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!

Envy is a powerful emotion and the current stressful situation has brought it out in many people.

Those who are furloughed envy those still working
Those who are still working envy those who are furloughed, especially where their workload has increased because of others in their company being furloughed
Those who have no access to a garden envy those who do
Those who live in cities envy those who live in the coast or near national parks
Those trying to work at home with young children envy those were always stay at home parents so don't have to juggle work and childcare
Those with long commutes on public transport envy those who can work from home and or easily walk/cycle/drive to work

Lots more examples available!

In many cases envy is a perfectly reasonable response. I think the difference is that what might usually be mild envy is becoming much stronger the longer the current situation lasts

Don't worry you weren't chosen to be furloughed. As someone who has worked throughout I don't bare anyone an issue with this. Needs must. People will always find people to moan about. I've already seen the backlash regarding the NHS... didn't take long!

As for the pay freeze us NHS staff weren't expecting any better anyway. I get finances are fucked but a gesture would of been nice ( including carers)... oh wait we get the clapping!!

When was it agreed by the whole of society that we would just pay people's wages and not expect them to look for work?

Companies could be given the green light to start back up at any time and they need a workforce in place to do that. Recruiting can take weeks, even moths in some jobs not to mention training

Should also say despite working in a hospital. I feel very lucky I've been able to work, still have a routine and I have secure pay. I think lockdown and furlough would have been hard for me. So I understand furlough isn't the holiday for most it's made out to be.

No they are not the new benefit scroungers,
i dont see posts saying that.
what crap.
i wouldnt be friends with people with those attitudes.

I'm furloughed and I can see why there's frustration, I can see why in some circumstances key workers feel shit on, and they're lashing out, but they are missing the fact that the vast majority of people furloughed had no more choice in being furloughed than they have over going to work.
When the government closed my place of work, I had choices.

1. agree to be furloughed, receive 80% of my average wage from a zero hour contract for however long government feel it's necessary to close my workplace, with a small amount of security I'll have a job to go back to.
2. refuse to be furloughed. Get made redundant instead and take my chances finding another job, in a job market that is vastly reduced at the moment, and for the most part, offering temporary contracts that offer no security at all. Living on benefits until I get a job, being topped up by them if what's available isn't full time, and returning to them after the job ends while looking for another.
3. turn up to work every day despite it being closed and stand there looking bereft and not getting paid.
4. refuse furlough, not get another job, not claim benefits and live short term off charities, others kindness and fresh air until my landlord kicks me out for non payment of rent and my utilities are cut off and I'm taken to court for not paying council tax, water rates etc.

I chose to be furloughed, as it gives me the best chance of being able to support myself in the future, of contributing towards paying all this back through tax. Of giving my daughter a shot at a future. I then had choices on furlough -

1. stay at home, make the best of a bad situation by saving where I can to make ends meet and keep myself occupied by volunteering, doing the garden, spending time with my daughter and doing courses that improve my knowledge and skill set. Sitting in the garden reading a book, going for a walk, watching TV. All of which cost nothing, but keep my mind and body active, stave off depression and the feeling of uselessness that looms when you suddenly have your purpose removed.
2. sit at home in the corner of a room with a sack over my head, not doing anything in case other people think I'm enjoying myself too much. While getting fatter and unfitter, turning my brain to mush and making me depressed.
3. get a temporary job and lose my furlough because in the contract I'm not allowed to do that.

I chose the first one. I don't have the choice to go back to work, it's just not there. I have to play the cards I'm dealt.
Key workers that are behaving like this are driving this division, there should be a level of understanding towards key workers that they didn't choose this, that they had little power over the situation they find themselves in, and that they are going to feel resentment at times. However by attacking furloughed workers they're causing that understanding and acceptance of a bit of resentment to turn into a defence of their situation rather than gaining support for it.
The gap in this is only going to get wider and people like me are going to be taken to task over this for years to come.
Is that really what we need while putting the country back together?

Should also say despite working in a hospital. I feel very lucky I've been able to work, still have a routine and I have secure pay. I think lockdown and furlough would have been hard for me. So I understand furlough isn't the holiday for most it's made out to be.

Exactly. Lots of people would love a secure job with sick pay and a pension right now but aren’t that fortunate.

Plus, let’s face it, people didn’t exactly elect to have a career in health care without expecting to be at risk from germs and bugs - if they did they were very short sighted.

Alot of people seem to think being on benefits is an easy ride. Recently I put my details into the entitled to to see how much I would receive if I were to lose my job and it turns out not much.

I would lose my home within months. It made me realise I am in such a precarious position and am now determined to save. But I still have a large loan in addition to the mortgage to pay off. In addition I haven't paid into my pension for 12 months since I contributed into a pension.

So no I wouldn't wish to be furloughed.

However, I have friends who don't need to work but do and have been furloughed and have been gushing that they are loving the free money and time and don't want to go back. That gets on my nerves.

Just ignore them.

This furloughed worker has spent her time home educating an 11yo. I didn’t choose to be furloughed either.

And incidentally I’ve worked from 13 to 57 with only 1 maternity leave so I’m pretty sure the tax I’ve paid over 44 years will cover it. In fact the tax I pay this year will cover it, and then some.

The default state of the British is envy. The Tories tap into it well.

I employed a local firm and paid them in full for 3 months (Feb,Mar, April) because they Wrote and pleaded for continued ‘Support”. During this period they provided no service to me...the work was all outdoors / landscaping. They furloughed all employees. I feel the boss (not the workers) was a cheeky f because he both charged AND state claimed!

I was going to say I cant believe some of the attitudes on here (@Lololale yours in paticular). But then I remembered this is AIBU).
I was furloughed at the beginning of lockdown. Along with most of my colleagues and others throughout our nationwide company. Every single one of my fellow furloughers did not want to be furloughed.

My job is definitely part of who I am. I have struggled with my mental health in the past, and my job helps my mind to deal with this. I also use the beach as a form of therapy too. To suddenly be without the two things which help me most, I instantly felt myself sink. When you sink, it is a struggle to find anything good in your situation. I was completely unproductive, and struggled to even take the dogs to the local park. I thought I was hiding my struggles, but my family and even a non-furloughed colleague noticed.
Thankfully, I am now back at work (so not 'draining' the system ), and I have managed 1 trip to the beach since the restrictions have been relaxed) But my mental health is still fragile.

I am so worried for my work colleagues who are still on furlough. A couple of them are also really struggling mentally and are desperate to come back.

So no, furlough is not easy at all!

My husband was in a work meeting the other day over zoom and someone who's job is permanently to work from home (so they have had zero changes at all) kicked off that nearly all her friends had been furloughed and it's not fair that she hadn't as she has her SC 2 days a week and homeschooling is too hard, and that her friends have been having a much nicer time than she was.

She was given very short shrift by everyone.

I have just been furloughed and am losing my job at the end of it. It’s extremely shit. I’d give anything to be back working again. I hope the people who are so judgmental realise they could end up in the same situation. Last week I thought my job was secure and then it was just gone. Literally in the blink of an eye.

Those posts show that people are a) ignorant b) have no idea what the furlough scheme is for and c) envious.

@ crispysausagerolls. Lol. I admit to reading the ‘you’ll be hearing’ with a giggle. Best post in a while. Lolol

I think we all feel for keyworkers and those who have worked hard throughout this crisis. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has kept things going. However it really makes no difference to a key worker that someone in a totally different sector is furloughed - it’s not as though someone who works in a cinema, say, could suddenly be a nurse because nurses are overworked.

People (especially Daily Mail types) love banging on about the tax they pay and how they don’t want it to go to this and that. It makes them feel self-righteous. They are often the types who are quite happy to say ‘well, life isn’t fair’ when they perceive themselves to be better off.

Some people would benefit from a little self-reflection and, yes, ‘there but for the grace of God go I.’ There are no real winners here. Those bemoaning lockdown because of people’s mental health - oh, but if you’re furloughed don’t you dare sit in the garden or enjoy yourself! The whole attitude bears very little scrutiny.

We’re all human and we all have problems. This relentless comparison and criticism benefits nobody.

They are about the ones who do not wish to go back and are trying desperately to get it extended, even though they and theirs are not shielded etc

I'd love to know how individual employees that now have work to do can personally extend their furlough.

I think if we called furlough what it is "being laid off temporarily" people might understand it a bit better.

Please do not take it personally, people in receipt of benefits have had this kind of unhelpful comments since benefits exist.

If anything try that this new experience makes you more understanding of other people’s challenges. I guess now more people can understand why it is not always easy to go and stack shelves in a supermarket or go and work in a farm and hopefully they will stop telling parents in benefits who feel frustrated the highly infuriating and unhelpful line they shouldn’t have had kids.

It is natural that people who is still at work and without a choice to avoid exposure to the virus to feel resentful against the furloughed spending so much time outside as if it was a never ending Easter Sunday. Just grow a rhino hide and do not take it personally, everybody is facing their own problems.

Nobody in our 2 extended families have ever claimed any benefits and never will

Nobody in either extended family has ever claimed or will ever claim child benefit or the state pension? This is a fictitious claim. Either you're lying on purpose or you don't understand what qualifies as benefits.

When was it agreed by the whole of society that we would just pay people's wages and not expect them to look for work?

When it was decided to shut down / curtail perfectly well functioning businesses, who had done nothing wrong, in the interests of public health.

When it was recognised that making all those workers redundant only to have to rehire many of them would be financial and logistical madness.

HTH.

I don't have a problem with people being furloughed but are they really allowed to work elsewhere as well whilst furloughed? If so I think that's shocking that they can be paid most of their wages by the government and still work elsewhere and get paid again? Or have I misunderstood?

Some people are just arseholes. It's not like we asked to be put on furlough and although I've enjoyed sitting in the garden in the sun most days, I can tell you that with the stress that work are most likely going to make more cuts soon and not being to pay all my bills each furloughed month as 80% is quite a drop for me, I'd much, much rather be working. Just ignore the dicks OP.

I am an employer and the furlough scheme has been an absolute godsend. We have a higher chance of surviving this and therefore not losing 30+ jobs.