Anyone else getting tired of the furlough bashing?

[NEVERQUIT3331]

First, it was immigrants stealing the jobs. Then it was bashing people on benefits. Now it is furlough bashing.

People need to understand that a lot of people are struggling on 100 percent of their current salaries. Living on 80 percent will not be easy either for anyone (especially for groups like single parents.) I am someone who was lucky to work the majority of the months since March 2020. I am lucky I still have a job. Some people that were furloughed were not that lucky they were made redundant. Most people would rather work than be redundant and worry about how to pay their next bill or mortgage.

Yes you might see people go to parks/beaches during furlough and others had to work without a holiday. But for most people it was a constant worry whether they would have a job. Also, if someone is on furlough what do you want them to do? Just spend all day at home twiddling their thumbs and isolated. That is not good for anyone's mental health. Others also have worked second jobs to ensure they could pay their bill.

Are there people who abuse the system? Of course. You get that with every system: taxation, benefit, furlough etc.. But punishing the vast majority of people on benefits, furlough who are there through no fault of their own is never the answer. We need to learn to be more compassionate as a nation and realize life is not as rosy as some may perceive. I wish everyone on furlough good luck and hope they keep their jobs and for anyone being currently unemployed/redundant I hope they find work. and leave you with this quote:

"Do not trust everything you see even salt tastes like sugar."

But I have really struggled to stay patient with some of the people I know who have been really thoughtless about it. Like the “making the most of this slower pace of life!” FB pics of garden sunbathing, or people my family WhatsApp group going “so is everyone staying busy? Anyone got any suggestions for new things to watch? GoldenOmber what about you, any good box set recs?”

Oh yes!! This really annoyed me too.

Also the furloughed parents on the school WhatsApp that were petitioning for the schools to stay closed and shouting 'health before wealth' at every opportunity with no consideration for those of us who were on our knees from juggling full time jobs and homeschooling.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

I can see why lots who have had to work and risk their health would be annoyed at the scheme as it meant huge amounts of paid time off and it was money that didn’t have to be paid back or anything done in return for it.

You’d rather well over 50% of the country had been made redundant?

Also the furloughed parents on the school WhatsApp that were petitioning for the schools to stay closed and shouting 'health before wealth' at every opportunity with no consideration for those of us who were on our knees from juggling full time jobs and homeschooling.

This infuriated me in January when people who I know were furloughed and therefore didn’t need the bloody childcare were screaming for nurseries to close along with schools.

[quote LexMitior]@GoldenOmber - yes that's it. I wouldn't have a go at anyone on furlough but some people are incredibly tactless. You can't help but judge that attitude, particularly when some of these people are always asking what the government is doing, its useless etc.

I feel (but have never said) like saying "shut up - you are on a paid holiday".[/quote]
It's not a paid holiday though. It's forced unemployment during a forced lockdown, funded so that people aren't totally broke, or made to go into work that could spread fatal disease. People have been making the best of a bad situation but it's not fair to call it a paid holiday. Funded forced absence from work is more accurate.

@JeanClaudeVanDammit

Also the furloughed parents on the school WhatsApp that were petitioning for the schools to stay closed and shouting 'health before wealth' at every opportunity with no consideration for those of us who were on our knees from juggling full time jobs and homeschooling.

This infuriated me in January when people who I know were furloughed and therefore didn’t need the bloody childcare were screaming for nurseries to close along with schools.

Yes, me too. Our nurseries did close (Scotland) and Jan and Feb were awful.

I didn’t get into any rows about that at the time but if we end up in that position again, I’ll be asking the people doing that if they would also agree to furlough being suspended for the duration so all those public sector workers administering the scheme and the payments can homeschool and care for children instead. Health before wealth!

YANBU. I was furloughed for 4 months and couldn't wait to get back to work. I've been back working flat out since August and don't envy those on furlough at all.

Although, I should say in keeping with the point of the thread that definitely not all furloughed people have been so thoughtless, and it’s definitely the thoughtlessness I have an issue with, not the furlough scheme.

I don’t remotely care if furloughed people have been learning new musical instruments or spending every sunny day lazing in the garden drinking wine and planning their holidays or whatever. May as well make the most out of the position you’re in, as far as you can.

I too get exasperated by people who are smug about 'learning to take life at a slower pace' and 'discovering what is really important in life'. My experiences of chronic illness, resulting restrictions, and uncertainties about both my social and economic future during parts of my childhood and young adulthood undoubtedly play a part in my finding this smug attitude upsetting. But most of the people I know who do it, have not been on furlough, but people who, like me, WFH, and are glad to get rid of their commute (fair enough) and to reduce their social interactions (either very introverted people, or those who have had a lot of toxicity from relatives or colleagues). If it works for them, fine for them, but I'd be grateful if they wouldn't push this 'hooray for being forced to go back to the Simple Life!' stuff on people for whom it makes life less simple; who have serious health anxiety or financial anxiety; or whose mental health is suffering from the isolation. I haven't really experienced it from furloughed people, however - those whom I know tend to be worried about their jobs and finances

@ddl1

I too get exasperated by people who are smug about 'learning to take life at a slower pace' and 'discovering what is really important in life'. My experiences of chronic illness, resulting restrictions, and uncertainties about both my social and economic future during parts of my childhood and young adulthood undoubtedly play a part in my finding this smug attitude upsetting. But most of the people I know who do it, have not been on furlough, but people who, like me, WFH, and are glad to get rid of their commute (fair enough) and to reduce their social interactions (either very introverted people, or those who have had a lot of toxicity from relatives or colleagues). If it works for them, fine for them, but I'd be grateful if they wouldn't push this 'hooray for being forced to go back to the Simple Life!' stuff on people for whom it makes life less simple; who have serious health anxiety or financial anxiety; or whose mental health is suffering from the isolation. I haven't really experienced it from furloughed people, however - those whom I know tend to be worried about their jobs and finances

Yes, this exactly! I tend to find the people who are enjoying the "slower pace of life" are people who are WFH and not commuting any more. And people who aren't keen on lots of social gatherings and prefer the company of their own family. I don't really hear it from furloughed people.

There have been pros and cons to all of the options. In the past year I had had maternity leave, WFH and working in the workplace.

Maternity leave in Lockdown 1 was by far the worst. Thank god for the nice weather or I'd have lost the plot. Every day was exactly the fucking same. I hated it.

WFH was better. It was nice to be busy and have a routine, but still, I only left the house for the nursery run.

I'm back to working at a workplace now. The commute is a PITA, but I'm sleeping better. I'm fairly introverted but I benefit from the casual chatter without having to arrange meet ups. It's the best option by far.

@Devlesko

We live in an awful society where people are so bothered and jealous of people who lead a different lifestyle or appear to have something they don't. Absolutely pathetic they need to have something to complain about not being fair, constantly.

Including you.

@SquizzaMama

I’ve been furloughed for just over a year now. My mental health is shot...I feel worthless, useless and have to listen to people tell me “how lucky I am!”

I would give anything to be back at work!!!

no one is stopping you.

If things were that bad, and you were that desperate to work, you would do like everyone else is doing, and look for another job!

kirinm
You get 10 weeks holiday a year. Other people get 4.

no, they get 5.6 weeks. I get 7.

captpike
Wow, your insults to me today are really good, you should get a life my love. Following me around on threads makes you look unhinged love

I think there is a bit of furlough bashing conscious or subconcious and I sort of get why it happens.

I had a horrific first lockdown working 12-13 hours a day while my DD was shoved in another room on YouTube around the clock, miserable and getting no exercise. We both of us were pretty near the brink.

Watchin endless stuff on social media of people walking with their families in the park, doing online quizzes, decorating etc, was quite tough when I was lucky to be able to find enough time to shove a pizza in the oven and my daughter was wailing at the door demanding to be let in because she was bored and lonely.

I don't begrudge people who were furloughed because its clearly not been a walk in the park for them and I'm now grateful that I kept my job. But it does sometimes grate a bit when you hear about this endless glorious leisure that people were having. This whole culture of "lockdown life". I remember going to a garden party last summer when things had opened up and a bloke walked up to me and said: "Furlough's great innit". He just assumed that we were all in this glorious thing together. I didn't have the heart to engage on it but it made me seethe.

I just think that its one of the unfortunate byproducts of the pandemic that it really divided people. No one's fault really and not much that can have been done but it did entrench the sense of us and them.

Single mum, 2 school age DCs, commuted, worked harder than I ever had to but in different ways. Absolutely no respect for days off - so not had more than a handful of days where not been expected to respond , help out, organised work stuff.

My house is a pit, nothing been painted, fixed, replaced a I have been knackered.

Am currently annoyed by those returning to work - who do not get the new norm on the tube - rules are different! Tired of hearing furloughed friends talk about their clean houses, painted etc and how they organised their finances.

Don't envy anyone who furloughed but some respect both ways would not go a miss

I work in fashion retail. Our internet department was open all through. The only people who got put on furlough in our warehouse was parents of primary school age children and a few elderly people with health issues. It certainly was no walk in the park, homeschooling was hard and I’m dyslexic so I was stressed out. I certainly never had time to sit in the garden and enjoy my time off. I was glad when the schools opened and I could go back to work. In fact I cried when it was over. The only furlough bashing I have saw is on this post.

If things were that bad, and you were that desperate to work, you would do like everyone else is doing, and look for another job!

Try getting one in this climate!

It looks like a lot of people will be going back in the near future, in any case. Assuming that their workplace hasn't gone under altogether.

My partner and I were both on furlough from when it started to the beginning of November when I went back to work but had to relocate to another country to avoid redundancy. Some costs were covered but not all of them.

He was made redundant in August and still can’t work due to COVID related delays in processing his work permit (still waiting after six months when it should take 2-4). Even when I went back to work there was a 20% pay cut which just got lifted at the end of the year.

So over the last 12 months we have lost goodness knows how much income + a sizeable portion of our savings and are still no where near being pre-pandemic.

But we made the most of it and yes dared to enjoy our time off as much as possible given the restrictions, financial constraints and constant worry and uncertainty. It was not the same as if we have planned to take that time off.

What good would have being even more miserable about it done?

On accruing holiday this taking it actually increases your pay to 100% for those days so a good idea for employees, and employers can insist that it is taken.

Im still on furlough and we were told we had to take our accrued holiday whilst the company was closed....this was paid at 100% not 80%...when we return none of us will have any annual leave to take until we have accrued it again.