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.

Are people on furlough supposed to sit around being miserable, would that make you feel better? It's hardly their fault.

Not furloughed and thankful that I have a job with a large financially stable employer that can be done from home. Furloughing is a valuable safety net but I’m glad I don’t need it.

I can understand this OP. It's pretty natural to feel jealous.

But yes furloughed workers will be on the frontline for redundancies - not always but certainly a worry I'd imagine.

DH and I are not going to be furloughed in all likelihood and whilst it's hard managing the 3kids whilst both working from home we are thankful to be kept busy. It would quite a bit more than a 20percent pay cut too so it wouldnt be great.

Having said that I could see the benefits of furlough if 1) my job was fully secure 2)my entire team was furloughed so not having to worry about others picking the slack and 3) it was only a 20percent pay cut. It could definitely be nice!

I'm surprised tho reading this to see ppl saying they're struggling with the 20percent pay cut. If you normally early more than 37500 then fair enough as it'll be a bigger cut. But otherwise 80percent pay for not working (no travel cost, no childcare cost etc) surely is a v good deal? I can imagine the costs of working are often more than 20percent of one's salary.

On another but related topic I do know some businesses have taken the easy way and furloughed staff completely unnecessarily. (Not all businesses have done that of course but certainly quite a few) That's not going to help anyone in the long run.

'Earn'! Not 'early'

I agree fivesecondrule - great username! However, I think it's worth highlighting this as a potential issue now so that people are

a) Not quite so worried as @Iloveacurry stated upthread when they have been furloughed and are under the false impression that this means their non furloughed colleagues will be the chosen ones if/when it comes to redundancies.

b) Not busting a fucking gut when they are the ones working whilst colleagues are furloughed, labouring under the misapprehension that if they do this, it will result in better job security. It might not.

c) Everyone is better informed and better prepared for all the options.

And we all know those workplaces/managers who will just retain their toadies and brown nosing mates rather than anyone who will actually do the work........

, 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.

I really appreciate that. But, if we'd all lost our jobs instead of being furloughed, you'd be paying increased taxes and still in the same boat at the moment, and then people like me wouldn't (hopefully) be joining you in paying increased taxes in 3 months time. We'd be on benefits, with loads of business gone to the wall and fierce competition for the jobs that are available.
It's a no win situation because those industries can't operate at the moment. So two choices, support short term and save who you can or don't support now and pay out more, for longer in the long run. Neither is particularly palatable to be honest, from either side of the fence.

I do get though the frustration where some business have furloughed some staff and expect others to pick up the slack. My full workplace has been furloughed, so we don't have that, but it does seem unfair that some are working and some not for the same pay, or majority of, in a company that is operating. But again, it may be the only way to actually keep the company afloat at all so everyone doesn't lose their jobs.

Op this scheme is in place in the hope that the businesses that have furglouhed them will be in the position to keep going when this is all over. The only other alternative is they are all laid off, businesses close and economy is definitely fu**Ed.

Thus way hopefully the economic crash to Come won't be as bad. Yes we will have to pay for it, but we would still have to pay if they all lost their job and ended up on benefits. So this way hopefully it will be the lesser of the two evils.

Why would you decide to furlough someone and not another? And then make the opposite decision when it comes to redundancy?

We’ve furloughed operational “front of house” people while the support staff wfh.
When we reopen we will definitely need all the ops staff but support could be cut back if required.

Same goes for eg a restaurant- chef furloughed but social media or marketing staff still working. When it reopens it needs the chef more than the social media manager.

I’m on furlough. I get paid weekly but haven’t actually been paid since 16th March as my company can’t afford to pay me until they’ve claimed my furlough.
It’s not a big holiday for everyone. I’m constantly so stressed out and feel sick with worry about it all. I’d do anything for a job. And unfortunately most people are saying the industry I work in will be one of the last ones back to work so fuck knows when I’ll be back.

Come on op, you know Yabu. Are you cross with retired folk? Ladies that do lunch? The unemployed?

We are all in this together, some are having it easier than others, just find a positive, any positive.

I get where you are coming from OP. I’m wfh and taken on the majority of a colleagues workout on less pay than him. He is on 85% pay and has to do nothing and I know he feels bad but I’m working flat out, stressed out of my tree and i have been told that they need to hand over more work to me.

It’s not my colleagues fault but am I resentful that he is the one with his feet up for the vast majority of his salary whilst I’m am struggling to get everything done so am doing 11 hour days - hell yes.

Yeah sitting at home with nothing to do stressed, miserable and wondering how the fuck we're going to get through this is really something to be resentful of

I know what you mean op although of course YABU as you know.

Some people have done very well out of the furlough scheme. Friends of ours, a couple, are both on furlough indefinitely and are lucky in that they’re relatively comfortable and work for a company with good liquidity in a sought after area...so there’s been no delay in wages and they have pretty good job security in the long run.

For them, losing 20% of their income is definitely worth the indefinite ‘holiday’ they’re currently enjoying.

Dh is a SAHD and fairly recently came out of retail. We can’t help but kick ourselves a bit because if he’d only hung on a short while he’d currently be getting 80% of his wage for being at home. Still, hindsight is a great thing!

I'm terrified of my DH being furloughed. I've taken a massive hit and am trying to keep my business going rather than the risk of furloughing and losing everything.

Lost 40% of our household income In a very short time,got two dc one gcse level that's needing a lot of emotional support as well as practical help.
A primary aged dc that needs help and a good schedule laid out or she doesn't cope well,plus a lot of finances to try and cull,paperwork coming out of my ears and the very real worry my business will not survive op.

No it's not fine and dandy for all of us.

How bloody rude

but I’m working flat out, stressed out of my tree and i have been told that they need to hand over more work to me.

Dashel you need to start saying no.

@Dashel I don't get this. Why are companies furloughing staff if there is still work for them to do and then just passing that work onto other staff members? I'm on furlough because we've literally had to close the whole business for now so there's nothing for anyone to do.

im furloughed from two jobs one is hospitality and im lucky a big enough company to pay me 100% of my ooh £98 a week and the other job is fundraising for a small cat charity via ebay cant do that job at home as I work from an office inside a closed down charity shop, and getting 80% for that all of £68 a week I hate it I love both my jobs, miss the people I work with, and feel guilty that I am not fundraising for the charity, one job will probably definitely be there but if this goes on for too long the charity may not survive the lockdown so that job not sure if I will have it at the end of this, im 63 so volunteering would be out of the question as every orginisation will say im nearly in the vunerable age group, no children at home so just OH and me used to having a very active social life via motorbikes and lifestyle that goes with being in a bike club, all the gigs I had booked this year have been cancelled , my holiday (UK) has been cancelled, oh yes im loving being at home NOT

I am furloughed and don't think you're being totally unreasonable. My husband is a key worker and I've been furloughed for childcare reasons. I am very likely to have a job to go back to so I am not currently over concerned about that currently but I am concerned (like everyone) about the future. I definitely have it easier during this period than working parents of young children.

I would, however, much prefer to be at work and my children at school.

Well, I probably would have been furloughed but we went into administration in early March and the company threw in the towel 3 days before lockdown started. I have already cost the government 12 weeks redundancy, a month of wages and 5 weeks of JSA with another 12 weeks notice pay to come, so multiply this by even a proportion... mass redundancies with over 2 years service (where companies go under) aren't free either!

And as for saving on childcare - I'm still paying nursery, as is everyone I know. Otherwise it won't be there.

I don't understand anyone still paying the nurseries. They have EY funding + furlough scheme. 70percent of the nurseries are following gvt guidance not to charge parents (or at least not substantially). The remaining 30percent are CF in my view. My nursery isn't charging tho I'll be happy to pay a voluntary contribution if needed to keep them afloat.

We're not paying the full amount, for now anyway. Their access to the furlough scheme is limited and my nursery hasn't closed.

www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/nurseries-reveal-impact-of-furlough-changes

I want to say no but the emails are coming out from the top thanking people for all their hard work and continuing the business but also saying we need to keep the company ,fighting fit and tough times are coming..... which I translate as don’t spend too much redundancies are coming.

I have been there for less than two years and there aren’t many job opportunities in my area, it’s very rural. I don’t honestly believe my colleague should have been furloughed, I think my company is taking advantage of the scheme to save money and I’m sure it’s not alone in that.

I’m furloughed and i would rather be working but unfortunately I probably won’t have a job to go back to 😢, oh and btw I have worked non stop for 40 years so I’ve paid My fair share in taxes too and probably longer than you perhaps??? , and don’t be jealous it’s not exactly a bag of tricks sitting in 24/7 seeing no-one and not interacting with colleagues 😡

I'm frustrated because I work in a tiny charity. We're desperately trying to keep afloat but lots of the companies we work with, our suppliers for instance, are holding us back because they can't fulfill orders. Because their staff are furloughed, they're not allowed to do any work and this is massively impacting on us.

I think there needs to be much more flexibility.