"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.

Waxonwaxoff:

I'm working, putting myself at risk of Covid and I disagree with everything you have said. No one is guaranteed a job after furlough and if you think people are then you're naive. And no, it's not easy sitting at home worrying about whether you will have a job to go back to.
.........
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Life is precarious at the moment. Why are people so resentful? I don't work any more so it doesn't apply to me but if did and was furloughed, I wouldn't tell anyone what I was doing during the day.

I work in hospitality. Over the last 12 months I've been on some type of furlough (either flexi or full) more than I've been in 'normal' work.

Whilst I'm grateful for furlough, and yes some of the time it's been very nice, however I am utter terrified about what the future holds. I'm fully expecting a massive fallout in the hospitality industry from all this so whilst I'm sure working full time has its worries and stresses, trust me furlough has them too.

You get comments like that on here all the time though.

Someone confides that they are struggling with homeschooling and working full time - to be shot down with well it could be worse you’re very privileged because you don’t work in a sweat shop for 50p an hour. Ffs.

Very few people seem to have any empathy for one another. I feel very much like the “I’m alright Jack” attitude is rife on MN.

Some employers just haven't been very consistent when it comes to their furlough policies - and the government haven't encouraged innovative approaches which has left a sense of unfairness in some sectors

My nephew works as a bus driver for a private company delivering a city park and ride service. Under their contract they have to maintain a minimum service but 3 in 4 were furloughed almost immediately. Most drivers retained were younger single drivers.

He has continued to work long unsociable shifts exposed to covid daily (although footfall is very much reduced) whilst his colleagues are at home on 80% pay. Throughout there has been no attempt to maybe rotate those on furlough to make it fairer.

There are no restrictions on working a second job so many on furlough are working as agency drivers or delivery staff earning significantly above their standard take home pay.

Whats also rather shocking is if a none furloughed driver goes sick they only get SSP. Obviously any staff on furlough are hardly going to declare them selves off sick

Its no wonder some folk think the furlough system is open to abuse

Hobbesmanc it's the same for most care workers in private nursing homes - their work puts them at risk and then when they inevitably get sick, they only get SSP. Actually it's a disgrace.

@somethingonthecarpet

Hobbesmanc it's the same for most care workers in private nursing homes - their work puts them at risk and then when they inevitably get sick, they only get SSP. Actually it's a disgrace.

This makes me want to cry. Care workers in private nursing homes have always been treated shoddily IMO.

Care workers that go to client's houses are treated really badly too. I know one care worker who had to buy her own uniform, pay for her own petrol to get to her clients - and was given NO BLOODY TRAVEL TIME between each client. Absolutely ridiculous.

`I don't know what the solution is but these care workers are bloody angels IMO.