Parents must be able to access furlough

School closures mean the government must ensure employers offer working parents access to the furlough scheme, says the TUC. It is concerned that not all bosses are aware that caring responsibilities are an acceptable reason to furlough, resulting in many parents having no choice but to take unpaid time off work to care for their children — or even be forced to leave their jobs altogether. 

Employers can help their staff get through the crisis and give them a financial lifeline by offering them furlough, the TUC explains.

It is also calling for self-employed working parents to have automatic access to the Self-employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS), warning that they otherwise risk serious financial difficulty and debt following months of disruption to childcare. 

A TUC poll of more than 50,000 mothers found that nearly three-quarters (71%) of working mums who have applied for furlough following the recent school closures have had their requests turned down.

Forty per cent were unaware that the furlough scheme was available to parents affected by school or nursery closures.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said it’s neither possible nor sustainable for mothers to work as normal while looking after their children and supervising schoolwork.

She said bosses must “offer maximum flexibility to mums and dads who can’t work because of childcare. And as a last resort, parents must have a temporary right to be furloughed where their boss will not agree.”