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.

if a colleague was being paid in full with do work expectations - yes, I'd be irritated by that

With your colleague? You must see it's pointless (and wrong) being irritated with someone who had no say in the matter?

It seems to me that a lot of people actually would much rather their furloughed colleagues didn't return/got less than 80%/were made redundant just so they could feel better about the perceived unfairness to them with barely any thought of the impact it would have on the other person. I suppose we're all pretty selfish by nature when it comes down to it.

Self employed here so have to live on air till June. Even than wont get anywhere near 80% as tsken on loads of new work this year as dh dropped hours. But Thank God dh still working. Although some people doing similar will be furlough.
So I could be jealous of the situation but not of individuals.

I have seen resentment on both sides.

My whole team are furloughed. As the manager I was kept on. The amount of work I have to do is unbelievable. There is the work, but its a chance for my employer to save money.

I don't feel resentful of my team, but its stressful. They didn't ask for it. One is desperate for something to do.

One has annoyed me because talking about coming back, they are clearly unhappy. We will be wfh. They are trying to put conditions on their return. Such as only doing certain tasks or havinf a particular work load. This person also isn't happy, that this has given me more opportunity to do their job and sort out issues they have been trying to sort for ages, form relationships with their contacts and generally feels pushed out. Which i do get, but thats not my fault. They are making my job harder and I don't appreciate it.

I speak to other colleagues who are working who are breaking under the strain and getting texts from their furlough colleagues, basically taking the piss 'hahaha bet you wish you were sunbathing' or 'your a mug for doing so much work'. Those employees could be more thoughtful that someone is doing alot of work to keep the company going so they can return.

A colleague posted on my Facebook page about me enjoying the sun last week, I pointed out I was working and got the response "there can't be that much to do". There bloody is. I think some furloughed staff, think we are all sat about on full pay with not much to do.

So actually I think some people on both sides could be more thoughtful. Some non furloughed people could realise its the employers fault, if they furloughed too many people.

And furloughed people could realise those of us left behind trying to keep companies running are doing so to the benefit of everyone.

Personally, for me there been benefits to not being furloughed. Not just pay. But work wise. Theres benefits to being furloughed. Theres shit sides to both.

Some people just need to remember it's just how it is and not their colleagues fault.

@FuckingFu I would suggest that since you think this a problem, with only non furloughed colleagues acting poorly, that you are also part of making it a 'them vs us' situation.

So actually I think some people on both sides could be more thoughtful

Yes I would agree with that!

Well Shit, to be perfectly honest, I've only witnessed the nastiness from one side.

I'm not on Facebook so I don't see the bragging posts but I believe that they are there. And I'd agree that those people could be more thoughtful/sensitive.

But I only ever hear non furloughed workers talking angrily about their colleagues, talking as if they are a burden to everyone else, irritated, resentful, jealous etc... Like on this thread people quite clearly expecting to treat them differently when/if they return to work.

I think there is a lot of misplaced anger going on.

@FuckingFu

You can't tell people how to feel just because you disagree.

It's an interesting thread and people have shared what it's like for them from both sides. I think if you can't imagine why some people feel how they do it's you who is lacking in empathy.

I think they need to review annual leave for furloughed workers. I know the govt have said more leave can now be carried forward but possibly holiday accrual should stop or the allowance reduced. If a business does pick up again it's unreasonable to expect to have paid holiday later in the year also. This may cause issues with school holidays (whatever that looks like), but normal rules can't apply since this whole situation isn't normal.

Well Shit, to be perfectly honest, I've only witnessed the nastiness from one side.

And I totally understand that. Because of my teams role in the company and my personality, I am the one people feel they can come to for a moan.

We have people working alone running one department and our MD hasn't even bothered checking in on them. People still working are suffering, mentally from the work load and responsibility. As a member of the SLT they are coming to me. I am happy to support them. People who am on friendly terms who are durloughed have been in touch.

I get that you only see one side. But so are the people who are not furloughed, they can only see their side.

What I am saying is your experience is making you form an opinion that adds to the 'them and us'. So just pointing out how easy it is to form that point of view.

I think if you can't imagine why some people feel how they do it's you who is lacking in empathy

I've stated in numerous posts actually that I do totally understand why people are feeling the way they are. Does that mean I have to agree that it's the right way to think about something? I can understand something but also disagree with it.

I'm not furloughed myself, it's not something I'm lashing out at because I've experienced it personally. It's what I'm seeing from my own colleagues, friends and posters on here.

I think they need to review annual leave for furloughed workers. I know the govt have said more leave can now be carried forward but possibly holiday accrual should stop or the allowance reduced. If a business does pick up again it's unreasonable to expect to have paid holiday later in the year also. This may cause issues with school holidays (whatever that looks like), but normal rules can't apply since this whole situation isn't normal I couldn't agree more with this. My colleagues will have had 2/3 months at home on full pay, not furloughed but not working either. If they then keep all of their annual leave then I'm sorry, that's not on.

In our company those furloughed are paid the 80% and those working are paid 100% which seems fairer as those working are getting more than those sitting at home. Those working are working a week on and a week off as there isn’t a need for more than that due to drop in business. This means those furloughed are wishing they could be working!

This has been so interesting because the OP has pointed out why it is irrational to be angry or resentful of furloughed colleagues - and posters are still saying yeah, they are resentful and will continue to be. Even though it is clearly not the furloughed workers fault. Such a lose, lose situation.

A huge percentage of furloughed workers will lose their jobs in the coming months. Huge. As we leave the furlough scheme my guess is it will be around 35%. Then another 15% may be more in the six months after that.

Of course furloughed workers are the most vulnerable to losing their jobs permanently - they are the ones the companies have already decided are less critical.

TBH I DO expect to be treated differently when we all go back to work. We have had 70% of our staff furkoughed and the rest of us are expected to pick up the slack. i physically and mentally am overwhelmed. My targets have not changed. Our company ahs said we get priority when it comes to booking holiday. big fucking deal. I earn less than the average wage and have not even got a verbal or e-mailed 'thanks' from our MD. She furloughed herself because she has 2 kids. I have 2 kids and am trying to sort homeschooling (and had to buy two more laptops so that I can continue to work and they can go to school).

When I get back I would expect a few days of extra paid leave as a thank you. That is all. Or even being allowed to knock off early on a couple of Fridays. The roles of the furloughed staff have not vanished..., the ones not furloughed are expected to pick up that slack. I do nto blame my furloughed colleagues- but I DO expect management to throw us a bloody bone. I am NOT doing my normal job but at home. I am doing my job, plus filling in the gaps of other peopels jobs, my job itself has become more intense as lockdown has exacerbated some of the problems people come to my office FOR, and I do not have the infrastructure that makes it easy to work at home. I dont have a photocipier or a scanner for example. Simple things that just make the day run more smoothly.

I started work this morning just after 5 am and this is my first break. I started that early because I am already behind this week. I am on my knees. Yet I am not going to see a single benefit to me for the efforts I am making to keep my comoanty afloat. No pay rise. No extra days holiday. Not even a goddamned thanks. Our MD has LITERALLY not even sent a fucking e-mail to us even acknowledging that we are still working.

@FuckingFu

Does that mean I have to agree that it's the right way to think about something?

I'm agreeing with you there's a divide, it's your language though. You are saying there is a right way or a wrong way to think about it and you can't since it's people's personal experience and how they feel about it. It's not the Orwellian thought police.

TBH I DO expect to be treated differently when we all go back to work

You see I would agree with there being some sort of 'thanks' to employees who've kept working, i.e. more annual leave, a bonus (if the company can) or whatever. We should be appreciative of the effort everyone is making to keep things going definitely. I don't think that should be at the expense of the people who aren't though.

It's not the Orwellian thought police

It's not about being the thought police is it? It's not wrong to say the anger is misplaced toward furloughed colleagues. It is a fact that it isn't the fault of individual people, save for a few exceptions like managers furloughing themselves, the vast majority of furloughed workers had no choice in the matter. So of course the right thing to do is to not treat them differently because of it

I'm not surprised though, you see it with benefits and the like. Furlough is just the new thing for people to look down at.

I want to be at work, I’d be happy doing tasks that are not even related to my role.

Furlough means anxiety, depression and isolation for me.

Hell I’d be happy picking fruit. They should have some sort of voluntary land army sort of thing going on that doesn’t affect your job status, I need to get out of this house and do something.

I'm still working and I'm exhausted.
My team is working flat out yet other departments are on full pay (company choice) and doing absolutely thing.
I would much rather be paid to stay at home, lay in bed, potter around, spring clean my house etc etc.
In fairness non of the non working people are gloating on social media, they have probably been warned. On top of this we have been told our annual leave will be heavily restricted when we 'get back to normal' so a double whammy. We can take leave now , only on certain days but why should I when others who work for the same company don't have to ?

We have also been asked to ' be flexible' which basically means stop moaning when we work through lunch and stay longer without any overtime pay. But those not working are not ' being flexible' .

I would much rather be paid to stay at home, lay in bed, potter around, spring clean my house etc etc.

That might happen for the first week or two but then boredom, isolation and restlessness kicks in. The likely hood that you are probably going to be made redundant but at the moment there are no jobs for you to apply to, knowing that you’re skills and presence aren’t needed as much as you though they were. Your self-worth goes down and your worry goes up. Being furloughed in most cases means you’re expendable.

Colleagues moaning about how they wish they would be furloughed and I’m sat there thinking, let’s bloody swap.

Knowing the economy is going to go the shitter when everything starts to “normalise” and having no job security, honestly it just feels like delayed redundancy.

@FuckingFu I am seeing this among friends too. Very angry at colleagues who are home on 80%, resentment especially building for those who are working and still having to pay childcare, parking, petrol to get to work. Very hard situation all round.

But those not working are not ' being flexible'

Well no obviously not. Because they've been told they can't work.

I'm not sure what people are expecting? That people refuse to accept their wages? That people grovel on their hands and knees and beg for redundancy so their working colleagues don't have to feel so hard done to?

I for one would much rather be working. The thought that my colleagues who remain in the office thinking of me with such contempt and possibly treat me differently if I ever return just because I happened to be one of the 'chosen' ones makes me very sad indeed.

The thing that annoys me is those that are resentful and angry at furloughed employees would be the first to say 'its not my fault' if it had happened to be them.

I suppose it's well known that humans are naturally selfish beings. Its just coming out more now because we're in a shit situation.

As I said above most people I know on furlough would love to be at work .

I just honestly don’t feel this resentment people are talking about I’d rather get out of the house and keep my full salary thanks .

Even the annual leave thing I don’t understand . Yes I think non furloughed staff should perhaps get first dibs at the start to have a break but restricting furloughed staffs holidays ? What about childcare ? Or heaven forbid they might want some time off when things reopen and they can actually leave their homes !!

I think because I do a shift rotation in blocks of time I kind of see both sides and honestly days on end stuck at home doesn’t always equal having the time of your life on pay.

Not everyone has massive houses , gardens and hot tubs etc like Facebook would have you believe.

I think it's easy to be envious of someone else's situation.. I'm jealous of those who are furloughed and those who get to go to work everyday!

I'm stuck working from home with a 1 year old and absolutely no help whatsoever. My job isn't flexible to be able to work in the evenings or around nap times. Just have to juggle it and get on.. thank god for Nursery rhymes on YouTube.. but then the guilt sets in that he's not getting enough of my time!

It's tough for everyone in every situation, we just all face different problems. I think it's sad that a few short weeks ago everyone was insisting we all 'be kind' and now we judge every single little thing anyone does.. so much negativity at a time we all need support and kindness!