Furlough extended to end June

[bathsh3ba]

This is depressing. I guess that means they don't intend to relax lockdown in any way before then - but won't we then just get a second wave in time for flu season?

The original end date was 31st May, hence the reason to extend now otherwise would be entering the 45 day consultation period

45 day consultation is a red herring.
When companies go into administration or liquidation they do it immediately (Thomas Cook etc)

If companies cannot pay their rent or other bills while their staff are furloughed, that will be that

Especially as Grant Schapps told people not to plan summer holidays today

@Beebityboo

World at 1 on R4 today. Interview with the owner (I think) of Punch Taverns. Of course he has a vested interest in the under 45s going back to work but it was an interesting interview.

I'm one of the lucky ones who is still fully in work (overworked actually) and our company announced there would be no redundancies in 2020, no caveats. Will I be affected when they raise taxes to pay for this? Absolutely. But these are truly exceptional circumstances and I'm thankful that this was put in place to assist those who needed it. I have family members on furlough and can certainly attest that they're not treating it as a 'holiday'. They're concerned about whether their businesses will survive and they'll have a job at the end of it, and very mindful that any other jobs will be hard to come by. I'm grateful that this isn't another example of 'I'm alright Jack' and hopeful that this is the way we move forward in the future

Only 11 people under the age of 45 have died from it (in the U.K.), 2 women and 9 men. Let’s face it, it isn’t a risk to most of the workforce. Those over 70 are mostly taking a pension, so let’s get the under 45s, with no underlying conditions, back to work - it’s the workers that are being financially penalised, not the pensioners.

According to who?
And even if the number is low, that is GREAT news. It means lockdown is actually working. Imagine if lockdown didn’t work or that if we didn’t do one at all, the numbers will be sky high. It will Spanish flu numbers all over again.
5500 new cases today (plus 850 deaths) and that’s with a lockdown. It’s depressing.

@rhianna1980

Have a look at the link ListeningQuietly posted earlier.

@Rhianna1980

The interview on World at 1 today, with the guy from Punch Taverns is also worth a listen.

I've been working in the travel industry for all my life and I've been in the same company for the last 11 years and I m on furlough now. The travel industry is the first to go down and in this case will be the last to restart. I m not taking this period as some of you said as "holiday" but I m worried for my job and for all the people working in this industry. Tourism won't go back in June or July but if we are lucky things will start to move a bit again in October which means we'll miss the high season (summer). From November till March again is low season which means we miss a whole year of potential business.

Beebity is that ONS data up to date or to the end of March?

@luckyfab

80% of pay to stay off work looks like a holiday to those still going into work, working from home while trying to manage childcare and especially for those who have had to take a pay cut to carry on working their full time hours. Whether you like it or not.

What about those of us that changed jobs on March, due to not having psychic ability and are there furlouhjed without a fucking penny?

Yeah, it's a great 'holiday' @LooQoo. Less income is just what we need. Two of us with MH issues in a tiny, one bedroom flat with a small balcony. Exercise is a choice of walking through an industrial estate or an absolute dump of a housing estate. It's a real barrel of fun - try it sometime and then tell me it's a holiday, 'whether I like it or not'.

AJPTaylor - if you were on payroll before or on 19th March, you are covered. Alternatively you can ask your previous employer to re-employ you and put you immediately onto Furlough, backdated to March 1.

@LooQoo
I have a different idea of being "on holiday"
Usually when I m on holiday I don't think on how I will manage to pay my bills in a couple of months or what to cut from my shopping list.

I work full time, probably will through the whole crisis. I don't mind my taxes being raised to pay for the furlough scheme - it's necessary

@AJPTaylor

Sorry to miss you out. I don’t think some of those on furlough are appreciating how well they are being treated, in comparison to others. Such as yourself.

@BamboozledandBefuddled

FFS you are both getting 80% of your salary for not doing your job. I feel more sorry for the others I listed above.

Seems like those on furlough can't win. If they were at work doing non-essential jobs then people would have a go because they're potential spreading coronavirus. If they are put on furlough, they're getting a free holiday. If they lose/lost their jobs due to redundancy or company going bust then they'd have to claim benefits and would be seen as scrounging off the government.

So what's the solution then?? I honestly can't see anything that is 100% fair to everyone so I think we need to make the best compromise for the majority of people and the country as a whole.

Remember that people on furlough are almost certainly tax payers and will therefore be footing the bill just as much as everyone still working, whether from home of not.

I'm not on furlough btw, I've been working from home and am now on mat leave, so I'm thankful that my wages will be exactly what I had anticipated before this all started. Other people aren't so lucky and I'm sure many would love to be back at work earning full pay instead of 80% and getting out of the house rather than being stuck on 'holiday'.

@LooQoo You're a selfish, self centred person. Me me me.

Well, self employed on above £50k are taxpayers too. They will be paying for help to others (but not themselves) for years to come too. I still don’t get why furloughing employees ‘saves’ businesses - if they had made staff redundant they could recruit again - furloughed staff continue to accrue holiday etc so it’s not without cost for employers

I work full time - and do mind my taxes being used to benefit only some and not all. I cannot see how it is equitable that an employee on £150k gets 2.5k a month but a sole trader with profits of 51k gets zero

Many people on furlough know that they may be made redundant.
Many people on furlough have no savings buffer to make up that 20% towards their rent
Many people WFH know that they may be made redundant

EVERYBODY knows that taxes will rise to pay for all this

@LooQoo To be more specific "There is definitely an imbalance and the people I know who are still working full time don’t see why they should end up paying higher taxes / having their pension age raised to pay for it." Great so the few people lucky enough to be working for companies that are unaffected, begrudge the rest of us who are screwed and have good chances of being made redundant because you think we're getting a holiday. Fucking ridiculous.

"In reality, a lot of companies who were not far from the wall have taken the furlough option to try and hang in. That isn’t what it was meant for, it was meant to protect workers in travel, hospitality, non essential retail who had to shut. I know solicitors, recruitment agents, accountants who have all been furloughed."
No it was meant for all companies who are affected. Its not just hispitality businesses that have lost most of their income streams. The point is to keep as much of the economic structure in place as possible to try to help make recovery easier. Stop being so bloody self centred.

FFS @LooQoo where did I say we both work? I'm my mum's carer - perhaps you also think Carer's Allowance is a great income? And clearly you don't realise in your secure little bubble that even 1% cut in income can push a household into difficulties. In all likelihood, my DH will be made redundant in the next couple of months. He's 61 with major health problems, so he isn't going to walk straight into a new job (if he ever works again). I'm bloody thankful that we've got slightly longer before the shit really hits the fan - if you begrudge that, then it's your issue not mine. With what it says about you, I wouldn't be airing it in public but that's your choice.

Am I wrong to think that we can't furlough forever? I can't see the government doing this beyond 6 months at the most. They will either

1. send everyone back to work by August/Sept at the earliest

2. Replace the Furlough Scheme with UC and we might have a situation like USA where people have signed up for record unemployment. Because a lot of furloughed workers would be sacked or have to take extended unpaid leave if furlough scheme was removed.