are furloughed people the new benefit scroungers?

[ghostmous3]

According to some posts that are doing the rounds on shitebook they are

Before lockdown people moaned about the 'feckless workshy' now the vitriol is aimed at the 'furloughed sitting on thier bums on beaches spreading germs, how dare they when weve got to work. We're paying for you're furlough'

I'm feeling bloody sensitive tonight. I didn't ask to be furloughed, I'm more than likely getting made redundant at the end of july and I dont go to beaches!

Furloughing is indeed just delaying the inevitable for a lot of people. DS2 was due a promotion and instead has now been furloughed with almost certain redundancy coming now. So he is spending his days looking for a new job and how fucking depressing is that when he sees how many other people are applying for the same job. Not many people hiring (understandably) and loads looking. Lived in London so won’t be able to afford to pay his rent if he doesn’t get one as he won’t get redundancy (only need at the company for 1 year and 10 months). And no he doesn’t go to the beach. He has asthma so has been mainly stuck in the house.

Likewise I am furloughed as well and not sure that my job will still be there. My firm are bringing people in gradually over 3 stages starting at the beginning of June. I will find out next week if I am in stage 1 which I doubt.
Very little of my job can be done from home. I would gladly have changed roles or given additional support from home but I am not allowed to work while furloughed, not even bits of my usual job.
My kind employers are actually making up my salary as well as they had quite a profitable year up to lockdown.
As I am at home, my family are relying on me a lot more than normal. If/when I return to work there will be quite a shock as they will have to pull their weight a lot more !

The grass is always greener on the other side. People look at others and think how lucky everyone else is. It's jealously.

I think the problem is because the other night Channel 5 was back to its obsession about benefits and had a program on about people on benefits during the Covid crisis and furloughed workers. Obviously the Daily Mail readers and bigots who watch this kind of right wing judgemental crap were so wound up they are now going about slating any people who have been furloughed in addition to their usual benefits slating. So I think it’s Channel 5 to blame. I’d actually thought C5 had got over its benefits obsession but I was wrong obviously taking advantage of this horrific crisis to tarnish and slate the poor and needy, pretty bloody low of them! But then the right wing media is the lowest of the low.

It is pure jealousy. If they had been furloughed they would understand.

I think maybe I should have worded my title bit better. In no way shape or form do I see people on benefits as scroungers.why would I whenive beenthere myself.
I'm just peed off that yet again society thinks its ok to look down upon those less fortunate or in a situation beyond thier control whether furloughed OR on benefits.

Again I think a lot of people think that furloughed workers earn a shit load. I dont.im on minimum wage. We work for industries such as hospitality or beauty industry, restaurants, non essential retail. Again I dont. I work in the airline industry that's been badly badly hit. We all sit on our arses and go on jolliees. Nope I'm still on lockdown and even if I did I wouldn't be going to a beach I'd be going to a park with the kids all the things I'd be doing if I was a sahm or on benefits or on annual leave. Yes I have helped my.other half decorate whilst on furlough but he isnt furloughed! Poor bloke I'll have to tell him I'm not allowed to do anything in the week just in case i piss of a non furloughed actually I cant help him at all because how dare I. He will.have to work his hardest on his only weekend off on his own because I'm.not allowed to help him.decorate our room whilst hes at work in the week in case I upset the non furlough and I'm a cheeky fucker.
So much ignorance and stigma. I've had to deal with being benefit bashed, having 2disabled kids in my life and now this shite

Ambitious channel 5 should be bloody ashamed of themselves then and the ones that believe this crap should be even more ashamed.

If I'm honest then yes sometimes especially after a really bad shift I am jealous of furloughed people. My health is at risk every day and that means the health of my children. My husband is furloughed and he is starting to slide into depression. I have job security and a full wage and I get out and have a chance to see other people so no i don't grudge furloughed workers a penny.. Sometimes jealous but no never grudged them. Nobody asked for it. None of us asked for any of this.

DH and I both wfh and feel lucky we can both do this. My dd has been told her job will go after furlough scheme changes when employers have to contribute. She is worried sick about where she will find a new job if unemployment sky rockets. I think lots of people may be in a similar position. Rolls Royce are laying off thousands and Bella Pasta going into administration.

I'm not even being furloughed and am disgusted at some of the attitudes towards those who through no fault of their own, have been put on furlough

I'm not on any social media platforms because I refuse to have to wade through all the shit to find something worth reading. I can imagine it's awash with furloughed people who are doing themselves absolutely no favours whatsoever by bragging about their "easy life" on furlough,

Ffs if they would only keep their big mouths shut, but they are obviously on the path to self-destruction. I feel very sad for them.

I'm just peed off that yet again society thinks its ok to look down upon those less fortunate or in a situation beyond thier control whether furloughed OR on benefits.

But if people are putting out photos of themselves feet up in the garden and mouthing off about their 3 month "paid holiday in the sun" or whatever crap they're coming out with, then it's no wonder people get wound up. They're kind of asking for it, aren't they, and it tars the furloughed people who are behaving reasonably and responsibly with the same ghastly brush.

Poor bloke I'll have to tell him I'm not allowed to do anything in the week just in case i piss of a non furloughed

Come on, the only reason it would piss off a "non-furloughed" is if you brag about it or rub other people's noses in it. If you say nothing and just get in with what you need to know, who the hell is going to be able to judge you. People have their own life and challenges to deal with.

You sound a reasonably intelligent person, can't you see what you've said there is ridiculous.

You are lucky your company allowed you to Furlough as so many refused it. And fingers crossed you are kept on when it is all over. It is not the fact that people are claiming the furlough that has people wound up it is the people taking the mick with it. The ones working second jobs and then still asking if they will be paid for the Bank Holidays too so basically earning a second wage and then expecting to be paid the double-time for the bank holiday as well - that is what is winding up the key workers who have not been able to furlough for any reason even with vulnerable family and 99% of these people are not being recognised or being paid any extra for it either - these are the ones that are feeling hard done by and forgotten. I know so many people who have been refused furlough and have either been laid off and have had to fight for benefits and self-employed who have only just this week had their first weeks money as they have had to fight for it so please look at it from both sides of the coin. I just hope everyone comes out of this healthy and happy and not completely broke as I do not see the country ever being the same as it was but hopefully the people will be stronger together for it. Sending hugs and best wishes to you all. Stay safe xx

I didnt get a choice about furlough at all. You talk as if I asked for it. I didnt. I an most others in my company came in one day and were sent home.

It isnt just keyworkers that are still working either,there are many non essential manufacturing jobs still going, they dont get the clap at 8pm or be allowed to shop early, they still had to go to work in dangerous circs with no ppe or social distancing rules in place because of the nature of the job. They still had to go home with the fear of passing the virus to thier loved ones and many of them had vulnerable people at home.

It's not our fault, please understand that. Blame the govt not us.
I cant work a second job. I'm not allowed to.
It's the minority of people that probably take the piss not the majority
At least you will have a job at the end of it. I wont.

It's not our fault, please understand that. Blame the govt not us.
I cant work a second job. I'm not allowed to.
It's the minority of people that probably take the piss not the majority
At least you will have a job at the end of it. I wont.
I also havent been put on furlough for the entire lockdown. I only went on it three weeks ago our non essential company has remained open up till now so I still had to go to work. I've vulnerable children at home and I've underlying health issues too but not serious enough to shield but still risky and I still had to go to work with no ppe, no social distancing and the virus infecting people there so i do have an inkling what's to was like. I was grateful i could still go to work and i never really resented those who could. I did have a brief wobble with dp who was furloughed for 3 weeks but that was more because i wanted to be home with him not because I wanted to be furloughed. Hes gone back to work now..

To be honest i cant see both sides. Well i can see the envy about not being home, that's normal and I'd expect that and I dont envy anyone at all who works in retail or nhs

As for pay I'm only getting 80 percent. No more. The ones that are on shifts have lost all thier shift allowance and bank holiday pay. I've lost all my annual leave accrued
I also havent been put on furlough for the entire lockdown. I only went on it three weeks ago our non essential company has remained open up till now and is running on a skeleton crew so I still had to go to work. I've vulnerable children at home and I've underlying health issues too but not serious enough to shield but still risky and I still had to go to work with no ppe, no social distancing and the virus infecting people there so i do have an inkling what's t was like. I was grateful i could still go to work and i never really resented those who couldnt. I did have a brief wobble with dp who was furloughed for 3 weeks but that was more because i wanted to be home with him not because I wanted to be furloughed. Hes gone back to work now..

To be honest i cant see both sides. Well i can see the envy about not being home, that's normal and I'd expect that and I dont envy anyone at all who works in retail or nhs
But as for the vitriol aimed at an entire group of people who are on furlough through no fault of thier own well its nasty.

There are many non essential factories still open. Manufacturing never stopped. We still had to go to work with no ppe or social distancing measures put in place because of the nature of the job. Many of us went in and are still going in with the fear of infection as the virus infected a few people at work. We had vulnerable people at home too. We just quietly got on with it, we werent clapped for at 8pm on thurs or given priority in shops. We were screamed at by the nhs to stay home then met with disbelief that we weren't allowed too.

Now the nhs and key workers are whinging now we are at home! If everyone on furlough suddenly went back to work tomorrow can you imagine that spike in infections that would happen.

everyone has resentments and I hate the way society is turning on each other might just leave this thread be now.

Im not for one second detracting from the work people are doing in keeping the country going but being furloughed again is not my fault

Sorry for the repeat paragraphs! My phone had a wobble

'Poor bloke I'll have to tell him I'm not allowed to do anything in the week just in case i piss of a non furloughed'

Well it was said as a joke, sarcasm, tongue in cheek or whatever. Of course I'm not going to do that. I'm cracking on decorating!

Sorry I had to point that help. I didnt think i would need to lol

You do like the sound of your own opinions don't you OP I'm surprised your DH gets a word in edgeways.

It's the OP's thread, she is allowed to voice her opinions.

The new scroungers are the companies and business owners who could well afford to pay their workers but who are using our money, tax payers money to pay the workers furloughed.
Companies that have assets, that will still pay shareholders, they are not being scrutinised properly.

You do like the sound of your own opinions don't you OP I'm surprised your DH gets a word in edgeways

WTAF. What an unpleasant post, daisychain01

This AIBU and the OP's thread.

Give your head a wobble.

That is very true as well RubyViolet

Oh Jesus, this scheme goes on beyond September?
Bangs head on desk

*One of our colleagues is ‘furloughed’. I say ‘furloughed’ because her role is still totally needed but from the Tuesday morning in March after the lockdown was announced, she has simply not come to work.
She is being paid full wages as normal.
No underlying health issues etc, nothing.
She doesn’t feel safe.
Two of us are now doing the work of three because she is best buddies with the Chairman.
She had a lovely day out in Hastings on Wednesday, according to Fakebook.
I totally get this is different to the normal furlough situation but it has certainly caused resentment *

@maddiemookins16mum

My BIL did the same, lockdown came and he refused to go back to work - even though the company he works for continued to trade- on the basis that he didn't feel safe as two of his children have mild asthma ( very mild). When the new restrictions were announced to be lifting from the 1st June ( he works in a shop) he then wasn't happy to go back again, but backed down and agreed he would go back. Now he's worried about the resentment that's possibly been caused and worries about going back to deal with it

My boss is having to beg and plead employees to come back. They are very much needed and the workplace is a safe as any place could be (they can work in separate rooms if they want etc).

Half the workforce are happy to come back, half want to stay on furlough until the scheme runs out and then come back to work - to secure jobs thanks to those of us who didn't take furlough.

I would be fine with my boss managing those people out and getting some new blood into the company, otherwise if there is another lockdown it will all be the same again

RubyViolet I agree. My assistant got furloughed, not because there was less work, there's more but as a token gesture. To show we are all 'doing our bit'. Except I am now covering his work plus my work plus the increased volumes.

I would like to see that my assistant is enjoying himself. God knows, there is little enough enjoyment to be got. I am worried about him. When I have spoken to him he sounds so down.

I know a lot of people who are furloughed. No one is bragging about a “paid holiday in the sun” on Facebook. Some people are ashamed to say they have been furloughed. I feel like shit to be honest, that I am expendable, I cried the day I was told I was being furloughed. I now feel incredibly insecure and depressed. I don’t get bored, I am still a parent and a carer for my vulnerable mum. I haven’t been to the park or fucking beach. I go out to shop for food and get medication for us and my mum. That’s it. I go out and sit in the garden sometimes, because it’s FREE.

A version of it does yes nohardsell. The current rules end on 31st July and employers will then be asked to contribute to the 80% for furloughed employees. So expect to see redundancies and UC applications increase then.