Advice on my understanding of furlough to help a friend

[Pink_Fairy_Dust]

A close friend found out in Jan there were going to be redundancies at her Company, shes a developer and its a really big global IT Company but they needed to make cuts so were getting rid of quite a few developers. She therefore started applying for other jobs asap as she lives alone, doesn't really have any savings or parents who can help out if was unemployed etc so she really can't afford to be unemployed. She had a couple of job offers and accepted one and arranged a start date prior to all the Corona virus stuff kicking off over here.

So her last day was Friday and she was taking a week off unpaid (this week) and was due to start on Monday morning next week at the new company. However, 10mins ago the new company have rang to say there isn't a job for her anymore so as of today she has no job to go to and is unemployed. Is there any scope to call her old company and ask for the furlough payment through the Government? I've been trying to make sense of it on the Gov website and it looks like she might be eligible but her old company would have to agree?

It will make it difficult to get to interviews if anyone is hiring at the mo too as she is in the category that need to shield due to having quite bad asthma and having had cancer treatment not too long ago.

[Anne K]

As she was in post with her previous employer at end of Feb, they can furlough her; however there's no obligation for them to do so.

I think they would need to rescind her resignation. Martin Lewis has recently posted advice. She would need to discuss with previous employer

[novocastrian]

as i understand if the old employers will accept her revoking her resignation then yes but that's a big if & the are not obligated to do so?

fwiw would it not have been better to hold out for redundancy then would have got something to tide her over but late now obviously

[Pink_Fairy_Dust]

Thanks, trying to calm her down to call the old company and explain.

She had been with the old company less than 2 years so I don't think was in line for anything in terms of redundancy anyway, they weren't paying anything enhanced I don't believe. Bit rubbish as she had been with another company before her last one quite a long time, the one she has just left promised the earth to get her to join them and are a huge employer so no reason to think it would all go sour but after a massive recruitment drive, a year later announced heavy redundancies...

[tracy99]

This is the advice Martin Lewis has given.
Tracy x

[Pink_Fairy_Dust]

Thanks, the previous employer has forwarded her query to the head of HR for the company and they have said they will need to review the situation and their position so not an out right no, worth a shot

[Hailz]

I'm leaving my current job on Friday and was due to start my new job on Monday. New job has closed and furloughed all staff. I asked today if my current employer could furlough me and HR has told me no.

I understand they don't need to but after 22 years service with the company you'd have thought in this difficult time for everyone they'd want to help. Has made me realise I've made the right decision in leaving.

My new job is there when they can open again but I'm now looking for temporary work.

[Leggibone]

It depends if they can furlough you cause to get the funding they need to have under a certain amount of employees so you’d have better luck with a smaller company who can.

[400ixl]

Originally Posted by Leggibone

It depends if they can furlough you cause to get the funding they need to have under a certain amount of employees so you’d have better luck with a smaller company who can.

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Where did you get that information from? Everything I have seen has had no limit on the number of employee's an organisation can furlough.

[Donaldfan]

Originally Posted by Hailz

I'm leaving my current job on Friday and was due to start my new job on Monday. New job has closed and furloughed all staff. I asked today if my current employer could furlough me and HR has told me no.

I understand they don't need to but after 22 years service with the company you'd have thought in this difficult time for everyone they'd want to help. Has made me realise I've made the right decision in leaving.

My new job is there when they can open again but I'm now looking for temporary work.

See more...

Being on furlough myself I can understand your financial worries. But the whole point of furlough is to avoid redundancies due to lack of work. This isn't your situation. You chose to leave your current employer and I don't understand why you think they should help you regardless of how long you've been there. It's not their fault the employer you chose to leave them for can't employ you at the moment.