My work won't pay or furlough me.

[Mammatomyboy16]

So I have a 13 month old son. My dad looks after him when I go to work. Since we went on lockdown my dad hasn't been able to look after him as he's classed as vulnerable. Over 70 and has diabetes. I'm a key worker so haven't been able to go to work. My partner is also a key worker so can't stay off and look after our son.

I've taken some weeks timebanking, holidays and 2 weeks we had to self isolate as my son had a high temperature but he was fine.

Anyway, my work won't furlough me. They've said if I don't come back to work next week I won't be getting paid. I've told them the only way I can come back to work is if my dad comes back and looks after him, which is risking his life and my sons life. I am furious with my work. They have furloughed other people which I understand as they live with someone who's vulnerable. But because I don't live with my dad I won't be furloughed.

I can't afford to not be paid. I can't work around my partners hours as he gets in so late from work everyday.

I don't know what to do!

The key word here is CAN. You CAN be furloughed. OP's work have chosen not to furlough her. They CAN. They do not have to.

And as OP is a supermarket worker, they need her in work.

If you work part time hours in a supermarket then why can't you work on the days your DH is off?

He doesnt work on behalf of the NHS, he works for a medical supplier who has, amongst it's clients, the NHS. They are technically classed as keyworkers because they will be part of the supply chain. He can work from home and he absolutely should be. I know because DH is in a very similar role.

I need a laptop and phone line to work from home, most people do, he's not unique. You seem to have an answer for everything.

OP, could you and your partner jointly afford childcare? Childcare isn’t just up to you, it’s a joint expense between you and your partner.
I’m surprised how many PPs are talking as though it’s just your responsibility.

If you could afford it jointly, you’ll have to weigh up whether it’s worth taking a short-term financial hit in order to stay employed and, potentially, earn more in the future.

@MNnicknameforCVthreads THANK YOU! If my dad wasn't capable of looking after my son I wouldn't put him in the position to do it. I have other people who can look after him and have asked but unfortunately haven't bothered to come and see my son most his life and he isn't comfortable with them and screams the minute I leave the room. And I don't feel comfortable doing that.

@TerrapinStation many thousands of people are wfh with children. We're in the middle of a pandemic, it's not normal.

And as OP is a supermarket worker, they need her in work.

I don't really get the point? I agree. They are not furloughing OP because they want her to work.

@excitedemmi

You do know households shouldn’t be mixing dont you???

Any employer can put any worker on furlough as long as they were on the payroll on the eligibility date.

But it is for the employer to agree to do this. If they don’t, they are not legally obliged to pay you if you can’t come to work because you are looking after children, unfortunately.

If you can’t find childcare, you have a right to take unpaid leave - or you can use holiday.

You can be furloughed if you are a key worker, but only with your employer’s agreement.

And employers who are publicly funded are not supposed to furlough their workers - don’t know what sort of key worker you are and whether this applies to you.

Good luck.

I am a key worker (teacher) but am working from home and very rarely going in a rota. My childminder has a family member that is shielded- therefore when schools return it is very unlikely she will be able to look after my children so I can return to work. I have 2 options

1. find alternative (and likely to be more expensive) childcare that my children won’t know or be comfortable with
2. quit my job to be home with them
3. ask my work for unpair leave for an indefinite period of time.

None of the options are ideal, but there isn’t anything I can do about it.

@AStarSoBright he tried to work from home when we was self isolating. It did not work! The system his work use doesn't work from home. Not one person he works with has been allowed to work from home.

Poster you are so sweariah

My goodness the amount of hate and abuse on my post is ridiculous.

There is no hate or abuse. They are really strong words and don't really fit the circumstances which are 'people telling you like it is'

The whole point of my post is to say I can't be furloughed and I think it's unfair that my work are furloughing some people and not others.

Other people are not your concern. So many posts on Mumsnet these days about how unfair things are because of what X, Y and Z are doing/getting. You are not X, Y or Z OP, you are A, so concentrate on yourself, your own circumstances and instead of ousting a bitch about your work spend your time trying to work out a solution. I have lost count of the amount of suggestions to contact the local council re childcare for keyworkers. Will you do that?

OP - why not focus on the more useful posts here outlining options and ways forward rather than just lashing out at those harsher posters. That just makes it look like all you want to do is whinge at not getting your own way regarding the furlough and that you’re not really interested in a solution.

@PineappleDanish

Sorry I think I read you wrong there, you were adding to my comment in agreement I think

To say I shouldn't have children because I can't afford childcare is a ridiculous thing to say.

...It's unwise to have children if you can't afford childcare. Surely this is obvious. If you have children when you can't afford childcare you risk your living situation becoming unstable.

I chose to work part time and raise my son myself rather than be in work and send him off the nursery for someone else to look after him daily I'm getting abuse for it?

Nobody has said this. You're facing a choice that you would have had to make anyway if your Dad hadn't stepped in to look after your child for free. Send your child to childcare, work around your partner's hours or give up your job. It's really disappointing for you, but it's the only advice that we can give.

They are not furloughing you because there is still work for you.

as pp, you have the following choices:

1. you give up work
2. parental leave (unpaid)
3. find another childminder and pay for it - maybe try and co ordinate your shifts better to minimise this
4. find another job

It isn't unfair though is it, what would be unfair is if you were furloughed just because you didn't want to pay for childcare. Sounds like your husband definitely can't work from home no, and you obviously can't so you need to either pay for childcare like so many other people have to, or you take unpaid leave. I don't see how you can think that is unfair. Agreed some people are being a tad harsh on here but you must see their point that you have been using free childcare for however long whilst lots of people pay for it and now you want to be paid to be off work whilst the people who still pay for it continue to work?

Anyone else astounded that a supermarket, most of whom have recruited more staff to make up shortfalls have furloughed people? .

I know households shouldn't be mixing (we're not mixing with anyone) - thanks for asking, but surely childcare is essential if OP needs to go to work... It would be the same if her son was in paid childcare, no?

My employer generally does furlough for childcare reasons - however you would not fit the criteria.
For us, criteria are

• no other childcare available (for example for a severely autistic child - there is just no specialist provision available in the moment)
• health reasons why childcare is not an option (child with severe asthma for example)

If you can prove that there is no childcare (mind you, not no FREE childcare, but no childcare), you have a chance. Otherwise you have to pay. Most of your colleagues would probably prefer to stay at home for 80% pay, but its really an emergency measure

OP have you had advice from a union rep or if there isn't one can you try to get through to the CAB or ACAS? Get informed practical advice. You're on a hiding to nothing here.

but unfortunately haven't bothered to come and see my son most his life

Aha. Right.

I never said they did @teqcar

Any employer can put any worker on furlough as long as they were on the payroll on the eligibility date.

That’s not true. There are pages of regulations which are updated with new dictats regularly. And after applying to furlough your workers employers get a phone call to confirm everything is in order and you wish to proceed.

For example someone who is shielding can be furloughed but not someone who is isolating. And anyone whose majority of income is public funding.

Furlough should not be used where there is work available which covers most key workers.