How long furlough last

Bear in mind that the wages of some workers have dipped below the national minimum wage and living wage thresholds while they were furloughed.

However, those who are asked to return to work must be paid in line with legislation. Find out the national minimum wage thresholds for the current tax year here. Find out more: Coronavirus: what are your rights about going back to work?

There are strict laws around how companies make staff redundant and these apply even if you were furloughed. You have the same redundancy rights if you are furloughed as if you were still working as normal:. Furloughed workers must receive redundancy pay based on their normal wages and not at a reduced rate.

The statutory amounts, which apply as long as you have been with your employer for at least two years, depend on your age:. We explain all these in more detail in our guide on redundancy. All businesses, regardless of size, that had been adversely affected by the coronavirus crisis were eligible to receive grants from the government.

Employees who lost their jobs before the furlough scheme was extended could be re-hired and put on furlough. Find out more: Guide to redundancy. Furlough was designed for people on payroll. Self-employed workers or partnerships that suffered a loss of income they were able to use the Coronavirus Self-employment Income Support Scheme. We have a guide for self-employed workers here.

Receive regular articles and guides from our experts to help you make smarter financial decisions. Two-thirds pay at firms told to shut over Covid. Sunak defends emergency jobs scheme. Image source, Getty Images. How did furlough work? How many people are still on it? What impact has the furlough scheme had? High numbers of workers in restaurants and hotels were furloughed. Will unemployment rise when it ends?

How many people could lose their jobs? How do I find a new job and who is hiring? A laid off employee does not have any employment relationship with the employment thereafter. The main differences between a furlough and a layoff lie in the fact that a furloughed employee still retains its employee status. Thus, furloughed employees have an expectation that they will return to work when the furlough period ends. If an employee has been laid off, there is no such expectation.

Further, a furloughed employee typically retains their health insurance and life insurance benefits during the furlough. A reduction in hours during a furlough may not result in the loss of health coverage.

The language of the plan will govern. Employee contributions to section k , b and b plans are based on the amount of pay received. It did say that self-isolation should not be a consideration when deciding whether or not to furlough someone.

Ultimately it was up to your employer to decide whether or not to furlough you if you are told to self-isolate. The scheme allows employers in small and medium-sized businesses with fewer than employees to apply for a rebate, reimbursing them for statutory sick pay SSP paid to employees for any reason related to coronavirus.

To be eligible, employees must be paid through PAYE. Online applications can be made via HMRC. It will review the application and, if successful, pay the rebate within six working days. On 24 April , the government announced that furloughed workers planning to take paid parental or adoption leave will be entitled to their statutory pay based on their usual earnings rather than a furloughed pay rate.

This method of calculation of earnings will apply to Maternity Pay, Paternity Pay, Shared Parental Pay, Parental Bereavement Pay and Adoption Pay, where the person is on furlough with reduced pay during part or all of the relevant period of leave. Your employer can, by giving appropriate notice, require you to take your leave at or by certain times. However, according to Which?

Legal, your employer needed a contractual right to do either of these things. To be eligible for such a payment, you must have been employed continuously with your employer for at least one month and not have refused any reasonable alternative work. You might be able to apply for redundancy and claim redundancy pay if you have been laid off or put on short-time working for four or more consecutive weeks, or six weeks within a week period.

There are other eligibility requirements that need to be met before you can claim, so take advice to see whether you qualify.

On 27 March , the Chancellor announced an additional raft of measures to help self-employed workers, known as the self-employed income support scheme. See our dedicated story that explains what this offered. To support those on low incomes and those who have already been made redundant, several means-tested benefits payments will be increased. If your income has been adversely affected by the pandemic, there are a number of other measures in place to help. You can find out more about government business support on gov.

Have any questions about furlough leave? Take a look at Furlough leave: common questions answered and leave a comment. This article was originally published on 20 March when the Chancellor announced the coronavirus job retention scheme.

It was last updated on 14 October; the final date to make a claim for September.