to be irrationally annoyed with the furloughed?

[awaywiththecircus]

I know I am but I'm jealous that they have all day to lie in the sun, home educate their dc, bake, sew, watch TV whilst I'm busier than ever trying to do it all whilst working from home.
I heard on the radio it's going to cost £50 billion over 3 months and I feel annoyed that the economy is totally f**d because we're paying everyone's salaries, and they're at home doing nothing.
I also know none of this is anyone's fault and IABU.

I'm WFH in a vital capacity - sourcing and ordering PPE for my company so v stressful right now.
My fiance is furloughed and a bit bored but generally fine. It sounds heartless but it does surprise me that a 20% cut can be so disastrous for some people. We purposely chose our lifestyle to fit on one salary which is below 20k as it is. Even if we wasn't being paid we would have no financial issues. It would be nice to have a few weeks doing nothing but I like that I'm in a job where I know I'm making a very real contribution

How can you possibly be jealous of those who are at risk of losing their jobs in a few months? You HAVE job security, they don't.

Ironfloor269 presumably you haven't read the thread?

I totally get your point although it’s no ones fault. I’m on mat leave, so selfishly feel annoyed that people at my work are in the same situation as me but getting full pay (employer topping up the furlough) whilst I’m getting very little now, due back in June and feel a bit cheated out of a proper Mat leave (again) but it is what it is.

I'm furloughed but not concerned regarding job security. It's a car dealership, none of us can work so 99% of us are furloughed
We will be needed when we can reopen!

You’re not paying, they have paid their taxes too

You’re not paying, they have paid their taxes too
Furlough money is rather more than the tax people pay.
The government are borrowing more than Corbyn ever planned to.
We will be paying for this for two generations.

We will be paying for this for two generations.

Anyone lucky enough to have a job in the short to medium term should probably count their blessings.

It is nice day to day, But being furloughed tells you that you are at risk of redundancy. As much as my employer has told me that furlough isn’t a precursor to redundancy, I think it’s a potential indicator.
I’m using a lot of my furlough time to be prepared for a potential different work place e.g. finalising a professional qualification I’m doing and updating CV.

I can understand why you'd feel envy. I expect it's even worse for people who are unemployed and have to watch people getting paid way more than UC with no waiting times, or sanctions, or hideous health assesments. I'm a part time worker on furlough, so am getting less pay than my full-time colleagues, even though we are doing no work at the moment, do I suppose I could feel resentful too if I wanted.

But if we want yo have nice things to come back to when the restrictions end, then we also need furlough, otherwise all those things you've been missing will have yo stay closed until they've hityed and trained up new staff, by which point there will probably be a second wave of infections, and so many people will be unemployed that there wont be enough people with spare cash to keep a lot of businesses afloat.

I'm a bit jealous too OP. As I was told I was not needed anymore because of COVID-19 but because I was on NHS bank (paid for by the government same as Councils and other) I've not been offered any furlough payment either....but my FIL who was on a 0 hour contract as a bus driver has asked his emonomer for furlough and they have agreed. ...forms filled out and presumably being paid something!

Tabu although I too am very jealous of those being furloughed and really worried that working on the frontline means my husband on the extremely vulnerable list is being put at risk by me working.
I do find all the incessant whines if "I'm bored" really annoying and disrespectful though.

OP: Are you perhaps also envious of us self-employed, who cannot get work during the lockdown (I, for instance, am a locum and all my clients have now cancelled their leave that I had been booked to cover)? Yes, I am at leisure all day BUT I have had no income since lockdown - I am waiting for the Government grant to the self-employed, which we were told will probably come in June. Other self-employed are worse off than me in that their businesses may not come back from this at all.

Are you perhaps also envious of us self-employed, who cannot get work during the lockdown

So would you say those on furlough with 80/100% pay have it as hard as you with no income?

Again...It is nobody's fault if they've been furloughed.

Nobody gets to choose it for themselves. It's just there's no work for some of us to do, due to the current situation. It's not a nice thing to happen and brings all kinds of stress and worry.

The government's lack of support for the self employed and the employer's expecting staff to take a considerable paycut without reducing their hours/ workload is wrong and definitely unfair, but is categorically NOT the fault of anyone who's been furloughed.

Be angry at Covid-19, be angry at your employer or the government for their patchy response. Don't take it out on others who are also going through a tough time albeit not quite in the same way as you.

I’m like you op am very Lucky to be in an essential role but am working flat out to the point of burn out can’t even take annual leave , now I’m in a better position than many but wouldn’t mind a week or two

I’m noticing people making comments about furlough now. Someone on my fb shared a meme about how grateful those who are furloughed should be that those who are working and basically propping up their jobs for them and paying their wages.

A friend of mine has made a couple of comments as well, so there’s a bit of backlash coming through..

I’m furloughed and I’m so so worried about my job. And no, it doesn’t mean our job is just on hold, my employer has no cash coming in. No money, how can they pay us??

I’m so worried about it. I’d be really upset if I thought my colleagues thought they were “propping up my job” and “paying my wages” - I want to be at work!!!!

People working are not paying for furloughed, the government is borrowing billions, we'll all be paying for decades after this. I'm public sector and not furloughed, but obviously paid through taxation, dh is sales, currently furloughed but has previously and will asap be generating money and contributing to public purse.
People are frustrated and looking to place blame. They shouldn't, its very difficult but completely out of our control.

Just spoke to four 45-55 year old women friends of mine (Zoom).

They are all loving wfh. They all 'work' to a greater or lesser extent, anyway, but 8 hour days are now 4 (same pay). Given their ages, none have under Y11 DC to deal with.

I admire their honesty, how 'all this' is working out well for them.

As for my dislike of You've been schooled, Marlow, I stand by that.

MN is a UK based site. There may be Americans on here, but that doesn't mean Americanisms like that are likely to have any traction here.

Obviously, you can 'use whatever language you like one here'; but be aware, most of us on here go at 'being 'schooled'.

Wonderstuff- I hear you. But you must also understand that there are people who feel a bit aggrieved, rightly or wrongly, that there are quite a few people out there who are being given a nice bit of cash, every month, for doing nothing. While they're picking up some of them's work, on top o ftheir own.

This post demonstrates this.

But those individuals haven't chosen that position, they've been put in the situation by their employers. Without government aid they'd be unemployed, which would be worse for the economy and society generally. It's not rocket science is it.

There are some people very busy and others very unbusy and those best able to cope with whichever situation has been largely disregarded. We're a two parent family with one parent working part time, my db is a single parent to a young child and working fulltime, very difficult in current circumstances. But it's no ones fault, its not some great injustice, its just the way life happens to be at the moment. Nothing to be gained by getting upset or envious of others.

The comments on here go to show that when people don’t look very far when looking for someone to blame.

I would rather my husband was at work, we have lost £800 a month but it is so much better than no pay. I am covering the roles of 4 people for no extra pay (although it is quiet so probably 2.5 peoples work) but I am so grateful to be busy. My husband is sleeping most of the day and has lost his spark :(

My company is taking advantage of the furlough scheme to save costs. The first choice are parents of young children who aren't able to work effectively because they have to look after their dc whilst the nurseries/schools are shut. These people can't work anyway so why should the company pay their salaries. They get furloughed so that the government foots the cost. I am sure their jobs are safe just the company pushing their wage costs onto the tax payer.