Furloughed fairness?

[whattodo2019]

Today we were told if we were to be furloughed. I haven't been but a colleague who does a v similar job to me has been. I am rather peeved as I now have to take on some of their work on top of my already heavy work load whilst they get to stay home on full pay!!! Our company is topping up the 80% to 100%.

That is annoying but not much you can do about it. Would have been less annoying if they just got the 80% for been at home.
My husbands work have furloughed some people and are on the 80% but have said the rest who will carry on are going to a 4 day week so will also get 80% and would need to pick up some if the tasks the others did. So is a bit rubbish for those working for the same amount as those at home. But they need to save money and are not very busy so is understandable.
They probably chose you to stay as you have more skills etc so try not to let it get to you.

I would be grateful. If they furlough someone it is because they think they were likely to otherwise be made redundant. In the longer term it seems better to be the one who is still working.

Agree with Emma, lots of us on furlough will probably not have a job to go back to despite what we are being told at the moment. Your company clearly values you which is why they have kept you working. I know which position I would rather be in.

It is interesting isn’t it?

I work in a team with four people at my level three have been furloughed and one remains, everyone feels bad for us three who have been furloughed and I think it is safe to say the one remaining is viewed as the best worker and therefore safe from subsequent redundancy but at the moment she is left at work doing the work of course people while the rest of us watch Netflix’s! It does seem a bit unfair and most people seem to think she should be grateful as she gets to stay!

I don’t know what you can do about it though! It is life and as I said if it helps they clearly view you as more competent which should help you longer term but even from my position (on 80 percent pay) in the short term it does seem unfair.

Did they say how they had made the decision who to furlough? Can see why you would be annoyed.

I've been kept on, everyone else furloughed. Seems totally unfair to me as there's still work of work to do and I'm now picking it all up. Doesn't help when a colleague totally rubbed my nose in it with a sarky comment :(

I know it’s hard short term but I agree with others that it shows you are well thought of and less likely to be made redundant. If I were you I would try to suck it up, work hard and show that you are a team player. I suspect at the end of the furlough period a sizeable number of employees will be made redundant as the economy may not bounce back straight away.

I’ve been furloughed, I don’t feel like I have security in my job.

I also think there will be this attitude from the ones who have been kept on.

The whole situation is shit.

Obviously none of us know what will happen and nothing is guaranteed. Hopefully those furloughed will keep their jobs in the end.

However, even with the caveat of nothing being guaranteed, if you a) have work to do and b) are being paid to continue working, that's probably about as good a position as you can be in under the very grim indeed current circumstances.

Do everything you can to make sure it stays that way. You know the tricks: email your boss with updates outside of core hours to let them know you're present and engaged and going beyond, make sure your output is consistent and timely, present solutions rather than problems re homeworking always focusing on problems other people may face that tangentially benefit you when solved etc. Good luck.

Oh yeah and never, ever work in your pyjamas.

My colleague in the same role was also furloughed today, v similar situation, but I’ve not reached any feeling yet beyond RELIEF that my employer has finally furloughed people. I’ve been biting my nails, wishing they’d take more action to protect cash flow and ALL of our jobs.

More than half my team have been furloughed today (various roles within the team). And it’s been .. err .. “interesting” to see the variety of reactions (among both those staying and those going). I’ve seen a bit of what people are made of today.

It's crap on both sides OP. I do hate knowing that so many people are able to stay home getting paid for it and I have to drag myself in.

The positive I would take from it is that it does put you in a more secure position if and when cuts and redundancies happen.

I'd say it's possible they rate you more than her - no disrespect to the woman

Where I work we've used the same scoring criteria as redundancy in deciding who to furlough.
Only when used in a redundancy situation you are rewarded for being good at your job, as you are less likely to be made redundant. In a furlough situation you are penalised for being good at your job as you are more likely to be kept/less likely to be furloughed.

So the incomptent or poor of attitude are the ones who get to go on furlough leave (assuming most people would rather be furloughed than not)

I've been furloughed since March.

I offered to work from home before lock down and was told it won't come to that.

When it did come to it, I asked again and was told not possible to wfh... It could have been made possible though as I'm an admin clerk.

I later found out from one of my colleagues that 2 of my colleagues went back to work in May, so they were only furloughed for approx 2 months.

I was neither written to and informed I was being furloughed, on furlough and had to ask. That was when I needed my payslips I had not been sent in order to claim benefits due to my income being slashed.

Out of the 3 of us in the office, I have been there the longest and have the most experience.

I have absolutely no idea why I was furloughed out of all of us apart from the fact I'm single and have a child but no child care currently. One of my other colleagues has 2 children but a husband to help with childcare and the other is in a household of 3 with no children.

I do feel discriminated against as I could have easily worked from home and also dealt with the home learning whilst receiving my full salary.

I have recently begun to suffer from anxiety and panic attacks for the first time in my life. I think this is due to procedure not being followed by my employer and basically feeling excluded.
I have also had to manage on 80% of my part-time pay and have my income topped up by UC as if anything have had higher outgoings through being at home.

There seems to be no justification of the selection process. It all seems very unfair.

@CaptainMarvelDanvers

''I’ve been furloughed, I don’t feel like I have security in my job.

I also think there will be this attitude from the ones who have been kept on.

The whole situation is shit.''

It certainly is

I would be grateful. If they furlough someone it is because they think they were likely to otherwise be made redundant

Not necessarily. Our company didn't top up the 80% and furloughed all their experienced more expensive staff whilst keeping the less experienced/well paid staff. We're all back now, no job losses. Sometimes it's a financial decision.

Our company didn't top up the 80% and furloughed all their experienced more expensive staff whilst keeping the less experienced/well paid staff. We're all back now, no job losses. Sometimes it's a financial decision. That sound like a misuse of the scheme - it was billed as a way to keep people on the books if otherwise you'd have to make them redundant.