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Furlough bashing

67 replies

PTW1234 · 28/06/2020 22:53

Why is this even a thing?

I am working from home but my DH is furloughed, he gets the set amount from the government and doesn’t begrudge it, buts it’s much less than what he would normally get.

My work have furloughed about 5% of staff but haven’t claimed the wages from the government. Not all workplaces are doing so as the cheeper wage is enough incentive not to.

He may not have his very hard earned career after this is all over. All similar jobs are also being furloughed and made redundant, all over the country.

He is going back part time in 2 weeks at works request and can not wait. However it’s only to forecast the rest of what will be a dismal year in his industry and what he forecasts will seal the fate do his job..

His mental health has suffered as a consequence and he doesn’t know what to do if he loses his job, and neither do we as a family.

What the hell is wrong with people who say that furloughed people are taking the piss? It’s not their choice!!!

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PTW1234 · 28/06/2020 22:54

Sorry this was jay a vent, I am glad to get it off my chest.. we have lots of worries as a family for the long term situation

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cyclingmad · 28/06/2020 22:56

He should use the time to dust off his cv and linkedin profiles etc to br market ready should it happen. Or even start looking now...

Maybe that is more productive use of his time

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StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 28/06/2020 22:59

Agree with pp. Hope for the best prepare for the worst.

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PTW1234 · 28/06/2020 22:59

You assume he isn’t being productive..
With the schools closed etc he is home schooling an doing housework. Essentially a stay at home dad

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PTW1234 · 28/06/2020 23:01

We are preparing for his job loss, we might have to mouth to London (my job is portable to a degree, however likely to be home based going forward!)

It just breaks my heart that the company and his career has a now in tatters and people feel smug enough to post meme on Facebook about “working during lockdown” etc

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PenelopePitstop49 · 28/06/2020 23:04

I think people are bashing the scheme itself more than the individuals who have no control over it.

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cyclingmad · 29/06/2020 20:50

Well it's a tough one really, there are people in my company who have been on furlough for 2 months already and told they are staying furlough until end of Septemeber. That is effectively 5 months of being on full pay as company tops up and not working.

To top it off if there is any type of future redundancy situation everyone goes into the pot and applies for the available roles so could be that a person in same team who was not furloughed could be let go vs one who was.

It does feel incredibly unfair, 5 months of being off work and being paid full salary...wow who would honestly say no to that.

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2kool4skool · 29/06/2020 21:28

I just had to let someone go who had been furloughed and the person in question actually complained and said I should have furloughed them til the scheme finished in October and then have given notice, and also paid them accrued holiday all the while. It is taxpayers money and that sounds like fraud to me, I said no obviously, so you can see why some people who are on furlough are taking the piss. Not all obviously.

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EnglishGirlApproximately · 29/06/2020 21:33

cyclingmad I'm in exactly the situation you describe and I would have said no to it if I'd been given the choice, as would four out of five of my colleagues on the same position. It isn't fun. We're worried about our jobs', watching our counterparts in other companies being made redundant. Our industry is on its knees and no amount of dusting off cvs or networking on LinkedIn is making it better

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DreamChaser23 · 29/06/2020 21:37

Agree many furloughed workers will be redundant soon. Through no fault of their own. Plus the job market is much more competitive.

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vanillandhoney · 29/06/2020 21:39

Totally agree.

So many furloughed people will lose their jobs or have their hours massively cut after all this is over Sad

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Noextremes2017 · 29/06/2020 22:14

Yes. At the start I think some furloughed people saw it as a short paid holiday. But most now appreciate the seriousness of the situation. 9 million people furloughed and there won’t be 9 million jobs to go back to.
Government are just kidding themselves (as usual) that employers will keep everyone on.
What a balls up it has all been!!!

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breakfastclubb · 29/06/2020 22:15

Because they’re jealous arseholes, that’s why.

Also on furlough and am sick of it.

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Groundhogdayzz · 29/06/2020 22:23

It’s just another example of the divisions that seem to have become wider as lockdown has gone on. At the beginning it was all, let’s support each other, we’ll get through it together....in reality so many people just appear to have the attitude that as long as they are ok couldn’t care less about anyone else! Furlough was no ones choice, and put in place to help the government/economy, so a bit of support for those on furlough, worried for their jobs, wouldn’t go amiss.

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PTW1234 · 29/06/2020 22:35

I wouldn’t mind but we are both higher rate of tax payers. We had steady normal jobs before this stupid mess.

I would like to think it’s jealousy, I have been with my Dh for over 10 years now and seen first hand how he commits himself to his job and values working. To think he might be redundant after this through no fault of his own makes me sacred and sick. There is absolutely no chance of him finding a similar job in our region (he does a London type job in retail but up north) so he has to reevaluate his whole career, or we need to move

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cyclingmad · 29/06/2020 23:02

In private sector perhaps but in public sector with unions who will ensure any redundancies are not related to whether you were on furlough or not. Which I agree with but on the other hand it's also understandable that some might lose jobs who worked over someone who was furloughed because of having a fair process. Naturally there will be some small resentment

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poupeediop · 29/06/2020 23:11

I only know one person furloughed & they may not have a job after it ends. They certainly haven't been treating it like a holiday. I think the furlough scheme was a good idea, surely it made people more accepting of lockdown & confinement. When ever you see photos of people crowding beaches how do you know they are all furloughed? Some may not work or retired, some may be on annual leave, some may be wfh but able to flex their hours. I'm working but management don't care if I send work in at 11pm or 6am so as long as I check emails I can structure my day how I like mostly.

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MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly · 30/06/2020 10:07

I just had to let someone go who had been furloughed and the person in question actually complained and said I should have furloughed them til the scheme finished in October and then have given notice, and also paid them accrued holiday all the while. It is taxpayers money and that sounds like fraud to me, I said no obviously, so you can see why some people who are on furlough are taking the piss. Not all obviously.*
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This is the point of furlough - to keep people in jobs while businesses have a downturn in income. Although it cost you nothing to keep them on you decided to let them go in the middle of a pandemic when they are unlikely to find another job?

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MyDarlingWhatIfYouFly · 30/06/2020 10:08

Bold fail on the previous post - the top paragraph was quoted.

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cleopatrascorset · 30/06/2020 10:13

"It does feel incredibly unfair, 5 months of being off work and being paid full salary...wow who would honestly say no to that."

Loads. Anyone who likes their job, or wants to progress in their career, or who wants to avoid the risk of being targeted for redundancy. Pretty dumb to say it's an unqualified positive for everyone, to be honest.

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SinisterBumFacedCat · 30/06/2020 10:15

And the first few posts are furlough bashing.....

Just to remind you all saying it’s Tax payers money, people on furlough have been paying into the pot FOR YEARS. Women by far outnumber men in being furloughed and about a third on furlough are classed as low paid. These are the people you are bashing, hope you are ok with that.

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2pinkginsplease · 30/06/2020 10:21

@2kool4skool that is the point of furlough, to stop people losing their jobs during this period of uncertainty. No wonder your employee was pissed off! You could have kept them furloughed till it ended before making any decisions about job losses! Poor management decision on your behalf! Letting someone go when they have no chance of a job!

I’m furloughed, I work in hospitality And will be furloughed I until we are allowed to open. I have to say I’ve been more relaxed being off and can see why people choose not to work, life definitely feels much easier when there is no work and you are still getting some money in the bank each month!

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Shayisgreat · 30/06/2020 10:23

I was furloughed for 4 weeks while the childminders were closed. My DH and I struggled to care for our 21 month old and work at the same time. Both have very demanding jobs. We managed 2 months and were ready to collapse/kill each other/divorce. I was going to request unpaid leave but work suggested furlough. I spent the 4 weeks at home caring for my child all day - not living the high life on my unearned fortune.

I really hate the narrative going around that people who are furloughed are lazy/irresponsible/not taking things seriously enough/having it easy because it's simply not true an just another way for different groups in society to look down on others.

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SpiderStan · 30/06/2020 10:26

I was furloughed on 1st April on 80% pay.

I was made redundant on 31st May due to business closure (Covid-related).

DP was furloughed on 1st April on 80% pay.

DP started working again on 11th May on 80% pay (not furloughed, just a company-wide pay cut)

I would happily take all the furlough-bashing anyone has to offer, to actually be furloughed instead of unemployed, pregnant and scared about the future.

When me and DP conceived back in January/February, we did not plan for this. We had plenty of income between us to raise a baby. Now we are on 40% of our combined income compared to what we were at the beginning of the year. And it's horrible.

Furlough-shamers are probably those who have had to continue to work during all of this, but will most likely continue to have a job on the other side. Count your blessings, it could be a heck of a lot worse!

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turnthebiglightoff · 30/06/2020 10:43

Everyone I know his furloughed definitely have a job to go back to. I'm so sick of hearing all furloughed people will be made redundant; it smacks of bitterness and sour grapes. I was furloughed for 3 months and spent every day with my little boy, it was absolutely lovely and I'm so grateful. It meant my company could afford to keep me whilst my stakeholders managed their businesses through lockdown. I love that a thread about furlough bashing has again turned into furlough bashing. Absolutely no solidarity or empathy shown as usual on MN. Starting to get very toxic. Just be happy for those who haven't lost their jobs. Yes there will be many who do but like I said, I know lots of furloughed people and they are not / will not be up for redundancy.

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