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!

but I would hope that most reasonable employers would agree to furlough someone in the shielded category if they could not work from home or was unable to access childcare.

Absolutely.

OP is not in shielded category. Nor is anyone in their household.

The furlough scheme is to cover people who would have otherwise been made redundant, it’s not to cover childcare

Incorrect. Furlough has always been an option for employees who need to look after children.

mammatomyboy16, ARE YOU GOING TO TELL US WHY YOU CAN'T MOVE TO EVENING AND WEEKEND SHIFTS????

Put it in capitals because you seem to keep missing the numerous posts asking the same question.

I work with several people who're working 8 hour shifts starting at 4/5/6pm for childcare reasons. They're crap shifts and they don't want to but a lot of people are doing shit they don't want to do right now.

I HAVENT SAID IM NOT CHANGING MY HOURS AT WORK! IN MY ORIGINAL POST I SAID I CANT WORK AFTER HE FINISHES I HAVENT ONCE SAID IM NOT WORKING WEEKENDS WHICH IS WHAT I WILL BE DOING AFTER THIS WEEK

THE WHOLE POINT OF MY POST IS THAT I DONT AGREE THAT ITS FAIR TO FURLOUGH SOME STAFF AND NOT OTHERS

That’s not what your post was about at all........

So what’s the problem of your work have altered your shifts and you can continue working? That’s a win!

I HAVENT SAID IM NOT CHANGING MY HOURS AT WORK! IN MY ORIGINAL POST I SAID I CANT WORK AFTER HE FINISHES I HAVENT ONCE SAID IM NOT WORKING WEEKENDS WHICH IS WHAT I WILL BE DOING AFTER THIS WEEK

Great, so you've found a simple solution which doesn't leave you financially worse off! Seems a bit silly to complain about this when so many are losing their jobs and income.

THE WHOLE POINT OF MY POST IS THAT I DONT AGREE THAT ITS FAIR TO FURLOUGH SOME STAFF AND NOT OTHERS

So you think that if one person has to be furloughed then everyone should have the option? And you work in a supermarket?

Also, you literally say in your OP I can't work around my partners hours. Changed your mind pretty quick.

If you usually work part time and you're now going to work weekends you're presumably not losing much money then? Obviously it would be much nicer to be paid 80% and do nothing but what makes you more important than anyone else? Not everybody can be furloughed.

I do love people who say ‘ok you just have to pay for childcare then’. Childcare for under school age children is astronomical!

I am a teacher and DP has recently become self employed, so not earning and not eligible for the support package. We’ve been using savings for food etc. If MIL can’t have our 17 month old when schools reopen, we can’t pay the mortgage AND pay a childcare bill of £1100 per month once our savings run out. We don’t qualify for UC due to income, nor a mortgage holiday with our provider due to me being a key worker. Our mortgage is so high because we live in an area with property prices almost on a par with London. We live there due to MIL offering free childcare and not driving.

Yes, if it comes to it we will figure it out, but to say ‘just pay for childcare’ is overly simplistic IMO. Many, many people factor in offers of free childcare from relatives when planning their families nowadays. Everyone has different circumstances.

Crikey, half of the families at our school may not be able to have both parents back in work when schools reopen, due to the fact that at least 50% of our children are cared for by grandparents before and after school!

I work for a supermarket and you need to go above your manager. Human resources can help you out. I'm not furlonged but had to change some hours due to my disabled dd but they do listen. Try your people manager

I think most people on this thread are acutely aware of the costs of childcare, on account of the fact that lots of us are paying, or have had to pay for it, without the massive bonus of having family able to help.

If your husband's company are having the benefit of him working full-time with no need to worry his head about childcare (which appears to be your problem rather than his), then would it not be reasonable for him to at least curb his hours a little each day to ensure getting home in good time for you to work evenings?

And I would be surprised if furlough was extended to people who could work different shifts but would just prefer not to.

”What is the position if there is work available, but the member of staff is in the shielded group or has childcare issues? Is the employer obligated to furlough them?
Can the employer refuse to furlough staff?”

Furlough is not an employment right and no one in any category at all is entitled to it. It is a funding initiative for the employer not a new leave entitlement for employees. Despite what Martin Lewis might say..🙄🙄

HMRC are gearing up to do lots of auditing once this is over and any employer who claims furlough funding for a situation which doesn’t strictly meet the criteria is likely to encounter serious problems. Making fraudulent statements to HMRC is no laughing matter.

SpiritEssence, why does she need to? She has been given what you were given already - the option to change shifts.

Ultimately though your situation comes down to taking the childcare you had for granted

This. We all have to pay for childcare now and it's thrown into sharp relief how much the older generation had to do. Your original position was never going to last forever and the truth, is I'm not convinced that all these grandmas and grandpas really preferred doing the hours of childcare that everyone on MN is so certain they love to do. I've seen so many times how in RL grandparents are stuck because of the narrative that "grandparenting is special family time, but parenting is childcare I can't possibly do".

Your statement about the awful family members refusing to darken your doors makes me wonder if they might have been trying to give you a message that you just don't want to hear.

So you were having a whinge at having to change your hours rather complaining you had a straight choice between having to quit or go unpaid.

Glad we got that straight.

Glad you've got your childcare issues sorted and didn't need to create a thread about how to do that as you've already done it.

Remind me again, why should you be furloughed and other taxpayers pick up the bill for you so you don't have to work weekends and evenings because you simply don't like it?

That's not such a great OP for a thread is it?

No one should rely on family especially older family to care for their children. They are your children. When I go back to work I'll have to put my baby in childcare, because you know, it's not my parents responsibility to look after him.
I don't see why it's unfair that people living with someone vulnerable or shielding are being furloughed and you're not. You don't fit the criteria so that's why. Pretty simple.
I'm sure everyone would like to stay at home and be safe but I think you know deep down you're being unreasonable

WORKING WEEKENDS ... IS WHAT I WILL BE DOING AFTER THIS WEEK

Fair enough - sounds like a problem solved, but why not have said this in the first place?

THE WHOLE POINT OF MY POST IS THAT I DONT AGREE THAT ITS FAIR TO FURLOUGH SOME STAFF AND NOT OTHERS

Also fair enough; after all we're all entitled to an opinion
But from your posts I'm perhaps starting to understand why your employers have refused

Your thread title should actually be:

My work won't pay me unless I come to work. My work also won't furlough me to make sure I don't have to pay for childcare

My employers also won’t pay me unless I actually work - the fuckers

@Aridane This !!

Right. So you know why people can be furloughed. Why are you astounded that supermarkets are doing it?

Okay, perhaps more accurately that I am astounded that aside from those as mentioned, people think they should be furloughed for circumstances outside of that. Also I am sure they don't have to claim taxpayers money to pay their shielded staff, but why not I suppose if they can.

Also relying on childcare is a burden, no matter how much someone might claim to enjoy it. Imagine being retired and wanting a lie in on a Monday, and knowing you are actually looking after your grandchildren for free. Eurgh. I can't think of much worse, well I can, but no.

Do you work just a few hours everyday? Is that why you could afford childcare if you worked full time?

If so I would look for a childminder who has more flexibility to do shorter days and you pay per hour rather than full days for.