furlough

RE: furlough

Selena Carnell — Tue, 05 May 2020 17:10:50 GMT

really up to your boss to decide, if some are high risk, or if there is enough work to keep you busy. We are decorating the practice on quiet days.

RE: furlough

ewagajda — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 20:34:18 GMT

Hi Selena,

How it is work that someone is furloughed and other not? If for example my branch will be closed and rest open should I be furloughed? Do you answer for this question?

Ta x

RE: furlough

Alison Clare Hickman — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 17:54:17 GMT

Selena Carnell

Ach, that's upsetting... People get incredibly selfish when stressed and fighting for what (they think) should happen... I apologise on behalf of the tired and impatient public. Get back in ya basket you naughty public

I was patiently queuing the regulation 2m away outside in the cold today, at Boots to collect my prescription. A lady was behind me muttering about "the inconvenience of it all" and "I've been stuck indoors for 10 days solid and this is my first trip out...You think they (meaning Boots staff) would at least give you a chair to sit on whilst waiting"... She was older (maybe 70's) but the weather was dry and crisp and she was well dressed. So, when she turned to me rolling her eyes that "Well you're next don't be long in there dear" (and not in a hahah way) I turned and said "Patience is a virtue as is tolerance and being thankful to others during these strange and difficult times. I will be sure to pass on your best wishes to the long suffering ladies in the pharmacy. Manners cost nothing" I left her with her chin hanging... (And the staff member holding the door winked at me).

Moral of this tale... Some people get so wrapped up in what they want and need they forget to be polite. Don't let it get to you sweetheart but concurrently, don't let it ride either!

Be safe. Be well. Hugs and hopes for normal service resuming asap.

RE: furlough

Sal the 1st — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 17:54:12 GMT

almost every client has been fine - just one old fart that decided our precautions were idiotic but calmed down once he realised a locked door was between him and his pets meds and not behaving wasn't an option and one lady who wasn't one of our clients, thought we were wonderful vets and wanted to swap to us from her old vets because they had refused to see her, tried to tell her that we were not taking new clients (predates COV19 - we have just lost 2 vets to pastures new and we are just as busy as we can cope with ). Once she realised I couldn't register her with the practice she was pretty nasty , I can fully understand why her original practice were reluctant to have too much face to face contact - I was relieved I was dealing with her on the end of a phone line.

The thing is people are worried and having a sick pet or what they think is a sick pet plus what else is going on is just too much for them to handle - and I get that and I am willing to cut them some slack. but only too a point

RE: furlough

Selena Carnell — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 16:40:13 GMT

dont know about everyone else but we have been busy even with only emergency and on going cases, some public have been quite rude and impatient.

RE: furlough

Sal the 1st — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 22:31:22 GMT

we are the same 3 vets 1nurse (me) 3 nursing assistants (1 of these on furlough as childminder problems) leaving 2 nursing assistants and 1 receptionist. Vets are still working mon - fri or mon - sat in the case of the boss and nursing staff are split into me and an assistant and other nursing assistant and receptionist. We are working 8.30-6.30 1 day on 1 day off mon - fri and sharing the saturday mornings. On call is split between the 3 nursing staff. We have all taken a cut in hours.The only way we could cut our staffing levels would be to lose a vet and then we could possibly lose a nursing assistant and a receptionist which would leave us with 2 teams of 1 vet and 1 support staff but then if any of the remaining staff got ill we would be absolutely stuffed.

Our only other option and this really is the last option we have, I have suggested that we trim down to a single vet and a single nurse - everybody else on furlough, I don't have a mortgage so it would be best for the nursing staff that its me. We open for a 1/2 day or a morning clinic every day for the collection of drugs and to see the few emergencies, delivery of orders for as long as I can get them, but remain on call for say the caesars etc that can't wait and the pair of us work through until its over and just pray neither of us get sick - at least this way we can keep the practice 'live' for as long as we can and others will hopefully get some of their 80% salary to keep them going. The thing with furlough is it doesn't become live till the end of April and nobody knows when those payments are going to come through (or not)

RE: furlough

apache — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 22:05:30 GMT

[quote user="zeldamac"]The advice if practice owners aren't following guidelines is to contact RCVS directly.[/quote]

Ah the beauty of guidelines - open to individual interpretation and flexible for different circumstances. Remember there is a huge range of practices out there and one plan won't work for all of them!

[quote user="zeldamac"] The guidance is clear, only absolutely essential personnel in the building to protect the health of employees ,their families and wider society.[/quote]

'Essential' is tricky. We need a receptionist, a nurse and vets as a minimum to run. I agree with the sentiment, just in our case it means everyone is still at work!

[quote user="zeldamac"]Small separate teams is what everyone is doing[/quote]

Not us. Wouldn't work. Three vets (4th starting in August), 2 nurses, 2 part time receptionists. Two of the vets are married, too much work for one vet. Mixed practice so out on farms and attending to animals at the surgery (including a lot of sheep). Not enough small animal work really for 2 nurses but if I put one on furlough and the other becomes ill I cannot call the other one back into work.

We have a contingency plan if we all get ill with some mutual support from local practices. There really is no way we could do this and not all work together.

Careful of sweeping statements.

RE: furlough

zeldamac — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 21:13:21 GMT

The advice if practice owners aren't following guidelines is to contact RCVS directly. The only alternative to furlough is to reduce staff hours. The guidance is clear, only absolutely essential personnel in the building to protect the health of employees ,their families and wider society. Small separate teams is what everyone is doing, usually in two's in the interest of social distancing and in the hopes there be at least one healthy team or face closure.

RE: furlough

Selena Carnell — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 19:38:31 GMT

our boss offered furlough a some staff were really worried, but now feels like some staff have taken the p>ss as only three hard core staff are left out of 13 staff. we've had to seek legal advice as some staff were high risk, one was having to go down to her mums, and some had no childcare. so the ones left are feeling a bit hard done by that we are working our arses off whilst some seem to think it twas he easy option.

RE: furlough

Sal the 1st — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 13:15:59 GMT

[quote user="VetNurse Anon a/c"]

Hi Sal

According to my employer no vet staff are entitled to furlough as no practices are closing and therefore jobs are still there

[/quote]

Sal this is what my boss told me....it's not my own opinion!

[/quote]

wasn't disagreeing with you - just your bosses take on it

RE: furlough

r-more — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 13:07:52 GMT

I never assumed this was your own opinion, rather misinformation from your boss.

RE: furlough

apache — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 00:11:03 GMT

[quote user="Sal the 1st"]

how does this work if an employee is an agency provided locum using an umbrella company or is on the practice books and PAYE?

[/quote]

If they don't have a contract with the practice then they would not be eligible. They need to be employed by the practice at the end of Feb.

[quote user="VetNurse Anon a/c"]According to my employer no vet staff are entitled to furlough as no practices are closing and therefore jobs are still there[/quote]

The decision to offer furlough is one for the business owner. It is only to be used where the business is unable to afford that member of staff and would have no option but to sack them or make them redundant. The employee has to then agree as it's a variation to their terms of contract. If the owner believes that the person is essential to the running of the business or the only option wasn't to terminate employment (the test HMRC are likely to apply) then it is not available. Whilst an employee may request to sent home on furlough, the business owner doesn't have to grant that request. If they were a high risk individual who had been advised by doctors to self isolate then they would be a very brave employer.

My concern (as a business owner) is we don't know how busy we will be and we don't know how much proof will be needed to show that the use of the scheme was legitimate. We're mixed so still have a reasonable amount of work on - we are all in work just quiet.

RE: furlough

VetNurse Anon a/c — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 21:35:48 GMT

[quote user="VetNurse Anon a/c"]

Hi Sal

According to my employer no vet staff are entitled to furlough as no practices are closing and therefore jobs are still there

[/quote]

Sal this is what my boss told me....it's not my own opinion!

RE: furlough

r-more — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 15:59:53 GMT

Businesses of any kind do not have to close for furlough to apply.

Furlough means an employee has been placed on unpaid leave due to there being no work for them, it doesn’t mean the employee has been made redundant or otherwise “let go”. This may apply to all employees in the business or only some employees and applies if the business is completely closed until further notice or open but with reduced staff.

I think your employer is either misinformed or Doesn’t want to abide by the rules. I strongly recommend you investigate what furlough is, when it applies and how government support works. A call to ACAS may useful, I imagine they are quite busy at this time.

Not sure about agency employees, but if they are on the books furlough may apply. Again, ACAS should be able to help.

RE: furlough

VetNurse Anon a/c — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 11:49:01 GMT

Hi Sal

According to my employer no vet staff are entitled to furlough as no practices are closing and therefore jobs are still there