Giving notice whilst furloughed

[jeffinahere]

Curently furloughed due to Covid-19 and expect to remain so for the forseeable. We are hoping to move house this summer, when i will need to leave my job (approx 200 mile move). The sales are agreed and progressing slowly but it all feels at risk of falling through at any moment due to the uncertainty everywhere, hence for now I'm sitting tight re my job.

If we get a set moving date and things feel more secure do I just give my notice as usual? Can I continue to be payed furlough during my notice period? My contractual notice period is 8 weeks but I know ex-colleagues who were able to leave with less during "normal" times.

You give notice as usual. They can release you earlier if you ask them and if they are prepared to do this, which they probably would. If you go earlier at your request you'd only be entitled to pay up to the end of your employment, not to the end of your notice period.

Whether you get paid furlough 80% or 100% during your notice period depends on whether your contractual notice period is at least a week longer than the statutory minimum or not. In your case, if you have more than 8 years' service, the statutory minimum notice would be 9 weeks (or more), therefore you should get paid at full pay.

if you've got, say, 4 years' service, the statutory minimum notice would be 4 weeks, so as your contractual notice period is considerably more, you'd only get the same pay during notice as you would be receiving anyway, ie 80%.

Does furlough need to be paid back if you leave a job whilst furloughed?

If the furlough period has been less than three weeks the employer won't be entitled to claim funding from HMRC, so if they've already had that funding they may need to pay it back, but that isn't the employee's problem.

Thanks very much. I've had 4.5 years continuous employment in this job and been furloughed since 1st April. I think my employer would be happy to reduce the notice period. They know that I am planning to move at some point in the future but even without covid 19 i wasn't sure how long things would take. In the current situation the uncertainty is magnified - it might be that the chain wants to move asap as restrictions lift, altnernatively if it falls through it could take us years to find another buyer in which case it'd be nice to still have a job (if at all possible). Thanks again, sounds like it shouldn't complicate things too much if i do need to give notice whilst furloughed.