Furloughed Staff

SOUTH ENGLAND CONFERENCE OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS STATEMENT AND GENERAL GUIDANCE TO FURLOUGHED STAFF

To our staff (Pastors, directors, teachers, support staff, ancillary workers etc.)

As you have been placed on furlough, it is expected that duties as per your employment contract are not undertaken during your furlough period. We refer you to the Government statement below which can be found on the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

While you’re on furlough

Once you are on furlough you will not be able to work for your employer. You can undertake training or volunteer subject to public health guidance, as long as you’re not:

• making money for your employer or a company linked or associated to your employer

• providing services to your employer or a company linked or associated to your employer

Whilst furloughed, your employer cannot ask you to do work for another linked or associated company.

The South England Conference gives guidance that the time spent in furlough may be used as follows (please note that this is not an exhaustive list):

1. Voluntary (Feeding the homeless)
2. Blood Donating
3. Community projects
4. Volunteering for local NHS
5. Unpaid Counselling
6. Samaritans
7. Animal welfare
8. Shopping & delivery of food and medication to shut ins
9. Telephone Pal (for shut ins)

The South England Conference understands that employees can carry out voluntary work for their employer while furloughed if the work is always done on a voluntary basis and has not been performed as part of that person’s normal paid role. That is, it would not be ok for a furloughed employee to carry out work on a voluntary basis that is normally done as part of their day job or done by other people who get paid for it.