Furlough + Lay off help

[RedSoloCup]

Hi hope someone can help

I work 20ish hours every week on a 20 hour contract.

The week before the business closed I only worked 10 hours as it was so quiet so only earns £80 (minimum wage) as opposed to approx £160.

Last week we were provided with lay off pay. I work 3 shifts a week so thought I would get 3;x £29 but I received just £29. I have worked for the company for 18 months, never been off sick and until last week always early £160 plus with extra shifts etc.

I queried this and was told I am only entitled to this as I am part time, I have searched and can't find much info on this.

My company is now waiting for government monies before we get paid our furloughed money.

I feel sick really, I am a very hard worker and my money pays for all the family food and haven't asked for this to happen but can't see where I can get advice about if this is right or not. Just £29 to be payed off doesn't seem right to me? I have tried without luck to get temporary work but am a bit ties as have young children at home.

Thanks for reading

I don't really understand - furlough is for staff who are still employed by the company, not for redundant staff. It is for staff the company has temporarily furloughed during this crisis as there is no work for them, bu they remain employed.

If you have been furloughed your company should be paying you 80% of your wage. If they have paid you £29 as a lay off pay that sounds more like redundancy not furlough. What have they said in writing?

It says they will pay lay off and then implement making us furloughed workers?

No talk of redundancy luckily (hopefully).

They are not doing furlough correctly.
You are either furloughed or redundant.
If you are furloughed you should be paid 80 percent

To lay off normally means they are making you redundant. What is the £29 for? If you are contracted for 20 hours then surely they pay you for 20 hours?

Yes I don't know none of this makes any sense I have emailed to ask and had no reply I'm not sure where I should go with this. I'm a very low earner so can't afford legal support or anything which I guess my company are counting on.

If you work 3 days a week and you are laid off the guarantee pay should be for 3 days

Thank you miggings I agree but my company don't and I'm not sure what I can do ?

The government directive is great but so many companies are making low paid employees wait for this money when many of us really can't and I don't see anything we can do about it.

www.gov.uk/lay-offs-short-timeworking/guarantee-pay

It’s tough, I know. Not to defend your work specifically, but they are maybe having cash flow issues. Short of seeing if you can postpone paying loans, mortgage etc til it comes through I’m not sure of the answer sadly x

Miggings thank you, I've seen this and emailed to query but no reply 😟

Thanks for reply though.

I'm contracted to 16hrs, furloughed as of 1st March and I receive 80% of my usual wage. So if you're contracted to 20 hours you should get paid for 16hrs (80%) -

Also whilst you're waiting for it to be sorted look at your local councils website for grants and support to help out necessities for family.

If your company has paid you off, they need to pay you 1 weeks full pay, so 20 hours pay for you then also any accrued but untaken holidays. Is it possible that you went over on holidays so they have taken money off of your last wage to recoup this?

I don't understand as they can't pay you off and furlough you. If they have furloughed you, they need to give you a letter saying you are furloughed and pay you 80% of your average weekly/monthly wage on your usual pay day then claim it back from the government.

What I think they might be doing, and I could be wrong, is paying you off but they will claim you are still an employee and make a claim through the JRS to get your wages but never pay you them.

I'm not sure where you go with this. Is there any more information you can give us?

Yappity I hope not!

I've definitely not gone over on holiday pay no. I've not taken any yet.

Hmm I have furloughed 20 employees and all the government guidelines I have read say that you have to pay either the whole of last years wage divided by 12 (so one month), minus 20%, or the month of Mar 2019 wage minus 20%.

Also all employers have been told they are supposed to pay all furloughed employees at their normal pay intervals and then claim the money back, which will not be set up to claim until the end of April.

Your company should be paying you as normal and then claiming the money back.

Most businesses are being offered a government grant of £10000 or £25000, depending on rateable value. There are also government loans to help pay employees (although the banks seem to be struggling with handling these).

I hope this helps.

Thanks we get paid weekly and they have made it clear we won't be paid until they receive the monies buy thanks for the information.

Well in that case (they are wrong), but I guess you can’t do much about it.

Can you apply for UC whilst you are on furlough and also start looking for other jobs when this is over.

Why are people going on about redundancy? OP has been laid off, as per MigginsMrs link, and her company has paid her statutory guarantee pay. This is pro rated but they’ve done it wrongly- it should be a maximum of 3 days but there’s no reason that can’t all come in the same week.

Presumably when the furlough pay comes through, it won’t matter anyway as OP will get that.

The good news is that HMRC have now said the portal will be up 20 April and money should be received by end April, so although it doesn’t help much right now, at least it’s not going to be weeks and weeks.

Thanks Flowery