To think furloughed is NOT a synonym for feckless?

[GinDaddyRedux]

During this unprecedented, horrible period of time for everyone, one of the most dismaying things I've read about has been the vilification of workers who through no fault of their own, have been furloughed by their employer and paid 80% of their wages according to the Government scheme.

I have read on websites (not this one, have only recently returned) and heard friends say the following kind of things:

"Some of us are still working while others are getting a paid holiday at home. End this and get people back to work".

"The longer you pay people to sit at home, the longer they resist going back to work".

"Another furlough scheme will mean the sponging dossers will sit it out for as long as they can lying in bed and watching This Morning".

For God's sake, what is it about this country that means despite a life-threatening crisis, people instead turn on each other and blame people who have been forced home from their jobs?

I am not furloughed thank God, but my wife is. She has worked for 22 years in various professions with children and she certainly is not "feckless". She would love to get back to work but recognises the importance of the scheme.

Why are these people vilified? Why do we always do this, instead of constructive conversation about when furloughing can be lifted and what to do?

AIBU here?

I think there are two things - acting like people have somehow chosen to be furloughed and criticising for this (which is unreasonable) and worrying about the social consequences of keeping people out of the workforce for prolonged periods (which might be reasonable). YANBU for not liking those comments - you need better friends.

Agree fair bit of vilifying in here too to be honest. Turns out working and pay tax for twenty years counts for nothing and now I am furloughed it’s everyone else s taces that are paying for it..mine own record of paying tax and contributing to society seems to have been exponged overnight as I wasn’t sensible enough to think “would this job survive a global pandemic” when I made my career choices at twenty!!

You're being a little unreasonable yes. I've been forced to accept reduced hours and am having to work 80% of the time for 80% of my pay. So it grates a little that the feckless furloughers are sitting on their arses all day playing video games whilst the rest of us are working ourselves into the ground trying to fit 100% of the work into 80% of the time.

I don’t think being ‘feckless’ comes into it. That’s a ridiculous comment from your friend. Half the country are furloughed.

I just think there’s some jealously there as people feel like it is something they are entitled to. DH is furloughed and has lost a huge chunk of his salary due to the cap. He’d much rather be at work.

I’m a key worker so have to work but it has never occurred to me to berate others who aren’t at work.

People are idiots it’s just not that simple

Most people have been furloughed without choice
Most people are being impacted financially by that decision
A lot of people won’t have a job to go back to so it’s not a case of getting them back to work it’ll be getting back to a p45.

Some people have been furloughed because they are shielding or live with someone who is.
They would probably rather be at work.

@peoplewhoannoyyou but they're not feckless are they? It's people who have been put in this position through no fault of their own.

I'm certainly not bitter about working while a lot of people I know (including my husband) are furloughed. Your attitude is pretty ignorant.

Think about the NHS staff. They're the ones who are really suffering.

peoplewhoannoyyou

I'm not sure if you're being serious or sarcastic.

There has been a constant message in the press for a good ten years or more now that anyone who is struggling financially or not working is a feckless, layabout waste of space, regardless of the reason for not working or struggling. People who are sick, disabled, have limited capacity to work, in areas without jobs etc we're all tarred with the same lazy, feckless, layabout brush.

It's no surprise after people swallowing that messaging for so long that the new group of furloughed workers are also finding themselves on the end of this particular beating stick.

Blaming the ills of the country on the poorest instead dog looking up has been a useful tool for certain groups and now this way of thinking is so embedded in some people's thinking that anyone who isn't doing well is demonised.

So it grates a little that the feckless furloughers are sitting on their arses all day playing video games

Oh you know them all do you?

I'd give absolutely anything to be furloughed right now, but that's because I have a fairly stable job, could afford the loss of income and would rather be at home.
It doesn't mean I don't have sympathy for those who have been furloughed who are worried about their jobs, struggling with loss of income, or going stir-crazy from being locked down at home. Even those who appear to be enjoying the furlough - why not? These people have been working (or else they wouldn't be furloughed) and it's not through choice so feckless doesn't come into it at all. And what are they supposed to do - sit self-flagellating in abject misery so it's not unfair on those still working?

I think empathy is needed in both directions atm. Being furloughed can be shit, and carrying on shouldering (since extra) work can be shit, and I'm sure plenty of people from each group are looking at the other with envy/resentment. There's nothing wrong with that - we're human and we feel how we feel. But it's unfair and uncalled for to let that spill over into accusations, insinuations and arguments.

Agreed OP, it’s grim. The furloughed are the new benefits scroungers. We just can’t bear the idea of people getting ‘something for nothing’ in this country, even though no one has chosen to be furloughed and most of us would much rather be at work. What do the anti-furloughers think the government should have done? Just allowed millions of people to lose their jobs in one fell swoop?

What do the anti-furloughers think the government should have done? Just allowed millions of people to lose their jobs in one fell swoop?

I've asked this before and no one ever answers. Funny.

*since extra should read "sometimes extra"

It's crappy really as there's always going to be resentment when some people have taken the same pay cut and are also having to pick up the work of those furloughed. It's obviously not the fault of those furloughed but I can well understand why some people might feel hard done by if they're struggling to juggle things and some people are getting the same money and not having to work.

But I think what people don't realise is that it's generally better to be one of the staff not chosen for furlough in case of future redundancies. While it surely isn't the case for everyone, if I were a manager, I'd want to keep the staff I valued most working. That might not be the case in every situation, but I think it probably is a consideration in some cases where those kind of decisions are being made.

Some of the lazier staff members in my husband's company have asked to be furloughed because they resent the ones they perceive as sitting around enjoying themselves. I know there is a lot more to it but this is what they are saying.

It's envy. A lot of people hate the idea that someone else is having an easier time and a lot of people loathe the idea of anyone getting 'something for nothing' whether it's their fault they're in that position or not.

I work for a major retailer. Half of head office has been furloughed. My team has gone from 12 to 4. I know for a fact that the team member who is covering me is doing fuck all, because all of our suppliers in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka are shut, and because she’s told me so. She’s on full pay and absolutely loving it - there are the feckless amongst those that are still working.

Furlough for me has meant a constant tension headache and continual low level anxiety.

I'm not sleeping well a lot of the time, horrific dreams and I've lost all motivation.

Despite being high risk so need to practice strict social distancing, I can't wait to go back to work, I'm very miserable and not holidaying.

There's a lengthy a few lengthy threads about the furloughed, one started because although the Op knew they were being unreasonable, they were jealous and resented us after seeing SM pictures of people supposedly 'living their best life' homeschooling, baking, sunbathing, blah blah blah.

I agree op. Its hardly people's fault what their employer chooses to do. Those who think it's a lovely little holiday news to get their head out of the sand. I suppose they would be happier if thousands and thousands of people just got laid off with no pay instead of being furloughed.

I don’t see how anyone anywhere is living their best life through this.

People are daft. 99% of my work have been furloughed because we are closed funnily!
We can't open but when we can, there will be jobs for us to return to. I'm also shielding
Worked for 23 years so far and never taken longer than a week as holiday from work so yes, it is pleasant to have time off. On the other hand I'm worrying about stuff but if I stopped to worry I wouldn't stop so I'm concentrating on enjoying myself

YANBU. People who call the furloughed 'feckless' are wankers. It isn't as if anyone has chosen to be furloughed, have they?

How does your employer choosing to put you on furlough make you irresponsible and lacking strength of character?

What a ridiculous thing for anyone to think or say.

@peoplewhoannoyyou

I’m a feckless furloughed but I’m watching Netflix instead, so I’m ok, right