Had anyone ever heard of furlough before this month?

[Thatbloodybear]

Just musing that furlough, along with social distancing and self isolation are phrases we probably all read hundreds of times a day on MN. Has anyone ever heard of furlough or experienced it before now?

Yes, I've heard of workers being furloughed before this as we used to do it during quiet periods where I used to work.

used in different connotation as leave in the services

No I'd never heard of it before. Didn't even realise it was possible.

Yes; my uncle was a medical missionary, periods he spent back in the UK were called furloughs. The dictionary definition (which I guess may need updating) is

'leave of absence, especially that granted to a member of the services or a missionary.'

I'd not heard of it till last week. 2 days later, husband was furloughed.

I knew it from a plotline in Parks and Rec, and then when it happened at the start of last year in the US in real life it was in the news quite a bit.

I think it's in more common usage in the US.

All very American...we used to call it being laid off.

Thanks all. So apart from the very specific uses in missionaries of forces, would people usually be paid to furlough? Or is it more like seasonal work?

Yes, I’ve heard of it and been furloughed before.
Typically a furlough is directed by the employer and unpaid. You are still an employee though and in some cases, restricted from getting paid work with another employer during a furlough.

I think it's in more common usage in the US.

I believe they use the term during the various 'government shutdowns' when Congress can't sort out approving budgets or whatever. Afaik the point is that their government literally doesn't have the money to pay salaries (though I may have got that wrong)

There's some info here. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furlough

Yeah. Had furlough from my last job to do some charity work.

@PlanDeRaccordement what industry was that if you don't mind saying?
Seems like a shitty deal for the employee, no pay and not allowed to get another job. Do you keep accruing leave and benefits during furlough?

I had only heard it before used in Orange is the New Black! The main character 'got furlough' to leave the prison. I am in HR and now it is probably the word I say most every day

Heard it once before all this in an episode of Morse!

I'd come across it in different contexts before. Nobody in my real/non mumsnet life seems to be using it though.

Heard of it from reading books.

Only from Orange is the New Black when Piper gets furlough to go to her grandmother's funeral! 😂

Only heard of it used as the word for US sailors leave and I've worked as a payroller for 16 years!

I phoned ACAS when it was first discussed as I hadn't heard of it and wanted to ensure I got the procedure right. They hadn't heard of it either.

Never!

I heard it when Trump furloughed federal workers in early 2019 and there were pictures of overflowing rubbish bins at national parks

Heard of it around October last year when a contracting colleague in our New York office said they were on furlough for two weeks and I had to google what it was!

It was regularly mentioned in Sgt Bilko! American army sit com. Phil Silvers who also voiced Top Cat. It was probably 50s/60s. I used to love it.

I know it from American books and films.