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.

@mapsie OP has said on another thread that she does not work.

The UK can afford this. We paid far more to bail out the bankers, and the country bounced back, didn't it?

@herecomesgeralt what a surprise!

Yes SnoozyLou I am in complete agreement. Once employers have to contribute it will quickly end.
Thank you See99 and if those on furlough can't manage on 80% of their earnings then they will be in for a big shock on Universal Credit.

I can almost hear your hands rubbing together with glee .
I actually think it's a good idea that employers contribute to encourage them into work I'll be happy to go back part time , it'll be better than no job .
But it's the employer that needs to tell the staff to go back to work not the employee that's when its safe or when it's approved by the government as a lot can't open till July earliest.
Again op none of this is down to the employer so stop blaming employees .

I've noticed that OP is ignoring questions about her own employment. I bet she doesn't work.
Well that makes sense a person not contributing to the country's tax and insurance has the nerve to complain about where the government money is spent .

The scheme itself is clearly needed and good for thoseit genuinely helps but it is a worry its open to abuse.
Firms that have furloughed some but not all then expecting those left to do more.
Small firms that could possibly get going more now not attempting to and perhaps letting some stay of longer than needed ie bosses mate.

Blatant fraud in getting people back either full or part time and still claiming.

When people get paid do peoples pay slip say furlough? how would hmrc/ the employee know if employers are being paid full furlough but actually working.

I know 2 people who dont work that are pissed off about furlough.

It comes down to jealously. That people arent working but have 80% of their wage

I am confused now as OP starts a post with 'As an employer' on a another thread about the same thing.

Am just starting my 7th week of furlough. Am gutted because I was really hoping I would be back to work this time around. I would love to be be back working. And FIY I have paid tax for the past 42 years. Never been out of work and continue to pay tax on my furlough salary. Am so sick of idiots like the OP who clearly have no idea how soul destroying this is.

I think Op either doesn't understand basic economics or is bored and trying to get a rise out of people.

@Katykitten2 think she is Boris Johnson or Rishi Sunak no sorry my mistake she thinks she is above them all apparently she knows how to run the country better than anyone lol

I have been put on furlough. I am much better off on furlough than WFH and having nursery fees.

However I am desperate to go back to WFH. It's not my choice, it's my employer's. I keep sending weekly emails asking for it to be reviewed. It's hard to enjoy something when you don't know if there is a job to go back to at the end. I would much rather be working.

Bollocks!

FWIW not everyone on furlough has even been paid. I know of at least two people who have been waiting for payment to come through from the government on this. The self employed have also, none of them, been paid.

Maybe some people are out sunbathing. Other people are facing eviction and bankruptcy and ruining their credit ratings, but can't get new jobs because so many places are shut down, and not even the supermarkets are all taking new staff on.

I am on furlough, I will go back to work asap, as in when my workplace calls me back!

Until then, I spend my days sunbathing, binge watching box stes or spend my FREE money on luxury goods straight delivered to my door.

What's Bollocks @Katykitten2 ?
Please do tell us your words of wisdom

That's what i'm saying. This situation of paying people to pack out the roads, parks and beaches to sunbathe is a fucking joke. Letting people travel anywhere they want during a pandemic when most businesses are shut. What's the point?

I agree with on the travel, I don't think that should have happened so early to be honest because it was always going to cause a problem. However it's not just furloughed people doing it. And anyway, why shouldn't people on furlough go and enjoy the sun? Should they sit in a darkened room with a sack over their heads so you'll all know they're not enjoying it? People like me don't get to enjoy weather like this hardly at all, you know why? Because we're the ones serving people in weather like this when they're all having a good time. That's my job, I'm going to do it, but I'll be buggered if I'm not going to go for a walk or sit in my garden and enjoy it for once because someone else doesn't like it, if I'm off work, through no choice of my own and it happens to be sunny. It's just petty to suggest otherwise.

Either lockdown properly or open businesses back up.
As I said, I do agree with the traveling anywhere aspect, but it's got to start somewhere hasn't it. As much as I would love to go back right now, and under 'normal' circumstances, opening places where people gather to socialise, in close proximity and where alcohol is involved, would not be a good idea. If you're saying the traveling anywhere is an issue then opening hospitality at this point is just asking for trouble. And it's not the furloughed workers decision, and in the case of leisure/hospitality not the companies decision either.

If ever we needed a month of good old British rain.

Oh yep, because being skint, not knowing you've got a job to go back to and struggling isn't enough is it. Let's make sure those lazy scroungers on furlough can't even sit in the garden, or go out if they don't have one. How dare they try and make the best of the situation they find themselves in!

@Justanotherscumbag

It's not about the people on furlough, I don't blame them, but the situation is ridiculous.

I don't begrudge people enjoying the sun but the last thing we need is a hot bank holiday this weekend just when people have given up with lockdown and increasingly on social distancing when they can get away with it.

@MadameMarie why will it just be people on furlough out this bank holiday weekend? Everyone who works office hours will be off at the weekend too.

@Waxonwaxoff0 Basically yeah, if you thought today was busy the weekend will be heaving if the weather is nice

@MadameMarie

Yes, in all likelihood nice places that attract tourists normally will be packed out on a hot bank holiday weekend. But as I and a pp pointed out, not just by those on furlough. Some will be, some won't be. And again, if you think that's going to cause a problem, then opening all the businesses that are closed so people don't get furlough, well that's just going to encourage people to go isn't it.

I was talking to a client yesterday who is struggling to get people to go back to work so clearly it is having an effect. 80% is not too generous for people at the lower end of the pay scale but for some, including anyone who still lives at home with parents, it is.

I fear there are a very substantial number of SME’s who simply will not have the cash reserves on hand to meet redundancy payments. When furlough ends, lots will neither be able to pay wages or meet redundancy obligations. They will liquidate, leaving the tax payer with the neccesity to make good the redundancy owed.

Some firms will be cutting the wage bill for other reasons, not because they are currently short of cash, but because they have realised they were over staffed. They have now reached a new understanding of who was, and who was not productive enough, to be valuable enough to keep on post furlough.

Furlough was a great idea to put things on hold very short term, while the NHS was readied for Covid. Dragging it out for months until every covidrisk can be reduced to level acceptible to even the most risk averse is madness.

Being furloughed must be a worry because those staff are more likely to face redundancy before those working.