Furlough madness

[Katykitten2]

Surely I'm not the only one who thinks this furlough scheme, whilst deserving of some merit, is far too generous? At 80% there is little to encourage people to return to work since this other 20% is accounted for by the savings in petrol, coffees and other work related daily expenditure.
This has all got to be paid for remember.

[pinkpinecone]

Wow OP, sorry but you just sound extremely ignorant. The people on furlough can't return to work because the businesses they work for are either unable to operate or their roles are effectively redundant until the business can operate properly again.

[SnoozyLou]

OP, you do realise that if all these people lose their jobs, not only will the economy tank, but they will need to be supported with employment allowance, housing benefits etc which will probably cost as much anyway? I’m not sure this government are doing it through the goodness of their hearts 🤔

[SnoozyLou]

**Companies will be asked to contribute. You don't really think that those sectors that won't be open will not be supported by the government do you?

I don’t think anything. I would wait and see. I wouldn’t like to bet my house on it though. And a loan isn’t the same as a grant. There is no way they’re going to bail out everyone though:

[clumsyduck]

I wish people would stop saying “encourage people to go back to work” as if furloughed people had a choice for ffs

Luckily I’m still at work but 90 percent Of the rest of Our staff are furloughed and would rather not be

[BoujiSnail]

Obviously full sympathies to all on furlough but I do wonder if there could have been a better system. My colleagues teenage daughter has a 6 hour per week contract with a high street clothes shop. She was expecting to get the money for her contracted hours whilst she was furloughed but they're paying her a median of the last six months, including overtime, so she's getting paid £200 per month. If I get sick and can't work I won't get paid for any other time, only for my contracted hours. Why is furlough more generous than sick pay or maternity pay?

[AhGoGo]

@BoujiSnail

The problem there would be how complex the system would be. This one is easy. It go’s through the PAYE system. If it went on contracted hours what would happen to those on zero hour contracts? The more variables you include the harder the system gets and the more vulnerable people would be impacted.

[AhGoGo]

Sick pay in the country is shockingly low
Maternity pay is something you budget for and know if going to happen.

We lost our jobs overnight.

[BackforGood]

I agree there’s loads of demand for staff in other areas that aren’t being filled


@daisymay133 Can you tell me where these jobs are please?

As I know quite a few people who have lost their jobs / all their income (and aren't furloughed) because everybody is having to stay at home. They will be thrilled to hear there is something they can apply for.

@Katykitten2 - are you going to come back and back up your thoughts / discuss with other posters, or just leave the opening post and run ?

[See99]

This is a problem as a business owner client told me today that people who he has furloughed are digging in and don’t want to go back. 80% of salary is better than any final salary pension scheme so I can see why they don’t want to. It was too generous but the government had to move fast. Nobody on furlough should be able to save money and yet I am in contact with people who are.

[AhGoGo]

Finally, while your friends daughter is on a 6 hour contract and that is all they expected. What about the people on 6 hour contracts (because that was all that was offered) but pick up every extra shift going to make ends meet?

[Justanotherscumbag]

Obviously full sympathies to all on furlough but I do wonder if there could have been a better system. My colleagues teenage daughter has a 6 hour per week contract with a high street clothes shop. She was expecting to get the money for her contracted hours whilst she was furloughed but they're paying her a median of the last six months, including overtime, so she's getting paid £200 per month. If I get sick and can't work I won't get paid for any other time, only for my contracted hours. Why is furlough more generous than sick pay or maternity pay?

Well I don't get anything except SSP if I'm sick.
But I would imagine it's the average amount (I did think it was for the last tax year according to my employer though, not 6 months) because of 0 hours contracts.
I would guess that will all hospitality and leisure closed, the majority of furloughed workers are 0 hours contracts. I technically am even though I have a rota and regular hours, I'm not contracted to them. Most jobs in this sector work like that, so the people that needed it the most would get nothing.

[pinkpinecone]

@BoujiSnail I can understand it seems unfair in ways. Exactly as Ahgogo says. It's a system they could get in place as quickly as possible to keep jobs open and keep cash flowing to give the economy the best possible chance of recovery. There maybe be elements that seem unfair in relation to other benefits but it's a quick fix it's not going to be permanent.

Agreed though sick pay is terrible and maternity isn't great unless you get it through your employer not statutory.

[CoachBombay]

I'm not furloughed, I'm working full time, lone parent. It's a nightmare, an actual living nightmare I'm so stressed out.

But....

Furlough is a job retention scheme, not ever job will be saved. We are about to nosedive in to one of the biggest depressions and recessions in living memory. Millions of the furloughed people will loose their income completely. They are literally on borrowed time for income, and it's borrowed at 80%.

My job is secure, yes I'm crying most nights through stress but my employment is secure. Millions on furlough, not so much.

The grass ain't always greener OP.

[Flamingofolie]

Nobody on furlough should be able to save money and yet I am in contact with people who are.

What? If people live within their means and can save on furlough good on them. I managed to save while on benefits many years ago because I was frugal with it. Dont be a dick. People dont need to suffer because they're unlucky with their industry/employer.

[SinisterBumFacedCat]

Oh what a surprise OP hasn’t come back

[Mulhollandmagoo]

Could you let us know what you think the alternative should be?

[turnthebiglightoff]

Furlough bashing is really fucking lame. I've heard it every day now since I was furloughed on full pay, you'd fucking hate me and it's boring. Go away.

[justkeepmovingon]

Honestly the system is so messed up, yo dvd one who is furloughed I'm sure they would rather be back at work, but a massive issue is that the 2+ million directors of the limited businesses that employ 13.5 million staff have been totally left out of any support scheme.

So if your company boss will be getting nothing, they have bills to pay as well - many people will find they have to close the business they've run for years, as the profits if any won't even cover redundancy and tax bills.

It's a shitfight for everyone and I don't envy furloughed workers at all, I'd be busy skilling up fast.

[Peppafrig]

Get a grip OP . Saving money on coffees . You live in a dream land. 80% of minimum wage is awful when you are already eating the cheapest food money can buy on 100% of your wages. When you walk to work as you can't afford a car or transport . Now we have to supply school supplies for the kids too. When we already have no money spare at the end of the month. Yeah 80% is fucking fantastic.

[ChristmasCarcass]

I agree there’s loads of demand for staff in other areas that aren’t being filled

Oh really, there are sectors with more than 8 million vacancies right now? Which ones?

[Rhodri]

I don't think that business that were allowed to operate should have been allowed to furlough staff
I kind of get what OP means. Some businesses are still operating and are perfectly capable of paying and retaining staff. They’ve just used furlough as a way to reduce their losses during a slow period. DH’s employer is having a slow time with sales so has furloughed people until it picks up, even though they don’t need to. They have work coming in and are actually putting it off. DH is desperate to be furloughed because he’d lose approx £200 a week and is perfectly happy to “pay” £800 for a month long holiday.

[JudyCoolibar]

At 80% there is little to encourage people to return to work

The whole point is that, if this wasn't available, they would be made redundant, so there isn't any work to encourage them to return to.

As and when it is withdrawn, people will have the choice of returning to work of being sacked. I don't know about you, but that would definitely encourage me to return.

[Mightymurphy]

OP are you coming back?

[MrsG010814]

The OP won't come back, she's realised she has no idea what she's talking about and is basing her thoughtless opinions on what she reads in the daily mail.

[Peggysgettingcrazy]

In a round about way the op has a point.

We have returned our work force. There was a small, but vocal amount of staff the resisted coming back, throwing every blocker in the way to returning. The 80%, but not working was great for them. Some of them have being behaving disgustingly, during the return.

One of my own team isnt wasn't fussed about coming back and wanted to be one of the last. However, now she is the only one not back, she has realised she is quite vulnerable if they decide to cut numbers. We won't, but she is worrying.

But it does only apply to a very small amount of people. It is a generous scheme. It needed to be

But people will have to go back when their company can. They don't have to be convinced to go back. And I dont see why it should be removed, from those that need it, because a small amount of people are dicks. Those people, could stop being dicks.