Can I contact my furloughed employees?
With the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Scheme) imposing a very clear prohibition on furloughed employees doing work and generating profit for their employer, we are being asked by many employers what this entails and if it means they cannot even contact their furloughed employees.
As with all things related to the Scheme, we are getting greater clarification from the government with each day that passes and we take the view that (until the guidance is revised again), the prohibition does not prevent furloughed employees from:
- Speaking to non-furloughed colleagues;
- Taking part in team meetings;
- Participating in social events (e.g online quizzes);
- Assisting with HR procedures such as grievance and disciplinary matters;
- Attending redundancy consultation meetings; and
- Being updated about the business.
The most important thing is that the furloughed employee must not do anything that generates revenue for the employer. Therefore, employers need to be careful that any attempt to keep in touch with furloughed staff does not cross the line into ‘work’ and potentially invalidate their claim to HMRC under the Scheme.
If you have any questions about the Scheme, please email or call our Employment Law team today on 0113 207 0000.
Partner and Head of Employment
Employment Law
PKelly@LawBlacks.com
0113 227 9249
@PaulLawBlacks
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Paul Kelly
