Coronavirus: Treasury 'clarifies' support for workers but some say it's 'not enough'
Despite the new position, Kuljit Athwal says that for some "it may no longer be possible to reach out to a former employer".
Tuesday 31 March 2020 23:24, UK
Full-time workers who voluntarily changed jobs in recent weeks will now be eligible for the government's wage subsidy, if their old employer agrees to put them back on their payroll.
In what will be seen as a partial u-turn, the Treasury has agreed to let workers who resigned from a post to start a new job after 28th February be "furloughed" on 80% pay by their old employer.
Previously, this only applied to workers who had been made redundant and not those who voluntarily left their post.
Treasury sources said this was a "clarification" of the policy rather than a change.
Those campaigning for the cut-off date to be scrapped altogether say the move is "not really enough" as it will only help some people.
"People move jobs for a variety of reasons," said Kuljit Athwal from the New Starter Furlough Facebook group.
"For some it may no longer be possible to reach out to a former employer.
"And right now those employers are not legally obligated to take them back, though they may have a moral responsibility."
It comes after Sky News revealed that potentially thousands of people were being sacked or left without pay because of an apparent loophole in the government's job retention scheme.
To be eligible for the wage subsidy of up to £2,500 a month an employee must have been on their company's payroll on 28th February.
Employers with workers who started after this point cannot claim for them, leading to many being put on unpaid leave or sacked.