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."

@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.

And you can’t see why that might be, in this situation?

@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.

This is spot on.

Most people who complain about furlough are envious that the furloughed get to enjoy sunny weekdays. Or that they're able to focus on their children when the schools are shut.

The rest of us just are thankful for our continued employment and careers and aren't constantly looking over our shoulder at what someone else might or might not be perceived to have.

@Millymomooo

Never heard of furlough bashing either, I think people just make things up to cause shit!

So far so Mumsnet.

"I haven't heard of it, as haven't others, therefore I'll make you, OP, seem silly enough to invalidate your complaint".

How about actually opening your mind to the fact that there are things discussed and criticised which don't fall across your scheme of reference?!

@sjfjsnfkdhsbd

I'm curious. Those objecting to people continuing to accrue annual leave whilst furloughed, do you also object to women accruing annual leave whilst on maternity leave?

I think mat leave is different, because you have a new baby to look after, and part of the leave is to allow you recover from pregnancy and birth

Yes, SOME people on furlough have had young children to look after while schools were closed, but in terms of workload, they had it easier than people who were working AND caring for children

People moaning about the holidays, over the years I have saw plenty people taking sick leave when there is bugger all wrong with them. Some the same few weeks/months every single year, but they come back and still get their holidays? Moan about that then!!!
I’m not talking about those genuinely ill.

I got sick of it last year when I worked all the way through and the furloughed neighbours kept telling me I should get outside more, I was missing the lovely weather and telling me what books they'd read sitting in the garden.

Ginuwine
What are you talking about?
I’m staying the fact iv never heard of furlough bashing before.

@Millymomooo

Ginuwine What are you talking about? I’m staying the fact iv never heard of furlough bashing before.

Yeah but you didn't just state that you hadn't heard of it.

You indirectly accused the OP of "making shit up" just to start arguments or whatever your phrase was.

So yeah what I'm "going on about" is how so many posters on MN rush to tell the OP they haven't heard of their complaint or dilemna ever existing in their lives, just to invalidate their AIBU and make them look deliberately silly.

Too long to read?

In short, you don't need to have heard of furlough bashing to have an opinion on it.

And we don't need to have heard that you haven't heard about it.

I haven’t to my knowledge done any furlough bashing but it really stuck in my craw seeing people who were furloughed e.g. clamouring for nurseries and early years settings to be closed in January when they didn’t have to bear the brunt of the shit show that was trying to work from home with a preschool child.

I’m sure furlough has been rough for many but a bit of appreciation that many people who’ve worked throughout have had a fucking horrendous time of it wouldn’t go amiss either.

I’ve not heard any furlough bashing irl. I know people who have been furloughed and people who have worked throughout the pandemic and with extra challenges (i.e. childcare). It’s not been a bed of roses for many people at all and for very different reasons.

[quote Jangle33]@NeverDropYourMoonCup there has to be more to it. It would be cheaper for their employer to pay for those things than furlough them.[/quote]
Maybe there was - I'm obviously not party to everything. But I did get the impression (body language, a slight tightening around the eyes, that sort of thing) when it was mentioned that my working throughout was really appreciated that the higher powers were somewhat peeved at it as well, particularly when laptops were being loaned to other poorer members of staff if needed.

@Bluntness100

I must live on a different planet, I never hear anyone furlough bashing.

I don't in 'real life' either, the only place I have seen it is here on MN.

Being on furlough is hard especially I’d your colleagues are working . You feel unwanted and undervalued .

It’s not a bed of roses by any means

Try being a teacher OP...

Let's focus on all the money mates of the government have made, and the wasted failed test, trace and isolate system first.

Oh for goodness sake.

To all the dozens people who say "I haven't heard all this furlough bashing in real life, only on MN / DM / online" etc..

How likely are you to actually hear multiple instances of furlough bashing in real life, unless you or another person is either affected, knows someone on furlough, or raises the topic proactively?

This "in real life" stuff is absurd because let's face it, unless you're all happy rule breakers (and more power to you if that's your thing) then we haven't had a bunch of real life to hear things in until recently.

Please just stop. You're not going to make the OP feel silly, you're just making yourself look silly.

P.S I have never been furloughed, and have no skin in the game.

Yea but come on. Being on furlough on 80% wages then still being able to go get a job with wages isn’t on.

YABU.

I am sick of people saying how they're loving being furloughed and don't want to go back to work.

DH has had his pay cut by 20pc but is still working full time, and he's supposed to consider himself lucky as he wasn't made redundant.

We are all paying for the furloughed skivers through our taxes, so it's time they stopped taking the State's shilling and got back to work.

Ginuwine
Yeah but you didn't just state that you hadn't heard of it.

If you read my comment, I wrote I haven’t heard of it and I didn’t accuse the op for making up shit. I have been furloughed myself.

I would not be furlough bashing because no one chose to be furloughed, and for many it was (and is still) stressful.

But having wfh right through lockdown with a 4 year old at home wanting constant attention, and my work expecting 125% (ie for me to work more hours than I’m contracted for) and studying a professional qualification, I’m so fucking pissed off with the whole thing. Family assuming that I’m working from home so having a lazy old time of it; mum complaining when I didn’t call her every day while my brother did (he and his wife were furloughed while DH and I worked right through)

I’ve got no problem with people being furloughed, it must be awful if there’s doubt with your job security. But me, like many others have had it really tough with full time working under pandemic conditions, workload has gone up a huge amount and far more barriers to work and enjoyment of it. I’m jealous of those who have had time off- even though some have struggled with job concerns and less money I’ve been worked to the bone, would happily pay 20% of my salary to have a few weeks off.

And the lack of appreciation and understanding from my employer also put me over the edge

@Literallynoidea you’re talking pish hen. The furlough skivers had no choice in being made furloughed. I couldn’t just rock up to my work telling them I wanted a few days off

Ginuwine
Are you going out your way to disagree with people? Got out the wrong side of the bed? Your annoying! Stroll on