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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Anyone else getting tired of the furlough bashing?

245 replies

NEVERQUIT3331 · 05/04/2021 16:45

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."

OP posts:
Hueandcry · 05/04/2021 19:42

@Literallynoidea as a 'furlough skiver' I'd love to be back at work but sadly I have no choice in the matter. My company is still closed

Ginuwine · 05/04/2021 19:43

@Millymomooo

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.

You wrote, and I quote:

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

That. Is. Your. Words.

Why talk about people making things up "to cause shit" if you're not clearly referring to the OP's assertion of furlough bashing?

You're clearly saying that statement in reference to this topic.

Ginuwine · 05/04/2021 19:44

@Getmeoutofhere200

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

It's a forum. People disagree with each other. If you don't like it? Stroll on.

Millymomooo · 05/04/2021 19:50

Ginuwine
I said people like to make up shit, which didn’t refer to the op as making up shit. God there is always one arse on a thread!

melodypondisasuperhero · 05/04/2021 19:51

I’ve never been furloughed and I’ve felt zero resentment against anyone who’s been furloughed - sure it might be nice to have a paid “holiday” (albeit at 80% which may or may not be affordable) but it would in no way be worth the anxiety of whether you have a job to come back to. I don’t know anyone who chose to be furloughed (as, you know, that’s not really an option...) but I do know of management who have seen it as “free money” and in some cases just piled all the work onto fewer staff... so if we must bash anyone, maybe bash them.

Millymomooo · 05/04/2021 19:54

I have been furloughed twice in the year, I’m in fashion retail. which has been a godsend as I wouldn’t have had childcare. It’s not been a bed of roses as I had a breakdown due to stress. I’m happily back at work now, fingers crossed there won’t be another lockdown. I haven’t heard of furlough bashing before either. I would certainly have been happy to have my kids at school and work. But I’m not a keyworker so wasn’t entitled to a place.

PinkiOcelot · 05/04/2021 19:54

I’ve worked all the way through and was pissed off to have been sat boiling in an office throughout the summer and come home and my furloughed neighbours have been in the garden all day sporting lovely tans. Likewise in the winter when I’ve been scraping the ice off my car at 7 am when they’re still snug in bed.

I also don’t think that people on furlough should have been able to go out and work in another full time role whilst getting 80% of their original wage. Those jobs should have been saved for those who were getting nothing.

This whole situation has been mismanaged from the get go.

Bagamoyo1 · 05/04/2021 19:56

What has really annoyed me is large companies furloughing staff to save money. My partner works in a retail company that sells a lot online. At the beginning of lockdown last year loads of staff were furloughed, on a rota, over a period of about 6 months. It must have saved the company a fortune in wages. They’ve just announced record profits last year, yet they still took vast amounts of taxpayers money to furlough staff. That’s just wrong.

TristantheTyrannosaurus · 05/04/2021 19:58

@Bagamoyo1

What has really annoyed me is large companies furloughing staff to save money. My partner works in a retail company that sells a lot online. At the beginning of lockdown last year loads of staff were furloughed, on a rota, over a period of about 6 months. It must have saved the company a fortune in wages. They’ve just announced record profits last year, yet they still took vast amounts of taxpayers money to furlough staff. That’s just wrong.
Yep. And the younger generation will be footing the bill for all that borrowing.
lockeddownandcrazy · 05/04/2021 20:02

I cannot feel sorry for people who have had a year of holiday paid at 80%. I feel desperately sorry for those made redundant but those on furlough have it very cushy and i would happily take 80% pay to sit at home and do what i wanted - no need to pay for childcare, commuting costs etc so that easy makes up the other 20%

Millymomooo · 05/04/2021 20:03

Bagamoyo1
That sounds so like my company, maybe we work for the same firm lol

Crazydoglady1980 · 05/04/2021 20:05

@Jangle33

Never heard of furlough bashing irl at all. But to be honest I think people should be v grateful they’ve not been made redundant but their employer has chosen to furlough them. I’m more worried about the rest of us paying for it via taxes for the rest of our lives...
This.

Furloughed workers will either return to work or find other work, if made redundant. They have not had to manage on benefits, which for many would have been even more difficult.
What will happen however is all workers will have to pay more tax, whether this is through wages or other means and the public sector workers who have worked throughout the pandemic will not get a pay rise for x amount of years.
We are all in the same storm but in different boats. We will all be impacted, one way or another!

PinkiOcelot · 05/04/2021 20:07

@Bagamoyo1 there should definitely be an audit done and all companies who used furlough like this should have to pay it all back with interest.

I’m also pissed off that my taxes are going to go up through all this and I haven’t cleaned a penny.

Fatladyslim · 05/04/2021 20:10

Not saying it doesn't happen but I have only ever seen this in threads saying they are sick of the furlough bashing. Everyone in my circle of friends I have spoken to about furlough thinks it was nesessary and have felt for people who are on it must feel a little unsecure and 20% of wages is a lot to miss out on each month.

BoredatHome321 · 05/04/2021 20:11

so the people disagreeing with furloughed employees accruing holiday how do you feel about those on maternity who also are accruing paid holidays?

drpet49 · 05/04/2021 20:14

* I also don’t think that people on furlough should have been able to go out and work in another full time role whilst getting 80% of their original wage. Those jobs should have been saved for those who were getting nothing.*

Completely agree. It was a shamble system and should never have been allowed to happen.

glitterypencilcase · 05/04/2021 20:15

@Literallynoidea

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.

But furloughed worked can’t work because their places of work are shut?????

They can’t just turn up when the place of work is physically shut down by the government.

I think your comment is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve read on MN!!!!!

BoredatHome321 · 05/04/2021 20:27

@glitterypencilcase i might just turn up to my place of work and stand outside while it's shut just to please others lmao.

Hueandcry · 05/04/2021 20:31

Glitterypencilcase I agree

Sittingonabench · 05/04/2021 20:33

Done both. Furloughed for 2 months at the beginning and back at work since then (new job - no chance of furlough thank goodness!) work load has increased significantly and on less pay but give me that any day rather than the stress of furlough and not having security of a job, constantly planning for disaster and what ifs. The mental load of furlough is not imo less than the mental load of additional pressure - it’s just different and at least with work I understand the extra stress and am not all in my head about it. I can vent and get sympathy - not so much on furlough as people think we’ll at least you’re not working -which was the problem

LexMitior · 05/04/2021 20:35

Honestly totally fed up of furlough people; I’ve been working harder and far longer during COVID. My colleagues are shattered.

The public sector is absolutely knackered by COVID and it’s going to get worse. Furlough is very generous!

LawnFever · 05/04/2021 20:35

@PinkiOcelot

I’ve worked all the way through and was pissed off to have been sat boiling in an office throughout the summer and come home and my furloughed neighbours have been in the garden all day sporting lovely tans. Likewise in the winter when I’ve been scraping the ice off my car at 7 am when they’re still snug in bed.

I also don’t think that people on furlough should have been able to go out and work in another full time role whilst getting 80% of their original wage. Those jobs should have been saved for those who were getting nothing.

This whole situation has been mismanaged from the get go.

People on furlough can’t work elsewhere so that moan is easily solved
PaddingtonsSister · 05/04/2021 20:35

@Exhausted4ever

Those on furlough haven't been on holiday though have they?
But they have been off work to do as they want so effectively yes they have At 80 percent pay for no work they are laughing Everyone is at risk of redundancy so they are noworse than others there but just being paid for nothing Its not furlough bashing its truth
LawnFever · 05/04/2021 20:36

@LexMitior

Honestly totally fed up of furlough people; I’ve been working harder and far longer during COVID. My colleagues are shattered.

The public sector is absolutely knackered by COVID and it’s going to get worse. Furlough is very generous!

Nobody has personally chosen to be furloughed though, do you even know how it works? Confused
ddl1 · 05/04/2021 20:38

I agree; and I'm one who can WFH and has never been on furlough. As you say, people don't choose to be on furlough; are losing a lot of income; and in many cases are in danger of losing their jobs.

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