"I'm alright Jack" mindset.

[Donnsssfaa]

Shoot me now, but I was just reading an article about furlough on Daily Mail ().

Most of the top comments are people saying

"Get those workshy people back to work!"

"Furlough should be a loan that only those who are furloughed should be paying back"

"I've been working throughout, why should I pay??"

But I doubt these people would be saying this if they didn't have "secure jobs".

Of course you get some who take advantage, like everything.
But I have a waitress friend who rang me crying when restaurants were forced to close and she's now furloughed. She would rather be working but there are lots more applicants for jobs these days so not easy.

But AIBU to think it's wrong to want to punish people who were basically forced out of work because of lockdown by claiming they should be the only ones paying it back? Especially when a lot of these waitors, bar staff, beauticians, hairdressers probably aren't on amazing wages anyway! And to top it all off: recession so harder to find a job.

People need more sympathy and empathy, especially during this time when the virus has been around for almost a year so mental health will be declining.

But furloughed people aren’t out of work, though. They’re on furlough. They still have jobs.

@daisypond exactly! Maybe i'm actually unreasonable for reading dailymail

Furloughed people were told not to work to “keep everyone safe” and “protect the NHS”. Everyone benefits from those things, so everyone pays.

YANBU. I wish more people had your empathy and understanding.

Of course you're right, to some extent. But non-furloughed people are suffering more than the furloughed people, in a lot of cases. People in secure jobs are suffering because they are often exposed to covid risks, and struggling to home school children whilst being expected to continue working full time. They are also often expected to work longer hours, because of covid work-arounds and difficulties caused by wfh. They are often working under high stress due to inadequate wifi, cramped and unsuitable working conditions (eg sitting on a couch with a laptop).

In my DP's case, his workload went up more than 30% because junior staff on his team were furloughed and they have just moaned on about it. He has had to listen to them moaning, whilst doing a lot of their work for them. He's not paid or thanked for that. It just has to be done.

Meanwhile, i have friends who literally laughed their way through furlough, saving heaps on commuting and expensive coffees. Spent their time baking, doing online classes and meeting friends to go walking or jogging.

Furlough HAS been difficult for some but a huge holiday for others. Working HAS been great for some but awful for others.

I agree with you, but I have to say, in my industry there has been a lot of problems with people who are on furlough not wanting to come back, even when the businesses needed their staff back, because they would much rather be at home getting 80% than slogging it out to get 100%, and in many ways who can blame them?! I would much rather that myself but I wasnt in a situation where furlough was possible. So I think a lot of people feel like there is an inbalance in how different people have experienced lockdown.

Pp said it much more eloquently than me!!

Being workshy doesn’t come into it. It was the Government that closed places down. The public didn’t walk out of their jobs because they wanted a long holiday with their hooves up watching Tv eating chocolate ice cream. People who made those comments either live on another planet and have no idea we have a colossal Pandemic going or they thick.

But I think this is a case of a small minority ruining it for the majority -
I was furloughed at the beginning of last lockdown, I then worked from August-to end of December.
This were going great and I have also ended up on furlough.
I was not jumping for joy at the prospect. I've been an anxious mess this month, i'm hoping to be back in work March-time but i've been looking on job sites but nothing.

Many of my other friends have been furloughed and I can probably think of one who would love it, but the other 5 are really stressed and anxious and would rather be working.

@SillyOldMummy as someone who’s worked ft right through covid I relate to what you’re saying, but try and remember it isn’t a competition. I have friends who’ve been furloughed, they haven’t laughed their way through at all. They might have baked, done yoga, crafter with their kids etc but some have had til he possibility of job losses looming. They’ve saved on commuting but only get 80% of their wages. Please don’t make it us and them-everyone’s struggling at the moment.

There's no right answer to this. Yes it's wrong to be mad at people who have no control over their circumstances but I think the people who haven't claimed furlough have been working throughout and in some cases paid more tax due to working more hours so they have a right to moan as well.

Personally I've worked throughout and I'll not lie it was annoying when I came home from work and the neighbours were having little street parties all summer and enjoying the weather and getting drunk whilst still getting paid. However I do think the tables have turned now because they are starting to worry about their jobs and mine is as safe as any job can be these days so I'm glad I missed out on the summer fun.

It's tough because reality is going to hit home for a lot of people soon and there's going to be job losses everywhere. I don't know what the answer is because I'm constantly told how grateful I should be to have a job when the only thing I'm grateful for is to have nearly made a year and not caught Covid from the amount of people I'm dealing with every day.

I'm fortunate enough to have worked throughout, dont envy or begrudge anyone receiving furlough.
Furlough is not a full wage, and friends that receive it from the hospitality trade also rely on tips.
I don't think furlough is a holiday, I imagine its quite depressing

The daily mail comments section is a bit like MN at times. A lot of posters try to be more extreme than the last. It really isn't the majority public opinion.

@Awwlookatmybabyspider completely agree! Also i find most of the people against furlough didn't experience their industry shutting down and therefore feel the anxiety that comes with furlough.
For many furlough is not a "holiday" but a very anxious and stressful time.

The sad thing I found about the daily mail comments were some people mocking that furlough workers won't have jobs to go back to and they were top comments!

I also laugh at comments such as
"Well find another job" as if it's that easy. Some people can find jobs straight away but for others it can take months.

I'm currently furloughed and seriously can't wait to go back to work! I'd rather work and get 100% wages plus it massively helps my mental health. People seem to think that if your furloughed you have it easy when I'd much rather be in a job where I wasn't furloughed in the 1st place.

Ugh my DM has this mindset and it drives me mad. She literally said to me "all these people sitting on their arses on furlough, they're basically just on benefits". But she also thinks people who wfh don't pull their weight so I think she's just an idiot. So is anyone else with these views, which is basically everyone who reads the daily mail (I'd be careful not to click on anymore articles op or you might get infected too!)

I had two close friends who work in the arts industry which has been decimated. They’ll be lucky to have an income at all after this. It’s hesrtbreaking

It's a really depressing time and I don't think anyone should be wishing anyone to pay more taxes just because they happened to be in an industry affected by covid.

YANBU. I go out to work in a high risk environment (currently have a lot of people off work with Covid) and I'd still rather be doing it than furlough. People who do have secure jobs right now should be grateful, I certainly am.

@Summersun2020 i have a few friends in the music industry - involved in the more production side, my heart also breaks for them.

@Waxonwaxoff0 my job involves a lot of mixing with children and adults. Throughout Autumn I was worried about catching covid, Now i'm back on furlough, i'd rather be back at my job.

I didn't choose furlough, my company "offered" it to me with the explanation that they're furloughing people to avoid redundancies. I thought I better accept it, otherwise redundancies would be more likely.

I had a baby in August last year, too, and I'm now on maternity leave.

My company (the Bastards) decided to put my job "at risk" anyway , redundancies are still going ahead and I will be most likely out of a job when my maternity leave is over.

So no, the majority of people on furlough don't take advantage of the situation. In many cases they are truly and utterly fucked like myself. I'd say it's more likely companies will take advantage of furlough and use it to save money, even if they don't necessary all need the government assistance.

My partner is also on furlough at the moment, his entire team was furloughed, he didn't have a choice.

We just hope he's not also going to lose his job, otherwise we will be destitute with a new baby and a mortgage.

SOME people on furlough have been a bit too vocal about their paid holiday during the last lockdown. I personally only follow really friends, so people I like, but even I felt a little bit of jealousy when they were paid and could completely redo their house, enjoy the sunshine and have a blast. Fair enough, might make the most of it!

But for the people who were struggling with full time job, kids, and everything, it wasn't nice to see.

And there's the complete incomprehension over the scheme carrying on when the lockdown was over, at least in England.

Now furlough is just replacing unemployment let's be honest, it's been 10 months.

Shame on the government to completely forgetting some industries who were not entitled to anything

The thing is, everyone I know who has been furloughed has been loving life. One friend responded with this when I asked if she was furloughed again - Yeh I think so 🥳🥳

We didn't have any furlough originally in my work place. We have this time for childcare. Our workload tripled over night. Then you go on insta and see those who are off posting about the great time they're having. Unsurprisingly that has gone down like a sack of shit. We are covering the workload now and people are having to be called back.

My DS missed out on paid furlough by 1 day when the eligibility criteria was revised because he was paid monthly in arrears and his first pay date was the day after the deadline (but encompassed a six week period so he was actually employed before the deadline). His industry has been decimated (aviation) and he hasn't been able to get a job anywhere else because there is so much competition and he has no retail experience for example. It's rubbish and his colleagues who are on paid furlough are also desperate to get back to work.