How does furloughed working work if your boss won't do it?

[Campervan69]

My boss I think is being really unreasonable. He's refusing to even look into the idea of paying as all all on furloughed work and talking about closing the firm down if we don't get enough work in and therefore money. He wants us all to go on shortened hours and shortened pay rather than applying to the government for this Grant. Is there any way of forcing the issue or do we have to rely on our bosses to do the decent thing?

What’s furloughed work?

I think if they reduce your hours/salary you would then be entitled to apply for the increase in wage? Although I think your employer has to do it. Makes no sense surely for him to close company?!

We have a business which has been affected. We have 3 reception staff and I've told my DH he should furlough them. At least then they are guaranteed 80% of their income. As things stand our income will probably just about cover the reception costs, with nothing left for us. DH wants to see how things go! He's worried staff will be upset if they're laid off - I think they'll love him for it! I'm trying to make him see sense that the little work we have is pointless if the income goes to the reception staff and there's nothing left for us to live on. With work being thin on the ground we can cover reception ourselves.

We've had a meeting and we are all on reduced hours and pay. He said that the furloughed worker thing doesn't cover this apparently and threatened job losses if we didn't accept.

Poor You. I suspect lots of other business owners will do this!

My husband is self employed as well so no help there. He has 2 more days work....

Disgusting. These firms should be names and shamed. Myself and my partner own a business so are classed as self employed. We are looking at every option possible to save our staff first and foremost. We have already got one lad off long term (paid) as he lives alone with his elderly mother and is scared to death of her getting ill. We will be furloughing staff AND paying the difference in their wages ourselves so they wont lose a penny. Even though their contracts say we can drop their hours/pay. We dont want to be that person. Just want the to help out the self employed now so we can get a wage, but luckily we had just saved up to get our loft done and can live on that for a good few months. I cant believe some employers.