Furlough questions

[Jgw19]

Apologies if these questions have been answered elsewhere.

1) If one has two roles with the same business eg cleaner and receptionist can one be furloughed from one and not the other?
2) When calculating the furlough pay for someone who has variable pay is an employer allowed to just use the basic salary and not include overtime?

Thank you in anticipation.

[ULA]

Hi, you ask a very interesting first question. Under the guidance provided on furlough and the government job retention scheme, to be eligible for the grant, when on furlough, an employee cannot undertake work for, or on behalf, of the organisation or any linked or associated organisation. So I would say not you cannot be furloughed from one job you need to be furloughed from both.

In regard to how salary is calculated if you have been employed for 12 months or more, your employer can claim the highest of either the:

1. same month’s earning from the previous year
2. average monthly earnings for the 2019-2020 tax year

If you have been employed for less than 12 months, then the employer can claim for 80% of your average monthly earnings since you started work.

If you only started in February 2020, then your employer will have to work out you earnings so far, and claim for 80%.

Hope this information helps but if you have any more questions then please just come back to this thread.

[Steven5]

can a company/ business that has been giving exemption status from closing by the govt...can that business/company still voluntarily to close if they cannot operate due staff shortages etc??

[ULA]

My understanding is that although exemptions have been given to the continuance of some categories of business/services by the government it does not mandate that businesses in these categories must remain open. Therefore, if due to staff shortages as a result of COVID19 the business cannot remain operational then it can close down and take advantage of the Job Retention Scheme.