Contractor being furloughed by client

[Table]

If a client placed you on notice, a few days later you had 15 days left in your notice period, they told you must go in furlough as they don't want you in the office (no pay, no return date, just contact your umbrella) am I correct in thinking you can refuse and just ask for your notice period to be paid out?

It seems a client could say this when they just don't want to pay out your notice period and it's a breach of contract. Furlough' is for employees and is optional so I wouldn't have thought this can be done. Thoughts appreciated.

[cojak]

Contractors have had Christmas furloughs for years. We were the only ones to know what a furlough was at the beginning.

But if you want to terminate your contract, go ahead.

Things are so weird at the moment I doubt if your client or agent would give you a second thought.

But don’t expect ANY money to come your way - clients use Christmas furloughs to save themselves money.

[Table]

Contractors have had Christmas furloughs for years. We were the only ones to know what a furlough was at the beginning.

But if you want to terminate your contract, go ahead.

Things are so weird at the moment I doubt if your client or agent would give you a second thought.

But don’t expect ANY money to come your way - clients use Christmas furloughs to save themselves money.

Thanks for the reply. Good information.

I find it odd that you can be given notice and then furloughed. The notice will expire and the client will have found a way not to pay you notice.

It seems as if the notice period isn't worth the paper it's written on then?

[eek]

The client is only obligated to pay you money for the days you work.

the client has no work for you to do so your choices are accept the furlough and have a contract to return to or resign and not have a contract to return to. Neither option will give you more money

so accept the furlough and if you find another contract resign otherwise at least you still have a contract when the economy starts up again - a lot of people won’t

[GhostofTarbera]

The client is only obligated to pay you money for the days you work.

the client has no work for you to do so your choices are accept the furlough and have a contract to return to or resign and not have a contract to return to. Neither option will give you more money

so accept the furlough and if you find another contract resign otherwise at least you still have a contract when the economy starts up again - a lot of people won’t

His contract terminates in 15 days anyhoo, that will override the furlough (client Just’s wants rid end off and thought this was an easy option) if I was OP I would push back to client saying they can’t furlong me, pay me my 15days, they they will either pay (we all know they don’t have to, but lots will)


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[ladymuck]

His contract terminates in 15 days anyhoo, that will override the furlough (client Just’s wants rid end off and thought this was an easy option) if I was OP I would push back to client saying they can’t furlong me, pay me my 15days, they they will either pay (we all know they don’t have to, but lots will)


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If they're going to be binned off anyway, this is worth trying. The answer is likely to be no but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[northernladuk]

God I hate this term furlough. If we stopped using it everything would be much simpler and people wouldn't get confused as per this post. It's a permie term. Always has been.

[NotAllThere]

It seems as if the notice period isn't worth the paper it's written on then?

Correct.

[cojak]

God I hate this term furlough. If we stopped using it everything would be much simpler and people wouldn't get confused as per this post. It's a permie term. Always has been.

It's the term clients give us when they don't want to pay us. Not much can be done about that otherwise people would be asking 'Oh, is that what the client means by furlough?'.

[Paralytic]

God I hate this term furlough. If we stopped using it everything would be much simpler and people wouldn't get confused as per this post. It's a permie term. Always has been.

You may think so, you might even be technically correct, but clients have been using to when referring to contractors for years.