New employer shafting me?

[Rebecca980]

Hi everyone!

In a bit of a pickle.

I was offered a new job closer to home which meant I could avoid the London commute. Yay!
I was on £45,000 in my previous job. I took a slight pay cut but it evened out to not pay for travel...almost anyway.

The new job asked if I could negotiate a shorter notice period, which I did. I then gave myself a week off unpaid to rest before a new start.

I was beginning to get concerned during coronavirus about the new job. They hadn’t sent me a contract - although I have emails etc to confirm start date, hours, pay etc. I was told over and over again that everything would be fine and that all working from home etc. They kept saying they would chase the contract and apologising.

They are a really reputable company, so I gave them the benefit of a doubt.

Friday was my last day working at my last company. I spoke to new people again to chase the contract. New boss said she thought it had been sent already.....THEN at the end of the day I received an email asking for a call on Monday (today).

Basically, they have said they are in a bit of trouble as a business because of coronavirus and that they would like me to work part time (2.5 days) until lockdown is over - they mentioned ‘June/July’ and that I would go full time ‘in the long term’. Unfortunately, as I wasn’t employed with them on 23rd February I am not entitled to the 80% government help and this was the best they could do.

I’m so upset. Can they do this? It seems incredibly unfair - especially as I have been in constant contact with them, they were aware I was leaving my job....and surely they could have given a heads up during all of this communication so I could perhaps have stayed longer as my old job or just decided to stay there all together and resume my job search after corona.

My husband is a freelancer, so we are reliant on my wage at this time. I literally don’t know what to do....

Oh. And our call was at 9am today and they STILL haven’t sent any form of contract.

I feel like I’ve worked so hard in my career for 15 years to now be left with nothing. No entitlement to government help. We can’t afford to live on a single part-time wage right now.

Unfortunately, as I wasn’t employed with them on 23rd February I am not entitled to the 80% government help and this was the best they could do

What was your actual start date meant to be? It’s the 28th Feb that’s the magic day. I’m a bit confused by your dateline.

If you resigned from your last company I don’t think your old employers would be eligible to claim for you anyway.

My DD started her new job on the 2nd March. 😬. She is hoping to carry on working from home but won’t be eligible for furlough if she is let go. She still lives at home so it’s not a problem in the grand scheme.

@wellthisisabitshoteisntit My start date is next Monday. I finished my old job on Friday (after training up my interim replacement!) and they dropped this bombshell on me on Monday (despite me asking them several times if all was going to be ok. I just got reassurances that it was all fine and they were prepared etc. Had I known earlier I would have retracted my resignation!).
Good your DD lives at home. Sadly DH is a freelancer so we rely on my income for our family and now it’s all gone to sh*t.

That’s really terrible timing. I hope you get thing sorted. That true that could have retracted your resignation if your new company had been more forthcoming with what they were doing. Although I guess they probably didn’t know.

Sorry for typos. My iPad is acting up

@wellthisisabitshiteisntit Thanks ❤️ I’m actually on hold to ACAS Charity now to just talk it through with them. I suspect I’ll be told there’s nothing I can do, but fingers crossed.

I have heard people are lobbying the government to change the magic day to the day that the chancellor announced this, but not sure it will help you OP. Really sorry you are in this situation, unfortunately your employer holds the cards and could easily dismiss you for any reason when you are new, or withdraw the offer with no notice pay, so you are lucky they have offered you the part time hours.

Hope this helps

Thanks @weekday28.
Others on thread say this isn’t true but I have spoken to ACAS and they have confirmed this.

Ooh, that looks promising. Hopefully they will update the official guidelines ASAP.
Hopefully your old employers will do this for you.