Whole squad on furlough - or not!

[GBJ]

Certain players and should I say the youngsters we need for the future are fuming
Not been contacted in four months ( Whether again you wish to believe me is your choice) and then contacted with basically “ I hope you are keeping well blah blah blah and by the way you are furloughed “

Three of the youngsters are gutted and I think one who 99 percent adore for his attitude maybe gone if the right offer comes in

GBJ who I don’t know is spot on with 99 percent he has posted, players talk and it isn’t long before it gets out

Again believe what you want to believe, but the signs of players are not good and that is not just poor management but mental health care by the club
Never dull nowadays

Only 99%?

Cheeky *******

 

[BriggBlue]

You see thats not my understanding, my wife’s for instance said end of May, then she got another saying end of August but could end sooner with 2 weeks notice. The one I am getting on Monday coming says October but can be sooner with 2 weeks notice.

The advice from my HR department was not to stipulate an end date to people being put on furlough, just to state that we would be in regular contact with updates, mind you that was right at the start of the scheme and have had to discuss things like holiday with people on furlough.

I only know of one person who refused to go on furlough, as it's a job retention scheme they may have got their way in the short term but if I were them I would have spent this period refreshing my CV

 

[Westcliff DGS]

I’m currently furloughed (have been since March 23rd) and my employer is still saying until further notice.

I do not think legally they can, especially as the furlough scheme has an end date. I have handed out 78 of the bloody things and all had an end date, some were reissued when the first period ended. Another other reason they need a date is so that an employer treats everyone equally and doesn’t favour anyone returning over another person.

 

[GBJ]

My point was only about those who either wanted and were negotiating a new contract, and those already offered a new contract. It’s obviously a tough choice but in some cases logic will say accept furlough and a new contract verses the alternative- anyhow a lot of all this gets answered over the coming few weeks.

Have you considered that some aren’t bothered about a new contract?

I mean, sure it’s a risk leaving in the current climate, and maybe it’s not something I would do, but I guess some are willing to take that risk. As DSLC said, some of them are fuming.

And the ones who have contracts to run, still have time to make an impression and earn a transfer to another club.... for free.

 

[GBJ]

Nope, mine states that I’ll be brought back into the business as and when it’s possible.

Definitely no end date.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Can you refused to be furloughed then (genuine question)

Yes but the advice is not to, if you value your job. The trouble is footballers even at L1 level are high earners in relation to me, as an example. So that’s a hell of a drop in income. Personally I decided £XXX a month less was better than being made redundant.

I have an end date of 31st October. It was July but got moved.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

Nope, mine states that I’ll be brought back into the business as and when it’s possible.

Definitely no end date.

Then you should push for one. The way that stands I’d they could betting but untold number of people before you on full pay, as much as that is unlikely it could happen. It is for your Pearce of mind and security more than anything. The advice we got from legal was there has to be an end date, worth a return notice and also saying this could be extended but another letter would be issued

 

[kentblues]

Have you considered that some aren’t bothered about a new contract?

I mean, sure it’s a risk leaving in the current climate, and maybe it’s not something I would do, but I guess some are willing to take that risk. As DSLC said, some of them are fuming.

And the ones who have contracts to run, still have time to make an impression and earn a transfer to another club.... for free.

Yes- I agree with you - I am not disagreeing with you as a point of principle :-) :-) !!

My point all along was about the ones who were negotiating a contract, or had been offered one, and wanted to stay. Just them. No-one else. And hence I was surprised that ALL players had rejected furlough as stated?

 

[kentblues]

I don’t think there has to be an end date (although there might be a good reason for one in a given circumstance) Having one is a double edged sword in someways. If you are furloughed it would be on the basis of you getting 80% of your pay up to £2500 a month or topped up to 100% or in between. For that to change would for sure require a new agreement. If the employers costs increase as the furlough arrangement changes then providing what they pay the employee is unchanged no new agreement needed.

Creating unnecessary renewal points doesn’t deliver any real benefit and in any event normally furlough can be ended at very short notice.

The ones I have had sight of have a notice period but no end date for what it’s worth.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

I don't think Ron has any choice but to ask the PFA to try and sort this out. The last thing we need is to start next season with a deduction.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

I don’t think there has to be an end date (although there might be a good reason for one in a given circumstance) Having one is a double edged sword in someways. If you are furloughed it would be on the basis of you getting 80% of your pay up to £2500 a month or topped up to 100% or in between. For that to change would for sure require a new agreement. If the employers costs increase as the furlough arrangement changes then providing what they pay the employee is unchanged no new agreement needed.

Creating unnecessary renewal points doesn’t deliver any real benefit and in any event normally furlough can be ended at very short notice.

The ones I have had sight of have a notice period but no end date for what it’s worth.

We were told to legally protect ourselves to issue letters with end dates, also including a return to work notice period and stating that the period could be extended and a further letter would then be sent and would need signing. This also stops companies abusing the furlough scheme (which apparently has happened) and thus protecting an employee so they know what they are getting

 

[Westcliff DGS]

I don't think Ron has any choice but to ask the PFA to try and sort this out. The last thing we need is to start next season with a deduction.

If they are refusing then think he will have too

 

[kentblues]

We were told to legally protect ourselves to issue letters with end dates, also including a return to work notice period and stating that the period could be extended and a further letter would then be sent and would need signing. This also stops companies abusing the furlough scheme (which apparently has happened) and thus protecting an employee so they know what they are getting

In the end you follow the legal advice- there is no obvious down side to the approach you describe other than admin and I guess the fact that the employee can decide not to continue on furlough.

Finding legals that agree is never easy..

 

[Tinks]

If they are refusing then think he will have too

Fortunately for me I have worked throughout so have not needed to look at all this furlough stuff but at work (many of you know I work in the NHS) we have had to implement new working practices and by pass lots of governance and policies as we are constantly being told “these are un precedence times” and that we need to look at different ways so, hence the message I am trying to say is that the league etc may well come out in favour of RM and not the players for this matter.

 

[jackj13]

Bet the players are going to be the first to complain when they don’t get paid on time because we haven’t had any income for months.

 

[Ricey]

We go from one problem to another with this club.

**** em all off and start from the beginning. There will be plenty of players desperate for a club.

 

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

What would you rather do? Accept one months worth of furlough payment, or demand your full months wages (which could be as much as £20k)

It shows how crazy football has become if mediocre league one players can earn these sums of money. Hopefully one good thing to come from the fallout of the pandemic will be a re-evaluation of finances in football so that these types of wages are no longer paid out by a club of our size.

 

[Holy Joe]

In 2018 according to this source https://www.footy.com/footballers-vs-the-fans/#efl-league-one our avg players wage bill was £2,149 per week - I believe that is gross. Are we really now above £2,500 after losing some high wage earners over the winter? Do we really have players on £40k per week?

 

[camden shrimper]

I imagine contracts will move more towards having incentives such as promotion, goal and win bonuses going forward.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Pretty sure that players will soon find out, that at long last it will be the Clubs calling the shots. No longer being held to ransom, most should be able to dictate terms.