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.

Think bigger. Once this is over most people will have a job to go back to! Less poverty and a return to normality. That’s what we want right? Many people will struggle with 80% so we should hope they are ok. I feel fortunate to be on full pay.

So don't try to frighten furloughed workers who may be worried enough already.

I’m not trying to frighten anyone, just be realistic. Broadly, I think the assumption still stands.

However it’s helpful to understand exceptions to the rule, so thank you (and Happy) for that.

I'm annoyed about the numbers of people that have been furloughed and the cost of this to the economy. Scary. I'm sure it was necessary in a lot of cases but I feel that some companies and a lot of people who are self employed have taken advantage of a free handout (ie they've furloughed themselves but they're definitely still working under the radar).

But one other consideration is that the furlough scheme is only up to £30k. We are a single income household and my dh earns a lot more than £30k so we wouldn't be able to afford out lifestyle if he was furloughed, it wouldn't be too many months before we would be in arrears with our mortgage and have to pull our kids out of private school.

So I would absolutely dread him being furloughed.

I know I'm unreasonable. But I'm jealous too. Very much so.

You are both reasonable and unreasonable. I had no choice about being furloughed and probably won’t have a job at the end of it all.

However on the flip side I am enjoying home educating and spending time in the garden without distractions. You’re quite welcome to be jealous of that as long as you see that it’s a short term ‘advantage’ that I had no choice about.

I work for an essential service .... I have people requesting daily to be furloughed because they want to stay at home rather than come to work .
That group are also entering grievances against management when they are told that they are expected to attend work .

It's not their fault but they do get an extended holiday, on 80-100% pay, and the tax increases to cover it will be paid by those of us in essential frontline sectors, still working our balls off, with no or limited childcare (that a lot of us are still paying for), who don't usually get paid as much as the private sector non-essential businesses who are most likely to be furloughed. So it's not fun seeing all the 'poor me, I'm so bored, I'm not sure how much more I can take playing with my children' FB posts.

I’ve been furloughed (hospitality ) , dh has been furloughed too, (construction industry), this is not a holiday for either of us, 20% wage cut, my compqny have paid us however dh (the breadwinner) has not had a wage for 5 weeks! . I’m thankful I’ve got some savings, just hoping furlough money comes through soon.

Neither of us has chosen, not to work, dh and I have both worked and paid taxes since we were 15, that’s 30 years of working for us both! Both our industries have been shut down, dh hoping to be back out working after this 3 week lockdown, but goodness knows when I will be back at work.

As I said before this is not a holiday, it’s a worrying time of uncertainty, be grateful you still have a job and have regular money coming in.

dh earns a lot more than £30k so we wouldn't be able to afford out lifestyle if he was furloughed, it wouldn't be too many months before we would be in arrears with our mortgage and have to pull our kids out of private school.

Yeah I think you need to read the room before making comments like that.

Why don't people have an emergency fund to pay for a couple of months bills...... save that up before buying the iphone/expensive holiday/designer anything/fake nails/anything fake/upgrading the car/laptop etc....
We dont have an emergency fund because we sunk a lot of savings into DH business after the last recession. And I dont have any of the items on your list.
Our cars are over 10 years old, last time we went abroad was 2012, last time I had my hair done was sometime last year, I cant even remember, I have my nails done maybe twice a year, never had an iphone, we rarely go out to eat, we dont have weekends away. There arent many things we could have cut down on to amass savings.

*will also be paid

@DontStandSoCloseToMe but the furloughed will go back to work at some point and they'll be paying higher taxes too. Everyone will be in the same boat.

@Waxonwaxoff0 I missed the also (hence the second post), however it's not the same boat, I don't get three months off first and then increased taxes. I get more work, no childcare, less sleep and then a tax increase.

@LaurieMarlow I actually really worry about the MH implications of the scenario you've highlighted.

i actually really worry about the MH implications of the scenario you've highlighted.

Do you mean not getting furloughed but being made redundant (and vice versa)?

It’s the old problem , the belief that the grass is always greener
( except for when it’s not).

An unpleasant way to think, full of pettiness and envy.

I feel annoyed that Tony Blair and David Cameron swan around with millions after making a total hash of their jobs.

But that's just how it is.

I suppose you'd also be glad if furloughed people caught the virus and died?

I’m not exactly furloughed, as we’re self employed , so don’t get any money from government , and I love it
Worried about money , yes , but we’ve a years mortgage holiday , so we’ll be fine
I’m nearly 60 , and wanted to retire , so I’m making the most of it

Ive never had an iphone, my phone is second hand given to me by a friend.
My car is 16 years old.
Ive not got a laptop or anything designer.
Dont wear fake nails or anything else fake because I cant afford to.
God some people really are living in another world to the one im in.
Ive paid taxes, I pay taxes on thousands of pounds of tips a year that are not being accounted for when furlough pay is calculated.
Im not getting 80%

I am jealous of YOU being able to work from home.

I still have to actually go out to work.

BUT I still have a job, and will still have a job at the end of this, for that I am grateful.

@LaurieMarlow yes. I can imagine if you've worked whilst trying to sort childcare/ homeschooling, taken responsibility of other peoples work and helped keep a business running during a chaotic period whilst your colleagues were paid 80% or even 100%, to then be made redundant it could cause a lot of issues for that individual if said colleagues kept their jobs.

YABU OP. I have a career it's not possible to do with social distancing and have been furloughed. As social distancing is unlikely to be lifted anytime soon this makes the prospect that I won't have a job for quite some time likely. The 20% drop in salary is also hard but I'm grateful I can still pay my bills at the moment. Without the furlough scheme we'd be in a financial nightmare.

I love my job. I've worked since I was 16. I do not want to be stuck inside my house all day every day. I want life to be normal.

I get where you’re coming from, but you have a job and you’re being paid. My business income has vanished overnight and I can’t get anything.

Furloughed in the leisure industry I'm convinced I will loose my job as we will be last back. I live my job and just got the hours that suit. So it's great.

I've been furloughed, and it is really horrible. I am bored, and although I have two children under ten and DH is not furloughed and working, our finances have been hit as DH has had to take a 30% wage cut so we are looking to receive a very low income for a while.