Friend said DH is abusing furlough

[amy198820]

DH been on furlough from 2 jobs since March (one full time job and one part time job he does one evening a week). He has been back to work on and off since the summer and is now on the flexi furlough scheme and both jobs have topped his pay to 100%. Since the tier 4 announcement he has been put back on furlough completely.

As tier 4 is looking like it will continue through Jan/Feb, and so unlikely he will be going back anytime soon DH had applied for another job to keep him busy rather than sit at home. DH found out before Christmas he has got the job and he has made this new employer aware that this job will just be a fill in whilst he is on furlough and the employer has accepted this and are happy to take him on. (its a friend of a friend type thing)

Spoke with my friend and earlier and told her about DH's new temporary position explaining that its better than him sitting at home all day /gives him something to do until all this passes etc. My friend took umbrage with this and said that we are abusing the system and that this isnt what the scheme was designed for. I didn't really know what to say and so said sorry she was offended and would speak to her later on.

For background before anyone says anything, I was not being insensitive, my friend has not suffered financially due to COVID as she has been working from home continuously throughout.

I want to call my friend back soon as to not let the bad feeling grow. How would you suggest I approach this? I do not think we are doing anything wrong, just trying to get through this pandemic and doing the best for our family as would anyone else.

You came here to ask if your friend is correct. We all told you she is correct and that taking a government payout when earning a wage is morally wrong. Yet you still try to defend your behaviour. Boggles the mind!

@Vitaminsss

He is though. You’re not supposed to work whilst on furlough so it’s fraud. He’s also being paid 100% pay at both of his previous jobs, does that mean he’s being paid full time hours for both jobs?

Completely incorrect tell me your source?

Working whilst furlough is company discretion and dependant on policy

Bit on the fence with this because what he is doing is perfectly legal and l understand he wants to keep himself busy which is great. Bit people get very funny when it comes to this kind of thing and l got slated by my friend for saying l should have been furloughed due to childcare issues - she seemed to think that because dh and l are quite comfortable, l shouldn't even have asked. My boss didn't see it my way either and l ended up leaving as l literally had no childcare. So we agreed to disagree and haven't talked about it since. Just best to keep these things to yourself would be my advice OP.

This probably isn’t true as I understand things. You have to be paying a lot of tax every month to pay more in than you take out. Especially if you have kids at school etc.

Presumably if he's going to be deducted tax and NI from fill in job and still getting furlough money, the powers that be will catch up with him eventually.

Op the only issue here would be that if his other two employers ask for him back (and they can at short notice on flex furlough) then he needs to be prepared to go straight in and would have to let the other job down

People do realise as well he will pay a higher tax contribution in the temp role as he has two other jobs?

As long as he has told both companies otherwise they may not be happy, also will likely have to pay tax on new job if doing officially so need to make sure doesn't take you in the next threshold and may take a while to get right tax code for new job
Morally prob not right as you haven't mentioned you are on the breadline and how this will really help you , just that your dh is bored and like others have said plenty of charity work
By the way most of us actually don't pay more in that we take out of we have dc etc when all things are comsidered

Amira19 air stewards jobs are on the line because the aviation industry has been devastated by Covid, not because they were pictured working in Asda, as your post reads. Apologies if that is not what you meant.
In actual fact this is an excellent example of why getting another job while on furlough is a good idea; because some of those on furlough might actually lose their current job in the long run

I mean I don’t think this is really a question on the technicalities of the furlough scheme, I think your friend raises more of an ethical question. You can of course do whatever you want, but could your DH do something else rather than take a job that may go to someone who needs it. It could also go to someone who is furloughed elsewhere too. My dad has been furloughed a few times (hospitality) so he goes and tends to the local amateur football teams ground for free. Cuts grass, builds walls, fixes random stuff - keeps him busy and they are delighted. And it’s isolated a she’s there on his own or distanced from others. It’s a question of what you are looking to gain from your time.

My problem with this is that your DH is probably taking a job from someone who actually needs it.

It's perfectly legal. Your husband is probably in the horrible position of not actually knowing if he'll have his job to go to after furlough, and also if it's flex furlough he's on then he may need to drop the temp job at any time. I don't envy him. Your friend sounds a bit jealous of him tbh, and whilst I understand (single parent utterly fed up of what since March), I also don't envy his position. Hope your friend realises this and apologises.

It is 100% legal and I think it's a very good idea to look at other jobs while on furlough as you may not have the original job to go back to.

Furlough seems to be such an emotive subject. We are all entitled to an opinion but I really don't think those who have not experienced furlough or redundancy can understand how it feels. What about all the people who gave come out of this pandemic better off e.g. WFH so no transport / childcare costs are they grabby?

He needs to tell the employers that have furloughed him. They shouldn't be paying him a salary while working elsewhere, volunteering is a totally different thing. The government should also not be expected to contribute to his furloughed pay. If it's really to keep him busy and the two employees don't pay him and the new one does but isn't concerned he may leave quickly all good. He is taking a job from someone who needs it and being double paid.

what is the difference between this man

sitting at home getting furlough from two jobs

working earning paying tax and still getting furlough from two jobs

how does this detrimentally effect anyone ?

sensible answers only, what am I missing'?

Both my adult kids took Christmas work in a factory while furloughed from their regular jobs. I was quite impressed with their initiative 🤷

@PiggyPokkyFool

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Thank you.

You can work whilst furloughed.

If you don’t like the system complain about it to the right people.
It’s not this DH’s fault.

He is just going to work and making as much money as he can for his family, legally. Like everyone else here.

I say this as someone who is entitled to absolutely zero government help, lost my job in March and can’t get another job in my field until this is all over.
Have never been on benefits or anything else like that, but I have no problem with other people taking what they’re legally entitled to.

Not clear why people are so sanctimonious on here.

Don’t chat about finances with friends though OP, especially not any benefits etc. I don’t think any good can come of it.

@Baileysoncereal

You can work whilst furloughed.

If you don’t like the system complain about it to the right people.
It’s not this DH’s fault.

He is just going to work and making as much money as he can for his family, legally. Like everyone else here.

I say this as someone who is entitled to absolutely zero government help, lost my job in March and can’t get another job in my field until this is all over.
Have never been on benefits or anything else like that, but I have no problem with other people taking what they’re legally entitled to.

Not clear why people are so sanctimonious on here.

Don’t chat about finances with friends though OP, especially not any benefits etc. I don’t think any good can come of it.

This.

ops husband might need this third job if job one makes him redundant...

The government furlough scheme allows piss taking selfish goady fuckers to work another job if their employer doesn't give a shit because they are also piss taking selfish fuckers so why the hell not

......

Well done, you two.

If it is legal it shouldn't be. He is being paid a full wage already there are people who have no job or can't claim furlough. These jobs should be left for them. Is it fair that Fred down the road who couldn't claim will have his house repossessed because your husband took a job he could do? I think it's morally wrong when others genuinely need the work. Am sure if a family member was in need of the job you would be annoyed if they couldn't get one while someone already being paid took it

@BornOnThe4thJuly

This probably isn’t true as I understand things. You have to be paying a lot of tax every month to pay more in than you take out. Especially if you have kids at school etc.

We have both been tax payers for 15+ years, so have put in a lot more than taken out

This is the post I was referring to, it didn’t quote for some reason.