"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.

The number of people who have been furloughed and got a second job will be nothing more than a rounding error, insignificant in the wider scheme.

Furlough was to limit the wider economic disaster that a years lockdown would cause.

As for the 'I'm alright Jack' attitude, everyone across political/class/age demograhic has it in one form or another, there are plenty of post even appearing on here from people who where furloughed initially and now trying to find any loophole to not return to work.

It's been shit for everyone, trying to come down on either side of the debate is just nothing more than looking for something to be outraged about.

I didn’t ask to be furloughed and I’m itching to get back and essentially hate adding to the countries debt. However I’ve made a conscious effort to support more local businesses at Xmas, kids are going to nursery albeit reduced hours to account for the reduced income. I’ve bought vouchers from my hairdresser so when she opens I can use them - it was an idea she came up with to assist with an income. As a way to help the people who will have less help than me. Hope to continue this as well once I’m back to work

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

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

Lockdown never ended in England for some industries. The events industry stopped in March last year and still hasn’t returned for example. I don’t get what’s so incomprehensible about furlough continuing for people in these sorts of industries. Also, it is not just replacing unemployment as many businesses can and will continue as soon as they are allowed to trade, furlough is keeping those jobs alive while we wait for our closed industries to finally be allowed to reopen again.

There is a ‘grass is greener’ ‘why do they get something I don’t’ aspect to it but more fundamentally, the anti-furloughers think a country’s economy works like a piggy bank. They probably thought austerity was a great idea because they liked hearing George Osborne saying ‘balance the books’, and are generally not worth paying attention to.

I think it's wrong they can accrue holiday when they've not been at work.

@SillyOldMummy

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.

Exactly.

I’ve been working throughout lockdown with covid patients. I’m sorry if I’m not crying with sympathy for those on my Facebook who are being paid for laying in the garden, doing yoga and making Instagram food dishes. It’s all I can do to keep my own sanity and that of my family. I am exhausted.
So I’m afraid I don’t have buckets of sympathy for those at home being paid to watch Netflix, and I really don’t care what you think of that frankly.

YANBU but I think a lot of people who are not furloughed are suffering too. I am terrified of going to work, it really frightens me knowing I'm putting myself at risk.
However I'm sure a lot of furloughed people want to work and can't. They are helping by not spreading the virus. We all benefit so we all pay.

Many furlough workers have taking second jobs, so are earning a double Salary

Yep! I know at least 10+ people doing this! One even tried to claim sick pay from one job and furlough from the other! You can’t claim both at the same time

I feel no envy towards those who were or are on furlough. They are most likely to lose their jobs. I've been working throughout from home, I'm bloody lucky to have a secure job. So many don't, many are going to lose jobs, lose homes, lose everything. Once tax rises, and it will, that's going to cause more poverty too no doubt.

The ones on furlough who are 'living it up', enjoy decorating, sunshine etc are either in denial or clueless to the situation. That's not a situation I envy at all.

I would rather have worked through than been furloughed and then lost my job the day before the furlough extension was announced (hospitality industry).

But as someone who has run food led pubs for years I am used to Daily Mail types who cheerfully expect me to run myself ragged for their enjoyment, whilst being spoken to like shit because "You're just a waitress"

Don't EVER read the comments section of the Daily Mail. Ever. The people there are truly insane.

I was on furlough all last Summer and I LOVED it. They're definitely just jealous! Which is fair enough, I would be too.

I've been on furlough (with a couple of months of flexi furlough) for almost 11 months now. Of course it was the best thing that happened for me and yes I was lucky to get a summer in the garden etc.

However, I hate not working. Also I take home 60-65% because of the cut off point and not the 80% that everyone touts around. We haven't been able to save or spend as much. I feel unstable and constantly waiting for my job to be made redundant. If I do go back, Im worried about my ability to plunge back into my usually hectic job.

It's really not all roses but I can understand why people think it is.

The only person who should read the comments section of the DM is Dave Gorman whose "Found Poems" are a work of genius!

I'm so very lucky to have worked every day since this lockdown. Haven't had to WFH either I feel sorry for those furloughed and those having to WFH. I think it will be hard for them to come back into the workplace and will take a lot of adjustment.

I begged not to be furloughed, even though wfh and home school is a nightmare.

I was put on furlough and then made redundant, so yeah it's been a fucking barrel of laughs for me.

@CakeRequired

I feel no envy towards those who were or are on furlough. They are most likely to lose their jobs. I've been working throughout from home, I'm bloody lucky to have a secure job. So many don't, many are going to lose jobs, lose homes, lose everything. Once tax rises, and it will, that's going to cause more poverty too no doubt.

The ones on furlough who are 'living it up', enjoy decorating, sunshine etc are either in denial or clueless to the situation. That's not a situation I envy at all.

I agree with @CakeRequired

Lots of people who quite enjoyed furlough in 2020 will now be concerned their jobs are on the line

The problem is workplaces like mine that are taking the piss and abusing the scheme to save money. My furloughed colleagues had their pay made up to 100% and were only furloughed to protect our reserves. Those of us not furloughed have been worked into the ground covering their work. Seeing furloghed colleagues come back after 16 weeks on full pay and then go off on holiday they have accrued has been very hard to witness.

I've read about so many furloughed workers who have gone on to be made redundant. Their jobs are not safe. I get so annoyed with the bloody whingers.

I was furloughed in April for 3 months and really struggled. It was boring and depressing. This time around I'm working and even though I'm having to juggle work with homeschooling I'm much happier. YABU to pay any attention to Daily Mail readers opinions. Gobshites.

I’ve been working throughout lockdown with covid patients. I’m sorry if I’m not crying with sympathy for those on my Facebook who are being paid for laying in the garden, doing yoga and making Instagram food dishes. It’s all I can do to keep my own sanity and that of my family. I am exhausted.
So I’m afraid I don’t have buckets of sympathy for those at home being paid to watch Netflix, and I really don’t care what you think of that frankly.

This. Well said.
And the holiday accrual is a joke

My OH is on furlough on full pay. I have to work online for my full pay. Yes I get a bit envious of him, but he'd rather be at working than sitting around at home doing nothing.

Haven't had to WFH either I feel sorry for those furloughed and those having to WFH.

Some of us like working from home. No more micromanagement! No more having to fix everyone else's problems. I can just get on with the actual work that is in my job description.

Having DS home does make it more difficult, but no more difficult than being in the office could be sometimes.

YABU to read through comments on a daily mail article and then take them seriously.

People are obsessed with this competitive misery at the moment. Deciding who has it worse, who is the most lonely, who is the most stressed, who is the most fucked...

Everyone is having a shit time. Let's just leave it at that.