Churchill Knight

My daughter singed up with CK last week. As a locum pharmacist her hourly rate is £24.50 Advised they would declare reduced hourly rate of £12 to lower tax liability, that it is above board and a lot of people do it !

They don’t pay on time and neither do they send P45, avoid like the plague

I have had an issue with being paid since day 1. They say in their contract you will be paid even if 3rd party is late in paying Churchill Knight. They just ignore this in the contract and actually you don’t get paid. Imagine working for an employer and having random payments. Even when you offer to talk on the phone to sort this out they refuse to speak to you, the customer. If you want to be paid on time look at other umbrella companies, avoid….

Paid furlough last time round. They won't do it this time but doesn't seem like anyone is so I don't think its them to blame. Would have liked more help as supply teachers feel like we are the forgotten.

no probs here.

Back working now but Churchill Knight helped me while out of work due to COVID. I’ll certainly be staying put.

Just seen a post on the OffPayroll’s LinkedIn about Churchill Knight. I’ve used them for years. When it came to light that the CJRS could be used by umbrella workers - they kept saying they were doing what they could to makes ends-meat of the procedures involved. Not going to lie - I thought this translated to “we’re not going to do it - tough luck”. I was wrong and furlough pay is being paid. Fair play!

It's been a while and have now started to get CJRS payments. Would have helped if the guidance was clearer and the Government answered the questions from Umbrella companies quicker!

Money in my account Friday.

My son is a locum cardiac physiologist working through CK. He was furloughed in March and told directly by an agent that his contract was ended because of COVID-19. He has waited until the last ten days to be told by CK that he is now entitled to furlough but it won't be paid until his end client (Sheffield Northern General Hospital) re-confirm that his contract was ended due to COVID. They are currently refusing to do this but have not specified in writing why. The June 10th deadline is approaching and he is left in limbo with another month without pay - CK are almost anonymous in the process. He has chased endlessly, escalated to the numerous agencies that exist between him and the end client but he remains at the mercy of individuals who appear not to care much about his position. His stress levels are very high, hence me sending this feedback rather than him. Our next step is going to be to write to the CEO of the hospital asking why their staff are being so unhelpful. In addition, we will write to CK to ask why their approach is so passive.

It's been a long wait but have now received furlough payment

It’s taken a while but I am glad they are paying, my friend still isn’t being paid so this is a weight off my mind.

Email from Churchill Knight - Starting this week, Churchill Knight Umbrella will start processing furlough pay for our clients who are eligible to benefit from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). We will be processing furlough payments based on 80% of total earnings (up to £2,500.00 per month), with first payments due to begin this week. But they need confirmation from end client, not agency, and having difficulty getting hold of end client..... But light at the end of the tunnel? This could be a life saver for me and my partner!

Email today says they're furloughing. Better late than never.

No communications or update in over 2 weeks

Govt published holiday pay guidance now but no update from Churchill Knight, but as they say they can't pay holiday pay and apprenticeship levy without going bust, and the latest guidance on holiday is that they will have to pay, I guess they'll have to finally own up to the fact they're not paying us. No work on the horizon and no furlough pay, savings all gone, don't know how I'll cope!

For an umbrella company with apparently 'thousands of clients' I would expect there to be more reviews here than there are. They keep giving excuses but are obviously never going to pay there clients for furlough. Absolutely disgraceful.

Rip off and rubbish advice

It has now been 8 weeks since the furlough scheme was announced by government for the Coronavirus pandemic, while many other umbrella companies have paid their out of work contractors furlough pay, Churchill Knight have not, and despite their excuses, it has become obvious that they are not going to pay out, leaving their contractors with absolutely nothing in these difficult times. They say - "Umbrella companies have not been told whether or not they’ll be reimbursed by the government for accrued Holiday Pay (HP) or the Apprenticeship Levy (AL). As a leading umbrella, Churchill Knight Umbrella has thousands of clients. If we were to start issuing furlough pay to later find out we will not be reimbursed for HP or the AL – we would almost certainly become insolvent within weeks." They have not been pro active at all, not trying to find any sort of solution to the above and obviously not willing to bear any cost themselves, just blaming the government guidelines for a 'lack of clarity'. Govt have clarified holiday pay can be reimbursed at 80% but they will not make exceptions for apprenticeship levy which they still intend to collect payments for despite covid. I cannot call them as the phones are off while they work from home, they don't answer emails and when they do its just a copy and paste from their most recent statement. As an umbrella company I should be protected by the JRS but my umbrella company has let me down which is totally unfair. I am so worried and anxious and frustrated, my girlfriend works for NHS so we have some income but are struggling to get by and I am worried I will not get work for a long time. I hope any umbrella that has not supported its clients lose all their clients and go bust, as I cannot imagine why anyone would stay with an umbrella company like that.