People on Furlough....

[Ommadawn]

Anyone else's employers shamelessly taking advantage of this by furloughing upper and most middle management and then working pretty much normally from home?

[zahidf]

1 minute ago, Ommadawn said:

Anyone else's employers shamelessly taking advantage of this by furloughing upper and most middle management and then working pretty much normally from home?

That's illegal and those companies will probably be in deep shit...

[KinkyKeith]

If you are put on furlough the rules say you mustn't do any work at all for the employer who put you on furlough - no answering work emails, taking work phone calls, nothing. You can however go and do paid work for someone else in the meantime (but obviously you have to declare as another job to HMRC and pay the usual tax/NI). The employer can put you on and off furlough whenever they like - some employers I know are rotating their staff - giving some a 3 week furlough, then taking them back on and giving some others a 3 week furlough, just to share it out

[Homer]

1 hour ago, KinkyKeith said:

If you are put on furlough the rules say you mustn't do any work at all for the employer who put you on furlough - no answering work emails, taking work phone calls, nothing. You can however go and do paid work for someone else in the meantime (but obviously you have to declare as another job to HMRC and pay the usual tax/NI). The employer can put you on and off furlough whenever they like - some employers I know are rotating their staff - giving some a 3 week furlough, then taking them back on and giving some others a 3 week furlough, just to share it out

You can work for someone else but not during your contracted hours (9-5.30 Mon to Fri in my case). SO, basically, I can only work when my wife isn't working!

[Hugh Jass]

My company is furloughing people but still paying in full...

I’m praying to be picked for it.

[Ommadawn]

3 hours ago, zahidf said:

That's illegal and those companies will probably be in deep shit...

I sort of hope that someone will dob them in it. Other workers under furlough are being expected to undergo self training for 4 days a week (which apparently is allowed).

[Flysheet]

I’m kind of on Furlough but actually on gardening leave as I was made redundant days before this all kicked off...

Trying to get a job at the level I’m used to was looking ok a couple of weeks ago but the recruitment world has fallen off a cliff! 
 

We should be ok through the summer and was kind of looking forward to lots of festy volunteering, fingers crossed eh!

[Smeble]

My wife avoided furlough, but is about to put in her notice so may end up on furlough after all.🙄🙄

[dotdash79]

1 hour ago, Flysheet said:

I’m kind of on Furlough but actually on gardening leave as I was made redundant days before this all kicked off...

Trying to get a job at the level I’m used to was looking ok a couple of weeks ago but the recruitment world has fallen off a cliff! 
 

We should be ok through the summer and was kind of looking forward to lots of festy volunteering, fingers crossed eh!

Ask them to put you on furlough until it’s over then put you through to redundancy afterwards. It would save them money for now. 

[Superscally]

8 hours ago, eFestivals said:

all sorts of problems with that unfortunately. Someone who is furloughed can't then be employed elsewhere - where even 'voluntary' is likely to be deemed outside of the rules (once they get round to writing some clear rules ;)).

And competition tickets are only given to be used for a fair competition. I've asked in the past about slanting the competition entry rules to benefit efestivals and (unsurprisingly) was told 'no'.

You definitely can work for another employer if furloughed. 101%

Understand on the competition.

[zahidf]

Money saving expert article on it

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-self-employed-and-employment-help/?utm_source=MSE_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=31-Mar-20-50599900-34&utm_campaign=nt-hiya&utm_content=8#sesupport

Edited March 31, 2020 by zahidf

[Ommadawn]

7 hours ago, Superscally said:

You definitely can work for another employer if furloughed. 101%

Understand on the competition.

I thought you could only work if it was outside your normal employment hours.

[Neil]

8 hours ago, Superscally said:

You definitely can work for another employer if furloughed. 101%

soz, but you're wrong.

There's nothing in what's been said so far that says you can't, but there's shit loads of not-said stuff in what Sunak has allowed published so far.

The full criteria won't be known until the full documentation for the scheme is published, which will be around the end of April.

Until then people are guessing - but if you phone HMRC they'll put you right about what is clear and what has to be guessed at ... and if you guess wrong you get the comeback from guessing wrong.

Do you think the govt has announced a job retention scheme where those who have their jobs retained with govt money are allowed to stop other people getting jobs? I don't. That would be different to every other spend of govt money towards non-working support

[whitehorses]

My missus has been furloughed. One project she was working on have asked her to carry on working on it freelance. Is that allowed? 

The organisation paying the freelance work isn’t her employer. 

[Zoo Music Girl]

21 hours ago, eFestivals said:

yes. The whole thing works well for large businesses, and leaves shit loads of businesses absolutely fucked.

The only answer I can think of is to find a freelancer to fill the gap. 

How much work would you require the freelancer to do and what kind of work would it be? I ask because I am a freelancer working on a zero hours contract currently for four days a week (luckily still fully employed on full pay working from home). But I still have one day a week free to play with and likely will for some time. Was trying to fill that day with other work but since around Feb/March it's been impossible, although still putting the feelers out. So while I appreciate there are potential issues getting paid I could maybe do it (depending on what it is and how much of it there would be!).

[Homer]

My mate contacted HMRC and they told him you can work but only outside your contracted hours.

@Superscally, however, has pointed put that this is a bit naughty, so I'm back to volunteering.

Might give myself the rest of the week off then start trying on Monday. 

[Zoo Music Girl]

3 minutes ago, Homer said:

My mate contacted HMRC and they told him you can work but only outside your contracted hours.

@Superscally, however, has pointed put that this is a bit naughty, so I'm back to volunteering.

Might give myself the rest of the week off then start trying on Monday. 

What kind of volunteering options are you looking at? I was thinking of doing it on my day off but most opportunities I've seen so far require a car, which I do not possess.

[Homer]

1 minute ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

What kind of volunteering options are you looking at? I was thinking of doing it on my day off but most opportunities I've seen so far require a car, which I do not possess.

The NHS scheme is full so I posted on my local community action group thing and got loads of responses (Lewisham borough). I'm going to fill out the forms and see what comes back I suppose (I do have a car though - get me!). Hold on, this might appeal...

[Homer]

... would you like to become an Amnesty decoder?

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/charities-you-can-remotely-volunteer-for-uk-a4400156.html?fbclid=IwAR0zEnl4IjLKF2u6yU9qe3avJAYSa7FRYgtbFqWN2kVpn2-vjeg6J3Nxl7k

[Zoo Music Girl]

19 minutes ago, Homer said:

The NHS scheme is full so I posted on my local community action group thing and got loads of responses (Lewisham borough). I'm going to fill out the forms and see what comes back I suppose (I do have a car though - get me!). Hold on, this might appeal...

Yeah I think the problem is that if it comes to delivering groceries or anything like that I can't really help as I can barely carry enough stuff for us in one go, let alone anyone else, so I would be having to make multiple trips to the supermarket, which I'm obviously trying to avoid. We tend to go several times a week for shopping under usual circumstances rather than doing one big shop but are trying  to change that. Did briefly consider the phone calls thing, but I am terrible on the phone and would suck at it!

The Amnesty thing looks interesting though, will check it out

 

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Zoo Music Girl

[Homer]

4 minutes ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Yeah I think the problem is that if it comes to delivering groceries or anything like that I can't really help as I can barely carry enough stuff for us in one go, let alone anyone else, so I would be having to make multiple trips to the supermarket, which I'm obviously trying to avoid. We tend to go several times a week for shopping under usual circumstances rather than doing one big shop but are trying  to change that. Did briefly consider the phone calls thing, but I am terrible on the phone and would suck at it!

The Amnesty thing looks interesting though, will check it out

 

 

https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/money/personal-finance/giving/nine-great-ways-to-volunteer-online

[Zoo Music Girl]

2 minutes ago, Homer said:

https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/money/personal-finance/giving/nine-great-ways-to-volunteer-online

Thanks! 

[Neil]

1 hour ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

How much work would you require the freelancer to do and what kind of work would it be? I ask because I am a freelancer working on a zero hours contract currently for four days a week (luckily still fully employed on full pay working from home). But I still have one day a week free to play with and likely will for some time. Was trying to fill that day with other work but since around Feb/March it's been impossible, although still putting the feelers out. So while I appreciate there are potential issues getting paid I could maybe do it (depending on what it is and how much of it there would be!).

thanks, tho I think I've got something sorted, just waiting to hear back.

[Zoo Music Girl]

50 minutes ago, Neil said:

thanks, tho I think I've got something sorted, just waiting to hear back.

Cool, hope you do.

[EasyUserName]

18 hours ago, zahidf said:

That's illegal and those companies will probably be in deep shit...

We've been told that when (not if) HMRC come round to audit, they'll be looking at internal emails, documents etc.  Everyone has been told if you're off, no work at all. 

 

I'd not want to be in an audit having to explain how project documents came from people who were on furlong etc.