AIBU to ask, for those whose employers have furloughed staff...

[StartingGrid]

Is it financially motivated (and there is still work for them) - vote YABU
or is it literally within the guidelines of the scheme and preventing redundancy - vote YANBU

I am just wondering how many other people are working themselves into the ground while large percentages of their colleagues are furloughed, and how widely interpreted (abused) this scheme is? Appreciate it could be in anticipation of revenue shortage forthcoming but that doesn't help those in the thick of it struggling daily to keep up 😣

Sorry for posting here, didn't think you could enable polls elsewhere

Furloughing where I work to benefit financially whilst some staff aren't required at the moment that is far from true for many of those furloughed.

Cost saving. We're afloat but subscriptions and sales are obviously rapidly going down and there's little point paying staff to build software to sell if no one's buying. A small core team of senior staff are working on the most necessary matters, the rest of us furloughed.

DH’s company have furloughed all but senior management (this is DH). He is expected to do all the work of furloughed staff as well as his own and they have had to take a 20% pay cut. He earns more than £2500 a month though so it’s better than being furloughed.
I work in the NHS now doing 45 hour week instead of 25 as we are busy (I’m in admin).

I work in education. We have furloughed our catering, cleaning, reception and security staff. Our buildings are shut, so there is no work for them.

It's disheartening to hear about companies using furlough to game the system ... we're all going to be paying for that for years to come.

My husbands company furloughed a large portion of their staff due to not enough work because of covid. It has now transpired that they had planned to use that as a list to make people redundant, which has officially been announced. They aren't even waiting for the furlough scheme to end. This isn't even to do with covid 19, they are just using it as an excuse to cut costs without giving a shit about the people.

My whole department has been furloughed. We work in a small office where social distancing is nx to impossible. The work can't be done from home. We also have several people who are in the vulnerable group or using public transport.

We (all the saff from the department) are currently trying to work how we can return to work safely. We are looking at the size of "social bubbles" . At the moment it looks like some will have to stay on furlough a bitlonger (public transport), some (vulnerable) get training for the tasks that can be done from home, ... but head office has not approved any of it yet, as all has to fit in with government guidelines.
But we live in hope.

I’ve been furloughed and the reasons my employer gave were: 1. New business might dry up, 2. Clients might not pay their bills, 3. Clients might go out of business. All mights. None have happened.

In the meantime we have lots of work and the colleagues of the furloughed staff are having to work harder. It doesn’t sit right with me at all. I don’t think it’s fair that my employer is taking advantage of the taxpayer in this way and it’s made me lose respect for them.

Oh and just before lockdown I complained to my boss about the lack of social distancing and suggested some of us work at home and he said they wouldn’t be as productive. I said they wouldn’t be very productive if they were off sick with the virus. That’s probably why they’ve picked on me to be furloughed!

Bit of both. 70% of staff furloughed as company owners expected work to dry up. However that didn't happen we are as busy as ever , even more so as we are playing catch up with delays relating to supplier shutdowns etc..

Resentment is building among the staff still working as we have more work to juggle for the same pay. Where as our colleagues are getting 80% for not working.

In DH's firm he's not been furloughed and having to do more work than normal. All furloughed staff on 100%, everyone including those at work asked to voluntarily take 20% pay cut. DH hasn't but 20% of his pay is being deferred. They have announced redundancies now. I think generally they are using it to avoid redundancy but some of DH's colleagues are off for childcare and he's having to do their work.

We furloughed because our supply chain broke down because of Covid. Plus orders couldn't be delivered as some of our customers were either closed or not accepting deliveries.

We have slowly opened up again, as the chain opened and have brought people back. BUT because we managed without certain workers in supporting roles we've found smarter ways of doing the work - in addition to realising how little some people contributed/took the piss. The majority of the people still on furlough in my company I don't think will ever come back. Certainly not the ones in my own department anyway - which represents 40% still not back. We've managed to replace them through slicker processes and automation. They probably would have been made redundant anyway over time but this just speeded the process up massively.

I do feel for them but I don't really know if I'm going to have a job long term either. All depends what happens in the next few months with new orders.

@flapjackninja

I agree with you about the resentment. I am glad I wasn't furloughed myself as I'd have spent the whole time worrying they would realise I wasn't needed. And I do understand that the people still not back will be worried.

But it's been extremely stressful working in these circumstances and when you see colleagues posting on social media about the lovely time they're having at home (on full pay in our case), and how lovely their garden looks, and how lovely their newly decorated home looks, and how tanned and toned their bodies are it's a bit difficult not to feel jealous. Especially when you go home to your overgrown garden and home that you've not even cleaned for weeks because you're so fucking exhausted.

I think when this is all over there's going to be a lot of bridges to build. And a shit ton of resentment to overcome.

@MadameMeursault your situation sounds similar to mine... panic stations meant furlough for about 2/3 of the workforce, has obviously transpired it was unneccessary, however now the unfurloughed are being flogged like horses to get everything done. Absolute liberty taking.

@MrsGradyOldLady I absolutely agree about resentment. I am a manager getting told to promote mental health week and "check in" with my furloughed staff... who the hell is checking on me? I don't even have it left in me to speak to my family of an evening, during the entire day I have 2-3 calls waiting for me at any given time, and of a weekend if I'm not in work I'm in a goddamn queue at one or another shop among a load of people who could have gone out during the week. I don't trust myself to be suitably sympathetic to anyone who's had a hard time sitting at home for 6 weeks. They're not minimum wage employees, no troublesome relationships, no childcare issues, if they're feeling sorry for themselves they have plenty of time to find ways to make themselves feel better.

Meanwhile I'm doing an extra 15-20 hours a week and absolutely drowning.

For anyone whose employers have unneccesarily imposed pay cuts on those still working, I hope you eventually find great new jobs and your previous employers go to the wall.

My employer furloughed 8 out of 15 staff, and two have just returned as business has picked back up. In the first few weeks there was no way we had enough work for all of us and even now we're getting busy again there's still no point bringing everyone back as we can't open to customers and we're getting by just fine the five of us that are in the building with support from those WFH. We have several staff members who are shielding or vulnerable so the rest of us are happy to pitch in, and other than a couple of ridiculously long days due to technical failures or bank Holidays clogging the system we're all working roughly the same amount as before so there is no resentment. I appreciate we seem to be the lucky ones though!

There was talk of a voluntary pay cut to 80% but the owner picked the bolshiest member of staff to float that one past and it did not come to pass 😂

Furlough has highlighted a lot of non compliance from employers. Employees expecting furlough from businesses shut through lockdown aren't being paid as their employer's claim is being rejected due to tax and ni deductions not being paid to HMRC. I'm HMRC dealing with JRS enquiries and calls from employees are becoming more frequent. It's heartbreaking, these people are getting nothing because their employer has failed to operate PAYE correctly.

We are completely closed due to pandemic and have furloughed all staff but will reopen with all staff as soon as there is bookings (holiday industry related). DS was furloughed with all colleagues but half go back 1st June, other half informed this week that they are redundant as of 1st June.

We have teams furloughed where they work on projects that have been postponed, or work that isn't happening right now such as events and marketing. Most of our facilities and reception staff also. Those of us still working have been asked to take a 20% pay cut, but the company is still topping up furlough to 100%, which feels pretty unfair tbh. That said I'd rather be working for 80% rather than furloughed on 100% and worrying about whether I'm really needed, I know my 2 closest colleagues on furlough are really worried they will be made redundant once furlough stops.

Airline industry here

We supply parts to a big aerospace giant and there just simply very little work

2/3 work.force been furloughed but now been told redundancies are inevitable. I'm one of them once furlough ends

Topping up furloughed staff to 100% whilst reducing working staff to 80% is absolutely shocking!

@NatashaAlianovaRomanova, surely claiming furlough for staff who are working is fraud?

And don't accountants have a professional duty to report fraud?

Absolutely no-one has been furloughed where I work. We're busier than ever, because in addition to our normal work, we're now giving benefits advice to staff who have partners who have been furloughed or let go.

Central staff have been busy making it possible for everyone to WFH, or delivering an emergency contract from adult social care, making calls to the most vulnerable group to ensure that they are not at risk and are getting food, medication etc delivered, and making bulk orders of groceries etc for the residential homes so that staff don't have to spend their shifts sourcing milk and bog rolls. The training rooms are being used to sort the deliveries from food wholesalers, parcel them up and get them delivered.

It's been the most incredible operation.

Topping up furloughed staff to 100% whilst reducing working staff to 80% is absolutely shocking!

We’ve done the opposite. Given a bonus to the few who have continued to work. Partly because the only work that is currently available is carrying out maintenance inside prisons. All the nice jobs have stopped.

@LakieLady you are correct on both counts - however as we are not accountants & simply a payroll processor my employer has deemed that we process what the client tells us to

We furloughed because we legally had to shut, in the only one still working. We would love to reopen but Boris says no. I'm not sure when we can fully reopen, it might be 2021 so every penny we can get in support matters

A lot of our clients have cancelled jobs as were for booths at congresses and exhibitions. These are the biggest earners for our company.
Half of us have been furloughed as otherwise would have had to have been made redundant as no work or income. The remaining staff (owners and business manager) are dealing with the remainder of the work to try and keep the company ticking over so there is something to go back to.