Furlough for home workers?

[Bananacocks]

Does anyone know if you can be furloughed if you work from home? I work part time and in normal times work in a hospital (not NHS) but have been working from home since March. My DH is also working from home, we have managed ok but now we are back to home schooling and also have caring responsibilities for elderly parents. I am not busy at all in my job role but have to be "present" and find something to make it look like I'm doing something during working hours. Now we are back to home schooling I am on my knees, I can't do it all. Thinking I may ask to be furloughed but can this happen. DH is fantastic and does help but his job is full time and much busier than me, he earns 4x what I do and on track for promotion so really don't want to impact on his work too much.

It's allowed yes, you can request it but your request doesn't have to be accepted. It costs companies money to furlough you and if they need the job done then they might decline.

I'm in a similar position OP and have been wondering if I can be furloughed.

How does it cost the company money if you're furloughed, as I thought the furlough money could be claimed back from the government? (I know in the long run we'll all have to pay via taxes etc...)

@MummyDummyNow Companies have to pay NI and pension contributions, for furloughed employees, that can't be claimed back. So if they still need the work done and have to pay someone else to do it instead of you they will be paying for these costs twice.

Ah of course! Thank you.

Thanks, there is def no need to employ someone else to do my job, I have no work to do! I guess I can ask and see what they say. Thanks

@MummyDummyNow not sure exactly how the scheme runs now but when my DH furloughed some staff in spring the Gov contributed 80% of salary and DHs company paid 20% so the staff weren’t out of pocket (but obviously if the business hasn’t got as much income due to the pandemic this is tricky).