Dh paid less but he’s not furloughed

[Poppybeaumydarlinggirl]

So my dh is still working he can social distant in his job.

He’s away Monday-Thursday and the boss decided that although he’s not furloughed,he will only give him what the government would give him if he was furloughed.

I’m furious he’s working away from his family for the government capped amount. Surly this isn’t allowed. So technically the boss could be claiming from the government therefore my dh is working for him for Free??? Opinions please

No it's not right, they cannot just pay less because they want to. If it turns out that they are claiming from the government it is fraud, and I would hope that they get reported (although could be hard to prove). Hopefully someone with HR knowledge will be along to advise.

My dh doesn’t want to upset his boss because he only started and signed the contract on the 3rd March.

He just thinks oh well I’m still getting paid something so that’s ok. But he’s working away 40 hours over 4 days and not getting his travel expenses like normal either.

Many people are having to take pay cuts. My DPs entire office have, some 40%. It has to be signed by your DH in writing. This is not unheard of and happening to thousands of people.

If the company is claiming furlough and your DH is working, then the boss is committing fraud.

If the boss isn't claiming furlough bit has reduced your DH's wages that is a different matter. However, a number of employers have negotiated an agreed time of reduced salaries to help them through the next few months, whereas the alternative would be redundancy. Are you sure this is not what the boss has done?

My DH is in the same position (though working from home). Some people have been furloughed and they aren't working, the others are on 80%. We have assumed they are doing this to weather the storm, but I wondered what their rights are tbh.

It doesn't sound like the boss is claiming furlough though. It sucks and I am sorry to hear - but we, like many others, are in the same boat of having to take pay cuts. It is legal, but will have to be signed by your partner officially.

My friend works in insurance, she signed hers but about 50 people didn't. The 50 have all been furloughed and said due to this redundancies will happen in the next couple of months!

Thanks for all your replies.
I wouldn’t mind if there was an agreement but he just verbally said he’s only getting what the government would have paid him if he was furloughed.

I am grateful he’s still got a job, and I know there’s a lot of people really struggling. Take care every one

No it's not right, they cannot just pay less because they want to

Of course they can. My OH has had a pay cut. I expect mine to be cut too. Businesses are struggling and pay cuts are inevitable.

@MintyMabel not without your signature. Even though financially times are hard there are still employment laws .

No @MintyMabel they really can’t. They can ask for a ‘voluntary’ pay cut to be accepted. The only way it can be imposed is by going through a consultation process like redundancy and clearly lost people understand that they are being offered a choice between reduced pay or redundancy. But if you’re contracted to receive a certain salary an employer cannot just announce one day that you’re being paid less.

This is the process that both DH and I have been on the receiving end of in the last few weeks. As a result my hours have been cut ‘voluntarily’ and DH has had a 10% pay cut, also ‘voluntarily’. We could have both said no but knew what the next steps would be and chose this as the preferable option.

*most people, that should say.

OP it’s still unclear what furlough has to do with your OH’s situation. Has he just had a 20% pay cut, which coincidentally is the same amount as the furlough pay, or is there some question about whether the boss is claiming furlough fraudulently while your partner is working? If it’s the former he should have been asked to sign something to agree to the pay cut. If it’s the latter he should probably try and find a new job because the govt will come down like a tonne of bricks on businesses who do that and I imagine the fines would put him out of business never mind a potential conviction. The boss, that is.

What does his contract say?

Did he read it, AND any accompanying Staff Handbook and Policies?

Does it have a clause for reducing hours/pay/preventing redundancies in exceptional circumstances?

@Rainycloudyday he’s not had a 20% pay cut i will just say as I don’t know you guys!! but he usually comes out with £3200 after tax etc and now his boss has just decided to cap his wage to £2500 government guide so therefore he comes out with £2000 after tax etc. It leads me to believe my dh is working like normal, but the boss is still getting the government furloughed pay,that’s how the furlough was mentioned.

The boss is a millionaire.

No that’s not right at all.

He needs to speak to HR and establish what hours he has been paid for. They may have messed up payroll, thinking that working four days, he's only working 80% of time instead of condensed hours?
Have they put him on emergency tax? That could easily account for the difference? You said he's only been there a month.
Is it a basic + bonus/sales type job? Or actual salary ?

Also, there will be pension scheme to come out of his salary.
Is it meant to be £3600 gross? That would be about £2k net, tbh.

so he's had a £20K pay cut pro rata?

Sounds enormously dodgy and I would be worried about being seen to be involved in something illegal. I would email querying it, so any response is in writing. And word the enquiry to make it clear that I am under no illusions that I am not furloughed. And keep the email. Cover your backs.

I agree, email clarification for a paper trail. This isn’t right. Although I do get your dh. He probably feels on dodgy ground, it being a new job.