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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Aibu to be angry at colleagues who don't want to work

79 replies

lonelylou09 · 01/04/2020 09:52

I work in my local village shop. We have 6 members of staff including my boss. We are still open and pretty busy at the moment as we are taking orders for and doing deliverys for local people who don't want to go out.
One member of staff has decided that as the government is going to pay her 80% of her wages to stay home she isn't coming in. Another has decided he can't cope with working at the moment and isn't coming in either. Both of these have used all their holiday allowance.
Aibu to be very annoyed to hear that my boss is going to pay them both when there is no reason for them not to be in work?
I thought the government help was for people who had on effect lost their jobs as they didn't have work? Neither are self isolating, neither are ill. They are both generally lazy in work which means me and another colleague are always working harder to pick up the slack.
I myself so not want to be working at the moment but I don't feel I have a choice as we only have my wages coming in at the moment in a household of 3 adults. The restaurant my son work zero hours in has closed and the delivery company my partner worked for is closed although he's been told he will get paid his 80% as it's beyond his control that he can't go to work.
I'm so annoyed at my colleagues for thinking they can use this as an excuse to not work and get paid for it. Also annoyed at my boss for letting them. Aibu?

OP posts:

ilovesooty · 01/04/2020 10:45

Someone came in to collect her wages on payday? Your employer pays your wages in cssh in little brown envelopes?

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 01/04/2020 10:45

@Alsohuman she has mostly provided cover. As I said was meant to be having my first full week off last week in a year but had to go in to cover instead... So I haven't had a full week off since before last April! Also doing extra shift today to cover.
As I said torn between being grateful I have a job and feeling scared to go out and go to work and not having a choice about it

OP posts:

weliveincrazytimes · 01/04/2020 10:47

Alsohuman Wed 01-Apr-20 10:30:22 So the shop owner has provided cover but you’re still fed up. OK.

I think it's the fact that some people like the OP are trying to carry on and then other people are choosing not to work and still getting paid. I'm in the same boat. I'm trying to continue working from home, but then I do know of others who have decided they can't be bothered and plan to apply for the government funding so they can still get paid for choosing to not work (think they'll be in for a shock when they see what's really on offer there).

shampoofarrow · 01/04/2020 10:52

@lonelylou09 has your employer actually confirmed to these two they are being furloughed?

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 01/04/2020 10:52

@ilovesooty. Yes cash in envelopes. If she had her mother living with her and the household was self isolating to keep her safe that would be understandable. But hse is neither self isolating and the advice is she shouldn't be having close contact with her mother at all! She said to me herself the last time I worked with her that she was so pleased she would get paid to not work. And I said no you still have a job, that's only for people who have lost their job and she just walked off and laughed.

OP posts:

PurpleFlower1983 · 01/04/2020 10:52

@BadBear That’s brilliant!

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 01/04/2020 10:54

@shampoofarrow she's not said that to me herself, however another colleague who helps my boss with the wages and takes charger when she is away has told me my boss has said she will pay them both and claim the money back

OP posts:

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 01/04/2020 10:58

@weliveincrazytimes.. Yes excatly that. Thank you. When everyone is being told to stay at home, save lives... To not have a choice to and to feel its unfair that people are choosing to not work and get paid for it.
It's also that the people who have been brought in to cover are not our usual staff so don't know how everything works so it makes everything harder. Also it's a small shop.. It's impossible in there to keep a safe distance.

OP posts:

ilovesooty · 01/04/2020 10:58

Sounds dodgy af then. I'd bet that there's a lot of tax fiddling going on and evidencing wages for furlough is going to be interesting.

BeetrootRocks · 01/04/2020 11:00

1 is using annual
The other may be struggling with MH

I get that it's difficult but a lot of people aren't coping well

Maybe wait and see how it pans out

PeterPiperPickedWrongAgain · 01/04/2020 11:02

you are layed off by your employers or have a vulnerable household member

Really? I have immunosuppressed DH who is in the extremely vulnerable and needs shielding category. Work are aware, are keeping me away from people as much as possible, I asked about furlough so I could keep DH safe and was told there isn’t really any provision in my situation so I have to keep working.

Qgardens · 01/04/2020 11:10

The rest of you need to get together and say that you want to be paid to stay at home too, if they are. Let him see how ridiculous it is.

shampoofarrow · 01/04/2020 11:14

@PeterPiperPickedWrongAgain

I'm afraid not that poster is incorrect.

Your work could choose to furlough you if they felt they could cope without you. But they are under no obligation to. A business isn't under any obligation to do it for anyone unfortunately.

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 01/04/2020 11:17

@BeetrootRocks they are the only 2 members that have all used their annual hours up well in advance.

OP posts:

PeterPiperPickedWrongAgain · 01/04/2020 11:19

@shampoofarrow
thanks for clarifying.

thecatsthecats · 01/04/2020 11:20

Sadly that's no surprise at all, but this whole mess was always going to bring out the CFs

I was entirely unsurprised by who, from my staff, leapt incorrectly on the idea of being furloughed.

The rest were very understanding that I was getting to grips with an entirely novel situation, and contributed sensible and meaningful ideas about how they could make WFH work around their childcare, what would or wouldn't work, or what expectations were realistic for everyone.

Whereas one guy jumped in both feet first to 'yippee, holiday on 80% pay'. (the same guy who expressed disappointment at his lack of promotion recently - for reasons of poor work ethic!)

Marieo · 01/04/2020 11:20

lonelylou09 - be happy to be able to go out and have a job. This isn't a prolonged holiday.

I HATE this attitude. Everyone is finding things hard, it isn't a competition and people shouldn't have to put up with crap just because others have it worse. OP is out working everyday, I doubt she sees it as a holiday.

If the shop is paying in envelopes unless they are paying tax they will have a fun time applying for furlough, especially as it isn't applicable here; others have been brought in to cover their jobs so it is not applicable in any way shape or form. YANBU to be annoyed if there isn't a genuine reason for them to need to stay home, as their shifts have been covered though I would be inclined to let it go.

shampoofarrow · 01/04/2020 11:22

@lonelylou09

Are the family members he's using to cover 'free' members of staff? Eg furloughed themselves or not able to currently work elsewhere?

If so by furloughing two members of staff and getting reimbursed by HMRC he'd be saving cash ( assuming he's not paying the family members ).

Not ok but a possibility.

I think the idea is don't necessarily take it at face value, as a previous poster pointed out your employer will need historical PAYE info to use the scheme- are you provided with payslips etc?

shampoofarrow · 01/04/2020 11:23

@thecatsthecats keep in mind those on furlough will very likely be the first to go once redundancies start

StatisticallyChallenged · 01/04/2020 11:37

Similar here @thecatsthecats - some people leapt at furlough and were utterly difficult and demanding. Whilst we were still open and busting a gut trying to keep everything going.

One just announced they weren't coming in for a shift then complained they weren't furloughed for that day??

Another told us they were signed off (bare in mind we were asked by govt not to demand evidence) then tried to reverse ferret when furlough was announced and wanted us to furlough instead. Claimed they weren't "signed off in the traditional sense " - they weren't at bloody work!

There's a possible of us reopening before the furlough scheme ends. If we do I am anticipating major problems with staffing.

Mummyoflittledragon · 01/04/2020 11:38

Sounds dodgy as hell. Your employer is absolutely to blame here for agreeing to this. He can’t furlough staff then take in family from another business. You can report your employer to hmrc for falsely furloughing them. Google the hotline if you are interested.

Please take a holiday. You are legally entitled to it and will be paid throughout. The legal minimum is 28 days for someone working 5 days a week (including public holidays, which fall on your working days). If you have taken less than your legal allowance, your employer is also breaking the law.

NameChangedForThisOne7 · 01/04/2020 11:51

The whole Covid 19 has brought out the skiving shirking idiots who were always going to take advantage of the situation. The serial sickie takers in my work were the first to self isolate with 'symptoms'. I could have written a list of the people who would do it once the government announced the plan, and I was completely right. Now these same people are delighted at a chance to furlough on 80% of their wages while doing nothing from home, while the rest of us are forced to pick up the slack, risk our health (and our families health) by coming into work for only 20% more than they are being paid for doing nothing and staying safe!
These kind of people will always find a way to shirk their responsibilities and this pandemic is an excellent way for them to do it.
I hope employers remember the people who stood by them after this is all over.

ps this obviously does not apply to people who are furloughed when there is no other option or who are genuinely in need of furlough. I'm talking about serial sickies who are fucking delighted with the situation and treating it as a paid jolly.

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 01/04/2020 11:52

@Marieo yes thank you. I am at work and it's certainly not a holiday! We are busier than usual and although extra staff have been brought in there is still extra work to do to cover the fact that they are not our usual staff and also we are being inundated with calls, orders and deliveries which we don't normally do.
So it's annoying as hell to think that half the staff are using this as an excuse to stay home and be paid instead of stepping up and helping us out as a shop and as a community.

OP posts:

lpchill · 01/04/2020 11:55

It's annoying seeing your post as my 62yr old mum works in a shop and was on the original high risk list so went into isolation but because her COPD is not serve enough she didn't get a letter from the government. She is using her holiday to cover for the next two weeks but then what? She feels terrible for not working but she already had a chest infection lasting over 3 weeks already from sticking the freezer at work. If she catches it she will probably die.

It's doubtful that her work with furlough her as it's a shop. They may not accept unpaid leave so she would have to quit. I've said if she has to quit then when I'm back to work when the schools are I will take on another job to pay for her but it's stressful as she wants to keep her independence.

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 01/04/2020 11:56

@shampoofarrow
She's drafted in her daughter and daughters boyfriend. Both recently returned from abroad and also another member of staff from the cafe as they obviously had to close. I have no idea how they get paid as I've never seen them get paid the way the rest of us do.. I.e envelope of cash paid out directly from the til.. That remains to be seen.
As for the 2 other original staff members I don't see how or why they should be paid when there is no reason they are not able to work and that is my issue.

OP posts:

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