Furlough, Clients & Boss

[NatashaAlianovaRomanova]

We have a large client who outsource their clients payroll to us.

We are currently processing furlough claims for a number of these clients & the majority are fine with no issues.

However we have a few who do not meet the eligibility criteria due to either the PAYE scheme wasn't set up on time or the employee wasn't included on an RTI on or before 19th March.

My boss isn't telling the large client that this is the case - they are claiming that the system is generating an error report but not giving a reason for the error.

We are now into week 3 of the claim portal being open & the boss is refusing to tell the clients that they aren't getting anything from this.

I feel terrible as I know this is the case but I have been told not to say anything - I have a great working relationship with the large client but I now find I'm avoiding answering their calls or replying to their emails due to not wanting to lie outright but if I told them the truth it could cost me my job.

There's also the issue that people are waiting on this money to pay bills and feed their families but that money isn't going to materialise & they could have been well into the process for claiming benefits by now if we had just been honest from the start.

I'm not sure what I want from this thread but I am starting to dread work & really don't know what to do about this. If I bring it up my boss just says to leave it. Is there anything I can do or do I just leave it knowing that this is going to drag out most likely until the end of furlough?

Is there anyone you can anonymously whistle blow to?

What reason is your boss giving for doing this?
How is he/she planning to handle not having informed these people sooner - are you sure there's no way that it could come back on you as something that you 'missed'?
Is it possible to discuss this confidentially with someone above your managers level?
It sounds very stressful - particularly if this stress is above your pay-grade.

I had thought about that but there's no way they wouldn't know it's me

How very bizarre, why on earth is boss doing that?!

Stress definitely way above my pay grade!

My boss is the Managing Director so no one above.

No chance of it coming back on me - I have print outs of emails/screenshots of teams chats where I clearly state that these clients won't qualify & we need to inform client.

There are a couple of clients where it's due to an error on the companies part (not my error though) & if we flag up the others we'll have to admit the errors which are our fault - I think this is why MD is refusing to tell them.

In that case I think I would try and get him to put it in an email that he does not want you to inform the client of x, y, z. Carry on with his wishes, but when the shit hits the fan you've got evidence it was his instruction, if you're dragged into it. It's shit, but you have to protect your job.

That makes no sense. Surely the client would be grateful for the correct information, as if they have asked for the employees to be paid they have misunderstood the criteria?

The clients are under the impression that as long as the start date is on or before 19th March they will qualify - they don't realise that it's the RTI submission dates that determine full eligibility for employees.

We have clients who think that backdating a PAYE scheme to February means they'll be eligible! They're not the sharpest tools in the box & I can almost guarantee they've not even looked at the guidelines for claiming.

But when the money doesn’t come through they’ll notice...what’s the value in hiding it now?

I completely agree @flowery we have some clients who have received their funds and are querying why it's not what they were expecting but I'm not allowed to say that it's because some employees don't qualify just that there's an issue with the system but they'll be included in the next claim - they won't be as they don't qualify & you can't claim for the same period again even if they did!

Op

This is very very serious

You are aware of fraud. Serious fraud.

You need to report. Simple as that. There’s no debate.