Reply to: Job Retention Scheme

[Conwellski]

I should never have joined Parsol. Just look at the awful feedback here: Find fairer IR35 & CV19 clients, agents & brollys. OffPayroll.org.uk

Wow, i've been trying to find somewhere online where Parasol employees could voice their concerns as they are very good at being quiet on social media. Thank you for sharing. It's upsetting to see so many people in the same situation as me =(

[ben555]

I should never have joined Parsol. Just look at the awful feedback here: Find fairer IR35 & CV19 clients, agents & brollys. OffPayroll.org.uk

[ben555]

Parasol have updated their policy today 10am on their public blog Employee Furlough Confirmation: A note from our CEO | Parasol

There is an important change here for me:

As a result, we have made the decision to update our policy so that the period of furlough will be taken to run until the later of:

The original assignment end date; or,
The date to which the assignment would have been extended had it not been for COVID-19, where we have evidence to confirm this position either from our agency partners or, where possible, the end client.

I have no idea why they are trying to communicate with a blog instead of emailing.

I was told on Friday my best option was to resign and claim benefits with my P45. I have been with Parasol over 10 years.

Problem was they said my contract that was cancelled on the 19th March was due to finish 28th March and they weren't going to bother if that period was less than 3 weeks remaining. They also said future contracts aren't considered.

I had signed an extension from 28th March to 28th June but they said that didn't count because I had not clicked on the 'Confirm' button on their portal. Contract was signed with the agency though.

The last 11 years I thought I was being responsible by a) going PAYE and b) Putting money away in case of a rainy day. Seems both those decisions have shafted me now because I have zero income.

[Conwellski]

I've not got one, but I might be getting one. But I doubt it somehow. My contract ran out May 1st and the organisation publicly announced that due to CV19 they were not renewing any contracts. I have my hiring manager emails where he was asking me to tell him the grounds for my 4 month extension (ie what my work was going to be after May 1st) and then the decision mid April to not renew contacts.

However I just don't believe that any of this will work. Like others have said the whole chain is full of holes with no clear responsibility so experience tells me everyone will just avoid it where possible.

Parasol (in the attached) want conformation from the client or agency, my umbrella hinted at that but since I sent them the emails they haven't requested it again. They rang today and said that they wanted all the applications in by Friday, and if successful they would commence payments in the last week of May. I spoke to the agent, he seemed happy to provide the declaration but then said he would "have to get it cleared by head office legal"

They told me this also.

I forwarded them the letter of confirmation from my end client and agency that my contract would have been extended and they replied stating it makes no difference. If the contract ended on the parasol portal, that is what they are going by. Nothing else. Which i find extremely unfair. Especially employees that have been with them for over 3 years with constant work.

I did get an email from the CEO of Parasol yesterday stating that they are working with the HMRC to change the guidelines so that we can be made eligible. But I highly doubt anything will come from that as everything i've seen on the HMRC is stating we are already eligible. I just don't get it.

[Eatapeach]

“Declaration from Agency” is the killer here.

Agencies won’t, and probably shouldn’t, give out confirmations like this as it prejudices the relationship with their client.

The ‘Rules’ say it is the umbrella company who should make the decision so the Agency won’t commit. The UC can then hide behind the declaration which isn’t in the “Rules”.

The scheme backdates before 19th March. How can anyone claim for this period when nobody knew what the lockdown would entail?

Question - is anyone actually getting a furlough payout from an Umbrella Company?

I've not got one, but I might be getting one. But I doubt it somehow. My contract ran out May 1st and the organisation publicly announced that due to CV19 they were not renewing any contracts. I have my hiring manager emails where he was asking me to tell him the grounds for my 4 month extension (ie what my work was going to be after May 1st) and then the decision mid April to not renew contacts.

However I just don't believe that any of this will work. Like others have said the whole chain is full of holes with no clear responsibility so experience tells me everyone will just avoid it where possible.

Parasol (in the attached) want conformation from the client or agency, my umbrella hinted at that but since I sent them the emails they haven't requested it again. They rang today and said that they wanted all the applications in by Friday, and if successful they would commence payments in the last week of May. I spoke to the agent, he seemed happy to provide the declaration but then said he would "have to get it cleared by head office legal"

[Alf W]

“Declaration from Agency” is the killer here.

Agencies won’t, and probably shouldn’t, give out confirmations like this as it prejudices the relationship with their client.

The ‘Rules’ say it is the umbrella company who should make the decision so the Agency won’t commit. The UC can then hide behind the declaration which isn’t in the “Rules”.

The scheme backdates before 19th March. How can anyone claim for this period when nobody knew what the lockdown would entail?

Question - is anyone actually getting a furlough payout from an Umbrella Company?

[northernladuk]

Still missing something. Doesn't look that onerus to me.

[Whites]

Erm.. Am I missing something here but that's the basic criteria applicable to everyone isn't it?

Check if you can claim for your employees' wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - GOV.UK

Yep, that is the basic criteria! I was on the books since January 2020! The Gov guidelines even makes room for people on FTC like myself.

They are just trying to make it as difficult as possible, my assumption is to keep the numbers down because they cannot afford it. Even though the Government will reimburse them.

Here is Parasol's criteria in full, sorry should of linked in previous post.

https://img03.en25.com/Web/ParasolLt...&elqTrack=true

[northernladuk]

Parasol have released Furlough guidance available here;

http://s2033663733.t.en25.com/e/es?s...d=4190&elqat=1

Look how complex their criteria is.

I am beyond anger with this business, even Orange Genie, my old Umbrella now now has criteria nothing like Parasol,

- 3 Which employees can be included?
To qualify to be furloughed by Orange Genie, you must have been on our payroll and included in an RTI
submission on or before March 19th 2020.

Can't believe what they are doing to people, disgusting.

Erm.. Am I missing something here but that's the basic criteria applicable to everyone isn't it?

Check if you can claim for your employees' wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - GOV.UK

Who can claim
You must have:

created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020
enrolled for PAYE online
a UK bank account

[Whites]

Parasol have released Furlough guidance available here;

http://s2033663733.t.en25.com/e/es?s...d=4190&elqat=1

Look how complex their criteria is.

I am beyond anger with this business, even Orange Genie, my old Umbrella now now has criteria nothing like Parasol,

- 3 Which employees can be included?
To qualify to be furloughed by Orange Genie, you must have been on our payroll and included in an RTI
submission on or before March 19th 2020.

Can't believe what they are doing to people, disgusting.

[Whites]

I've reached out to my local MP, who has contacted their CEO.

Hoping this might draw some attention to it, it's utterly outrageous that some Umbrella's are acting in this way.

Their employee support email I was communicating via yesterday was a shared mailbox, getting passed about by who ever opened the email first, telling me to check Government advice, when in fact Government advice clearly states those on Fixed Term Contracts, even if the contract has ended can be furloughed.

I do understand they are still waiting for confirmation from HMRC on how to calculate pay etc, and I understand that, but Parasol should not enact different rules to what is stated on the Government website, to save them overhead.

[Jemetpl]

They simply don’t care for the £5 profit per month they make from each contractor - they are not agents


Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

In that case they better make sure that their position is legally water tight.

[GhostofTarbera]

What umbrella companies need to remember here is that they were becoming an increasingly used vehicle for contractors and they will again when the whole Off-payroll thing kicks off again. Those who do the right thing now will be remembered very differently to those who seek to wriggle out of any responsibility.

Name and shame.

They simply don’t care for the £5 profit per month they make from each contractor - they are not agents


Sent from my iPhone using Contractor UK Forum

[Alf W]

What umbrella companies need to remember here is that they were becoming an increasingly used vehicle for contractors and they will again when the whole Off-payroll thing kicks off again. Those who do the right thing now will be remembered very differently to those who seek to wriggle out of any responsibility.

Name and shame.

[Wary]

I'm with Contractor Umbrella. I meet all of Parasol's three stated criteria, but the last word from them (and I don't think they're by any means the only brolly taking this stance) is that at this stage, they won't furlough anyone regardless.