To think there is a divide forming between furloughed and non furloughed workers

[FuckingFu]

I've heard so many people talking about how they are jealous of their furloughed colleagues. I've a friend who is furious because her company is making up the 20% and so her colleagues are 'sat at home doing nothing' and getting full pay whilst she's still working.

Whilst I do understand the jealousy and even frustration, I really am starting to hate the way it's being spoken about.

There seems to be a lot of talk about 'they'. They are sitting at home doing nothing, we'll be paying higher tax to cover their wages as if furloughed employees are some form sort of seperate, less superior group and a burden on the rest of us.

Personally, whilst I understand those feelings, I have had to say to myself well what would I prefer? I don't want my colleagues, friends and family being made redundant if that can be avoided. And if my company can afford to top up wages to 100% then good, I don't want people suffering financial hardship when it's unnecessary just so I don't have to feel jealous about it.

I want to say to my friend does she not realise that it could have been (and still could be) her being furloughed and not the person at the next desk over. This is something completely out of people's control, no one wants this (perhaps a minority are okay with being furloughed) but certainly no one chose it.

It's as if people think furloughed staff are all lazy bums who want to sit about and have everyone else fork out higher tax to cover them.

I don't want to pay higher tax either but if the alternative is thousands of unnecessary redundancies then what choice do we have.

Just seems to be a very them and us situation going on.

But that's not their fault, my dh got a phone call and was told he was being furloughed on full pay...and not to worry. What was he supposed to say? No thank you!?

I understand why those who are still working and getting paid the same as furloughed are pissed off. However, why get annoyed at your colleague? It’s your company that made that decision not the individual.

I’ve been furloughed and the lad I trained under me because he costs less money is getting to run my website. The website I’ve spent 2 years designing and developing ready for launch. The job that makes my company a shit ton of money from my constant sales and customer service and because he earns 1 grand less.

To top it off, I’m fucked off as I was meant to have my pay rise, up by 4 grand (which is deserved and was agreed over a year ago, I was waiting for the meeting since November, not happening now) and now I’m taking 80%, have only enough to cover everything, bored as fuck at home and worried that actually, I might not have my job to come back to as I cost more.

Please stop having a go at your colleagues that are furloughed, it isn’t their fault you have more work and they still deserve pay as let’s be honest, they’re the first to go if the company decides.

I’d love nothing more than to be back at work!!! Everyone is in the shit in there own way and we all just need to get on as best as we can.

As I've said I completely understand the feeling, I get why people feel and think the way they do.

But it doesn't mean I have to agree with it. You can say I'm just expecting people to be perfect or whatever but I don't think it's unreasonable to expect us, as adults, to understand that none of this (and I've not read a single thing in 6 pages that is) is our individual colleagues fault.

Whether they are sat at home on full pay or not, that is not down to them. Are they supposed to turn it down? Would you? Of course you wouldn't.

Saying things like how you won't be a team when they return etc... Is just ridiculous and childish imo. Perhaps human yes, but unchallengeable? I don't think so.

I don't think it does anyone any good to sit here building resentment, jealous and anger toward the wrong people and no one saying anything because it's 'just human'. It may be but it's still incorrectly placed and it won't do anyone any good.

I'm not for a second saying there aren't issues, that there aren't scenarios that are unfair, hell there's some in my own job that I've witnessed. But none of them, none at all, are the fault of my furloughed colleagues. They are not lesser or a burden, they are not lazy and idle. Up until a few weeks ago they were here next to me working hard as well! They nor I had no say on where or on whom that hammer dropped.

I just would like to see the self employed being treated fairly

And yes whilst this isn't the point of the thread, I absolutely agree that there should be more support for SE. DH is self employed so I do understand.

Big shout out to those who took a voluntary 20% pay cut but are still doing 60+ hours a week.

I think it’s very unfair. The ones left are usually having to pick up more work for the same pay.

80% was too high, it should have been far less. One to save government costs and two to lesson the resentment between those that are being paid to stay home doing no work and are safe and those having to risk their lives to go out to work.

80% was too high, it should have been far less

And there would have been a lot more people in a and even trickier and really horrid situation right now of not being able to afford their homes and bills. Is that what you want?

It just strikes me as a 'well I want them to be in hardship and struggling just so I feel better about it' type of argument which I just think is very ugly to be frank.

I can’t think of anything worse; the worry of not knowing if you’ll have a job to return to whilst dealing with a drop in salary.

There does seem to be a prevailing thought from many people that other people suffering will somehow alleviate their own.

Let’s face it, the whole thing is difficult, bitterness isn’t helpful.

icecreamandcandyfloss how would that be fair to those furloughed who have no say in the matter? How would the employers choose whose lives to decimate by cutting their pay?
It may seem unfair to those still working but you could always volunteer to trade places. Nope? Didn't think so

I am a bit resentful of furloughed people. Most of my friends are in this category, with safe jobs though. They are having a great time.

I am a single parent with three children and I work 30 hours a week, normally the office an hour away but currently from home. Or would be doing 30hrs if my work hadn't gone bonkers, I'm easily past full time hours now but it's difficult to keep track of because I have to fit in half an hour here and there around home schooling and normal household responsibilities.

I am resentful of friends saying "god I'm so BORED"

Oh boo fucking hoo. I wouldn't ever say that to them though. In the same way I don't tell them that I am proud of myself for keeping the ship on an even keel at home, work and re: school when they can't even think of anything to occupy themselves.

Makes me a bad person perhaps.

I’m furloughed but work with hr so I know
they’ve only furloughed those they are thinking about making redundant it’s basically borrowed time. If companies don’t go back soon 40% of us will be redundant. I know I’d struggle to school and work, but I’m so scared about the future.

There were already various divides between them, as the types of workers who are more likely to either be furloughed or be able to work from home tend to come from more privileged social groups than those who still have to work.

Obviously that isn't true for all workers, but there's a general pattern that low-paid insecure workers are more likely to be either still working at their normal place of work, or laid off entirely. And many of those people will be e.g. people of colour, disabled people, women, etc.

Even in workplaces where people are doing identical jobs, and some are furloughed and some still working may have suffered from unconscious bias in choosing who does which.

Everyone in my company had to accept 30-50% "temporary" pay cuts and then a number of us were furloughed. Means my colleagues are working for a lot less money than they were 3 months ago but still having to work full time.

Other people I know the company furloughed loads of workers but actually work hasn't dropped off as much as they thought but they are reluctant to bring people off furlough so making those that remain work twice as hard

ITS NOT THE EMPLOYEES FAULT BLAME MANAGEMENT

80% was too high, it should have been far less.

And as for this pearl of wisdom - I'm the the main earner in my household. I earn over £30k - the cap has meant my income has HALVED. Not everyone is getting 80% of that they usually earn

I cannot understand people saying they are working much harder because colleagues were furloughed. Surely you just do your hours and if the work doesn't get done then management have to bring someone back from furlough to cover?

Not furlough, but.....
I work in public sector. We have a risk assessment where as well as the people who have received shielding letters there are other categories which are considered high risk and not allowed to come to work. Several employees have claimed they are in that category so they can be sent home on full pay. Despite the fact that we know some of them are lying, we're not allowed to ask for proof.

Those that are left are having to work twice as hard to pick up the slack, plus obviously paying the normal costs of coming to work etc.

Yes, there's bad feeling, to say the least.

I don't necessarily agree with furlough = you're likely to be made redundant.
I work for a large hospitality company and we've furloughed 95% of the workforce with only senior managers still in the business.
We're furloughed as the government told us to stop trading so it doesn't stand to reason that we're all likely to be made redundant.
It'll be more a case of there being no industry to go back to than cherry picking who stays and who is made redundant - there's just too many of us.

I suppose it depends on your job Spring.

In mine I have my own cases and clients to deal with. People who've been furloughed, their cases have been passed to us. There is a drop in new matters which is the reason why people have been furloughed but the existing cases are obviously still ongoing.

People are working hard because essentially those files are now in their name and clients are dealing with them personally. No one wants a screaming client thinking you've done a shit job.

Some industries and individual businesses won’t survive the furlough period although no one knows yet whether it will be extended past the end of June. Hopefully for many the furlough period buys their businesses some time for the lockdown to ease and their business to be able to start trading again. The UK can’t afford large numbers coming out of the job market and claiming benefits. There are some huge employers now furloughing their staff. If the businesses don’t survive the whole economy in those areas risks collapsing.

I’m not annoyed at people because they are furloughed but I am annoyed at those that spend all day moaning on Facebook about how hard it is being at home with their own children when I’m still having to send mine to school every day, feeling like I am risking their health every single day, so that I can keep doing my essential job helping others and praying that I don’t bring anything home.

No, my working colleagues are still being nice to me! They know I would rather have a safe job really. Also I'm not getting the 20% made up. Don't get me wrong, I am very fortunate and am having a lovely lockdown but I do actually miss my job and as they are managing without me now, let's face it they might decide they can manage without me forever.

I fully support the furlough scheme but my company's work has been increased dramatically by the pandemic but its income has dropped too. We have done a lot of work supporting furloughed workers amongst other things.
I have never been busier than during the pandemic - just worked a 14 hour straight day as usual and left all home schooling to my husband.
Between me and my DH we have taken 30% voluntary pay cut. I do get a bit tired by my SIL talking about all the diy they are doing now they are furloughed on 100% pay while my house is filthy but it's a lot better than many, much better than an ITU and I hope one day I will look back and be proud at myself

We've had all sorts of issues at my company which has offices/staff internationally. The US govt package is better, which means you can't touch pay reductions etc. or you lose the govt subsidy. UK office has therefore shouldered the brunt of pay cuts and furloughing. We've had people refuse furlough and pay cuts (these are technically voluntary in the UK) which ultimately means more permanent measures may have to be taken. Yes those individuals have made themselves near the top of that list by refusing but they've also put other people at risk. What happens if we all refused a pay cut? Loads of people would be laid off but some of the people don't get it and think of themselves.

There is definitely a theme of those furloughed = generally people not especially well liked or productive (I'm saying at my company not all).

There's pressure for sales on the parts of the business doing well and no acknowledgement of reduced staffing, issues with people having to home school etc. so work is piled on and people are given a pay cut to top it off and expected to be thankful.

As I posted earlier in the thread, it's way more complex than who or who isn't on furlough.

I've been furloughed on full pay, absolutely gutted and missing work terribly. A colleague messaged to say she was so jealous and thinks its unfair that I'm being paid to sit at home and do nothing whilst she has to do my job as well as hers (both work in the same roles).
I said fair enough speak to our boss and ask him to furlough her andet me work.... Funny enough I did 't get a response to that message!
I think its massively unfair of people to take their jealousy out on the furloughed - you got a problem take it up with the boss jot the colleagues

I think it’s very unfair. The ones left are usually having to pick up more work for the same pay.

Yes that's unfair. But not the decision of those furloughed, it's the companies that are causing that situation. As I said in my pp if they're having to load extra work onto those still working, clearly they need more people working and they're taking the piss out of the scheme and those working by furloughing workers they need to keep them for when they reopen but not having to pay them, and still getting the workload done.

80% was too high, it should have been far less. One to save government costs and two to lesson the resentment between those that are being paid to stay home doing no work and are safe and those having to risk their lives to go out to work.

That would only work if companies aren't allowed to write into contracts about no other work to be done while on furlough. Not many people can live on 50% or less of their monthly income, happening all of sudden with no chance to prepare. I couldn't, and because my place of work closed completely, I had no wages for 6 weeks. My savings have been used to pay everything in those 6 weeks (usually weekly paid so weekly outgoings, paid up to date and then now furlough received, paid a month in advance and on track)
No problems with working to top up a % of my wage, or taking a temp job while mines not there but to do so means I am 'released' from the furlough agreement and then definitely won't have a job to go back to. And once the temp job ends, won't have one at all.
It was all thrown together pretty quickly, I'd hope that things like this iron themselves out.