.

I also wouldn't be too harsh on your employer - they'll be looking at it from a whole organisation perspective, not 'MangoMask's team made lots last year so let's give them furlough top up' - they probably have other areas of the charity that are underperforming so it all balances out. If you felt valued before and loved working there before, don't read too much into this on a personal level - they probably have no idea how much this will impact you compared to somebody else and are just trying to keep the charity afloat.

Good luck, really hope you and/or your DC find some work to tide you over.

20k for 15-20 hours a week is a pretty good rate of pay to me, over 40k fte! Can you ring tax credits and report a reduced salary, you would be entitled to a fair bit more? You may eventually have to pay some back but it wouldn’t be until after you’ve got your pay rise

If you are furloughed I assume there is no work for you to do. Charities have been hit very hard by lock down. Shops are shut, fundraisers are cancelled, their income has taken a massive dive. They are already paying your pension, NI and holidays and topping you up to 100% for doing zero work for them probably isn't something the business is able to do.

I love the MN assumption that employers are a bottomless pit of cash.

@MangoMask

Yes it should be 100% and extended until April 2022.

I get where you coming from, it’s hard, yes 80% is great, but like everyone I’m sure on here has set bills to pay
And what a joke saying your 2 kids should get jobs, WHERE, their are no bloody jobs

When furloughed, you don't have commuting costs. You don't need to buy work lunches or work clothes.

Also while we are in this mess, you can't spend on holidays or eating out or sports or entertaining, or travelling to see family etc.

You will need to heat your home, but generally you shouldn't be worse off on 80%.

@BungleandGeorge the op works full time plus an extra 15-20 hours.

@MangoMask going from £20k to £25k with two dependent children would have only reduced you tax credits by a very small amount. You would have been better off x