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Original poster

So sad about redundancies

131 replies

CathyandHeathcliff · 09/07/2020 13:19

We’re in the fortunate position so far not to have been in line for a redundancy. But I’ve just found out my close friend’s husband has. It’s really sad as they have a toddler and have only just bought their own house.
I’ve also heard today about Boots letting thousands of people go.

Will we look back on this in years to come and think lockdown was an overreaction ? Are the outcome of job losses going to be greater than the virus itself?

OP posts:
leafeater · 09/07/2020 16:23

I think the real slump will be when furlough ends, when payment holidays end and the combination of redundancies and increased outgoings will be impossible for a lot of people.

I think the lockdown should have been earlier and tighter, enabling a more effective release from lockdown by now.

sergeilavrov · 09/07/2020 16:24

@TrustTheGeneGenie Yes, but it ‘has been paused’ in that it was, and now as things open in line with health guidance, Britain must deal with the economic consequences. What I’m saying is that the recession will not be the same as in the US or Israel, thanks to that intervention. I’m not saying that’s ‘amazing my but I’d rather have something than nothing.

tabulahrasa · 09/07/2020 16:29

It’s not lockdown that’s caused the redundancies... or they’d not be making them after everything opened back up...

In fact boots where open throughout, were they not? They all were here.

RedOasis · 09/07/2020 16:32

I agree. It’s really sad for a lot of hard working families. Those with jobs worry if they will keep them and those who have lost jobs are struggling badly. I feel sad for all those out of work. All those new to the job market this year and the future for the kids...this is going to have massive impacts for years to come and it’s not fair our grandchildren will still be dealing with this in years to come. If the government could make amazon and virgin etc pay their tax bills , stop giving foreign aid when their own country have people starving and using food banks, we could go some way to sorting this out. But they’re not. They’re just throwing cash out in order to get employers to take staff back on. It’s a bad situation all round with no quick fixes. I feel for those out of work I really do

Bollss · 09/07/2020 16:32

It is the fault of lockdown. The government aimed to scare us all shitless. They succeeded, and now they want us to go out and spend, people won't because they're still convinced they will catch this and die.

Redolent · 09/07/2020 16:33

This is all before Brexit too. If people thought panic buying was bad when the supply chain was actually unaffected, wait til there are genuine shortages.

Bollss · 09/07/2020 16:35

@Redolent

This is all before Brexit too. If people thought panic buying was bad when the supply chain was actually unaffected, wait til there are genuine shortages.
What makes you so sure there will be?!
Puffthemagicdragongoestobed · 09/07/2020 16:38

Sweden didn't lock down and the Swedish economy did not necessarily fare much better.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/business/sweden-economy-coronavirus.amp.html]
I agree with previous posters that the redundancies are the result of the pandemic.
The lockdown was necessary to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, I don't think that knowingly letting the virus ravage through the population would have been ethical, especially given that we are still only learning about how to handle it and only now do longer term health implications start coming to light.
All in all it's a sad situation.

Bollss · 09/07/2020 16:38

I don't think lockdown was "ethical" either.

Jrobhatch29 · 09/07/2020 16:44

Did you not know it doesn't matter? Only covid matters now. If you have lost your job and your life is trashed you will have to go on benefits and suck it up Hmm

Redolent · 09/07/2020 16:46

@TrustTheGeneGenie

Because I’m taking the word of Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium.

Bollss · 09/07/2020 16:49

[quote Redolent]@TrustTheGeneGenie

Because I’m taking the word of Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium.[/quote]
He hasn't point blank said that it WILL happen, you know!

It could happen. Anything could happen.

FizzFan · 09/07/2020 16:53

Yes I've lost my job as a result of this and I feel all of this has been an over reaction - thought this before I was made redundant.

This. And I was absolutely sure my job was as safe as anything, I was working all the hours god sent, never been so busy in fact. If my job went I don’t think anything is safe tbh.

FizzFan · 09/07/2020 16:57

My aunt died of coronavirus. Her young carer died of coronavirus. I do not think lockdown has been an over reaction. A job is not as important as a life.

So sorry about your aunt and carer, that’s awful.

But sadly with mass job losses lots more people will die, of other issues related to poverty, but maybe also Coronavirus as well when there’s no money to fund the NHS. Health, lives, jobs, the economy - all inextricably linked.

FizzFan · 09/07/2020 17:02

I can’t find it online now but a Scottish public health chief was on TV recently saying that job losses and poverty cause serious health problems in 9 out of 10 people. That easily stands to be a lot more problematic and greater in number the way jobs are disappearing than CV.

EmMac7 · 09/07/2020 17:26

The reality is people would have lost their jobs anyway. Likely more so.

It’s a pandemic. People are staying home.

SoloMummy · 09/07/2020 17:27

@Remmy123

Yes I've lost my job as a result of this and I feel all of this has been an over reaction - thought this before I was made redundant.
Ask the families of 50000 dead if it was an over reaction!
FizzFan · 09/07/2020 17:29

EmMac that depends on the job surely. Mine is a professional role easily done at home. Not retail.

Babyroobs · 09/07/2020 17:37

Does anyone consider where all the money to pay benefits to all these people is going to come from ? It really worries me knowing how much some people get on benefits ( with high rents etc ) and multiplying that by hundreds of thousands ? It's surely going to be unsustainable in the longer term with less and less people paying taxes. I think the potential cuts in benefits, homelessness etc is terrifying.

user1497207191 · 09/07/2020 17:40

The forecast was 500,000 deaths without a lockdown. The entire NHS would also have collapsed leading to many more deaths unrelated to Covid. All that would have caused a massive recession, mass redundancies, etc. As we're seeing in other countries, the speed and extent of lockdown doesn't seem to be cause much difference when all things are considered. Unless you think we should have closed our borders completely like New Zealand before covid arrived on our Island?

Redolent · 09/07/2020 17:48

@FizzFan

EmMac that depends on the job surely. Mine is a professional role easily done at home. Not retail.
Some jobs are safe, but many industries are interconnected in a domino chain. Disruption to one aspect will cause job losses in the others.

Take the current collapse of the live music industry. This has consequences not just for musicians and venues, but for record labels, marketing executives, managers, roadies, sound engineers, music journalists, etc etc

southeastdweller · 09/07/2020 18:19

The forecast was 500,000 deaths without a lockdown

That was based on a faulty model and from someone who thought 200 million could die from bird flu and 65,000 from swine flu.

FizzFan · 09/07/2020 18:20

Some jobs are safe, but many industries are interconnected in a domino chain. Disruption to one aspect will cause job losses in the others.

Totally, that’s why I lost mine. Nothing can ever really be safe...

ivfdreaming · 09/07/2020 18:24

Every job is interconnected in some way and lots of companies will be using covid as an excuse to trim the fat and get rid of less profitable parts of the business it's just easier to do it now and blame a pandemic and the government rather than do it in 5 years time and get lots of negative press - now they get sympathy

@babyroobs

I have to say I'm a bit confused about the benefit system and who exactly it is paying out to - I went on one of those online calculators when I thought my job was at risk about what we might be entitled to should I lose my job as the main earner. DH barely earns £20k. And we are entitled to £0!!!!

Seems to me the only ones getting benefits enough to "live" off are single parents and those households where neither adult works or where one maybe earns less than £12k

Pleasance · 09/07/2020 18:37

No, I don't think Lockdown was an over reaction. Deaths within my family and friends demonstrate that none of you want to go through that. Horrendous.

Trump terrifies me with his lax attitudes.
We'll soon find out if there has been an overreaction, by sadly watching the US.

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