It’s one of the unending ironies of Lockdown, the minute we couldn’t leave our homes, the weather was unseasonably glorious. Now Lockdown is easing and we’re being encouraged to return to work as normal, we find ourselves mid-summer with school holidays ahead of us. For many staff still on the Employee Retention Scheme, the idea of time off with the family during August on 80% pay could sound quite attractive, so how do you encourage them back to work? 

As an employer it’s important to ensure that you are fully informed about the financial implications that furlough will have on your business from 1st August onwards. From an employee perspective furlough won’t change, however, for employers, staff members on furlough will start costing money as they will now be required to pay national insurance and pension contributions. It’s advisable to speak to the person in charge of payroll to fully assess the cost per employee. For example, an employee who is part time and pays very little National Insurance will be far less of a financial furlough burden than a full-time member of staff.  

It’s also important to consider individual circumstances. Over recent weeks individuals who have been shielding have voiced significant concerns about returning to work. Add to this the fact that children are officially off school and that August is a time when employees would traditionally have time off, and you may have staff members saying they’d rather stay on furlough. So, what do you do? 

Have a conversation 

If your member of staff is refusing to return from furlough, the first thing you need to do is to have a frank and open conversation with them to find out why. Doing this has two benefits, firstly you can discover any genuine fears and concerns and, hopefully, assuage them, and secondly you can offer potential solutions. 

Some of the solutions you could consider could include starting to work from home, returning on reduced hours (the furlough scheme supports this option), unpaid leave, or taking paid holiday. In all conversations, if there is a genuine reason for not returning, these should at least ensure that you’ve tried every possible way to accommodate them.  

Make sure that the correct procedures are in place 

Ensuring that you have the correct procedures in place to make your workplace Covid-19 secure and also that your disciplinary procedures are watertight just in case you need to begin a disciplinary.  

In fairness, it’s always a good idea to review H&S and Disciplinary procedures anyway so, this is the perfect time. And, if you need some assistance, the team at Dakota Blue are ready to help you with any procedural reviews or edits.  

If all else fails… 

You’ve sat and chatted with your staff member, listened to their concerns, addressed them and offered solutions, and they still don’t want to come back to work? You may need to consider a disciplinary. If you have provided every feasible and safe way to accommodate your employee’s needs and they still refuse to return from furlough, disciplinary action will be the last resort.  

‘Last Resort’ is the important thing to remember. In order to reach a disciplinary situation, you must have tried everything else first. It is, in effect, the point of no return. 

If you would like help or advice in encouraging your team to return from furlough, or want help in reviewing your policies, contact the Dakota Blue team.