Furlough am I being rude asking

Grandad1943. I am coming from the pov of someone whose company is grappling with this right now. Managers can't answer questions about what is happening because they just don't know. They don't even know how they are going to be affected themselves past 'something is going to have to happen due to losses'. So asking a manager, once or 100 times, won't give an answer that says more than that. Decisions are still being made, options considered.

gillybob, I believe that the above process I have laid out does not always aplyy to very small businesses with only a few employees.

However, you would have to check that out as I have never been involved in a situation such as that.

Hope it all works out well for you and seastar.

OceanMama, in regard to your post @08:31 today, I agree with you that redundancy will be a major problem in very many workplaces in Britain in the coming months.

Unfortunately many employers when there is a shortage of work or finances do not start from declaring a redundancy situation in the workplace as that brings forward costs and challenges.

In the above, an employer can dismiss any employee with less than three months of employment in the company without giving any reason for that dismissal.

For employees with service of between three months and two years in an organisation, the process for the employer is not much more than the above. The organisation may face a grievance action from an employee, but anyone with less than two full years of employment within an organisation cannot take any employment grievance issue to an Industrial tribunal. In that, any employer is aware that their decision cannot be challenged outside the organisation and therefore will stand.

In the above is the action that a great many employers take prior to declaring a redundancy situation in their workplaces. It may sound very harsh for but it has to be remembered the survival of a company and in that the employment of very many can be at stake if redundancy costs and challenges to those redundancies use up resources in times.of financial stress.

Seastar I speak as a employer in a very small business . I originally had 3 people on furlough as we had no work whatsoever. Then 2 weeks ago I brought one person back on full pay but only on an “as and when basis” in other words if there is work he comes in, or if I need his technical assistance he comes in other wise he stays at home .

I would imagine (like us) your employer will be furloughing those for whom there is little/no work and not furloughing those who are needed to keep the business going right now.

I have never in 26 years of being in business made anyone redundant but if some work doesn’t start to come in soon, I fear we have no choice . I think the furlough scheme was excellent in keeping people employed but it will be coming to an end soon and there will be difficult decisions to be made .

I have always been very transparent with my employees but it’s hard to compare a small business like ours with a large organisation where people are often just numbers/names on a spreadsheet . I also worry that when large organisations realise that they can manage almost just as well with a much reduced workforce, sadly redundancies will be inevitable as employing someone these days is very expensive taking into account wages, employers NI, pensions, Insurance’s etc.

Not only can you apply for another job while furloughed but you can do another job as long as it’s not for your own employer .

Sorry I haven’t exactly answered your question but by being on furlough at least you still have 80% of your income . As I said up thread the rules will be changing soon so your employer has a duty to keep you informed .

Wishing you good luck x

Good to see someone knows some of the legal situation.

My thoughts are that the manager may not know anything about future plans for furloughed staff or redundancies. Depending on the structure of the company, this might be decided higher up than him, and it could be that the company is just working out what actions they are going to take (redundancies or not) now. Things might still be very much up in the air. It's an uncertain time for a lot of businesses.

seastar, you have every right to enquire as to what is happening in regard to your furlough, and your employer would be under a legal obligation to reply to such a request. Should your employer decide there is a redundancy situation within your workplace, then the situation becomes far more complex.

To try quickly and simply to give details on that, your employer in a redundancy situation must bring forward what is known as "a criteria" which is applicable to all staff. That criteria must contain (by example) the amount of absenteeism an employee has taken, disciplinary record, training sessions missed along with virtually anything that is applicable to employment within the company.

The results of the above must be compiled in numeric form and obviously, those with the highest totals are those who will be made redundant. Such matters as employees who are shielding may be added to the above criteria if the employer decides so, but that may leave them open to challenge via other employment legislation.

Any employee can request to view the redundancy criteria and the score they and others were given when applied.

The above is a very brief overview of the redundancy legislation, and I would very strongly advise you seastar or anyone else who becomes involved in redundancy measures to inform their trade union if they are a member of one.

Hope this helps.

Chances are your boss doesn't know the answers to your questions. Privacy reasons may prevent him telling you who is furloughed.

I have no idea about the legalities, but I would think you could apply for other jobs while on furlough just like you could if you were actively working. Just give the normal notice.