There are certain situations nearly every company could face during which putting workers on temporary leave is allowed. These include:
- Closure of the business because of essential maintenance or renovation
- Closure of the business ordered by the authorities
In addition to the reasons stated in the previous section, these three examples fulfil the criteria for temporary leave where no othermeaningful jobsare available for a worker.
Furloughing, on the other hand, is currently used as a term in the UK when a worker is put on leave due to consequences of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). This may change in the future, however, and furloughing may become part of normal UK employment law. As of early 2020, however, if a company cannot give an employee work because of the government ordered shutdown due to Coronavirus risks, an employee can be furloughed. This applies to all types of worker contract (PAYE): full-time, part-time, and even zero-hours.