Furlough / working backside off

[Mingkong]

Am I the only person who is hacked off seeing people frolicking about whilst on furlough, while my husband works 12 hour days ? Also we have stuck to the rules throughout. I appreciate that he is lucky to have a job but he is worn out , not a break from the screen, has had shingles and eczema over the lockdown months, but still carries on without complaint. Meanwhile others ( some through no fault of their own ) are furloughed and having a jolly old time . And who will have to pay the furlough money ??? Us !! Makes me bloody angry.

So you come on here to slag people off who are furloughed through no fault of their own because they are all “having a great time” worried about if they will still have a job etc etc and you didn’t get the responses you wanted so your fucking off due to “mental health” see ya

You say some have been furloughed through no fault of their own, which suggests that some people on furlough are to blame?

Somebody on furlough isn't workshy, you have to have had a job in the first place to be furloughed.

I was furloughed last March and made redundant a few months later. Bundles of fun that was.

My dh ended up with some quite major depression because of furlough (his work actually didn’t tell him he was furloughed for three days when he was busy working from home). This went on for four tortuous months - no going to the beach for him or day drinking. He was extremely low for four months, struggled with feelings of self worth,, felt without a purpose. He then got made redundant because they took the company down. He is working again now, but furlough, whilst I was working six days a week for about ten hours a day was a real low point in our lives.

I get how you feel. But everyone's got different priorities and perspectives of what would be the worst position.

At the start of the first lockdown when I was in Easter 'holidays' and there was no such thing as support bubbles and you could only exercise alone, I was seriously jealous of the doctors and nurses in Covid hell. Obviously that's unreasonable but that's where my mind was going as a single adult in my 30s living alone with good physical health but poor mental health.

My personal hierarchy of 'shitness' (because, let's face it, nobody's got it good right now!) is:
Worst - unemployed/self employed without support
Then - furloughed and worried
Then - working alone from home
Then - furloughed but secure
Best - working at work

But that list would be very different for someone who is worried about Covid, for example.

In summary - everyone's just muddling through and nobody really has much to be jealous of, I guess. I'd certainly hate to be furloughed right now and am so grateful I can go into work most days, even if there aren't many children or staff around to see.

Lots of people round where I am have been furloughed for almost a year and taken second jobs - so they've basically been on 150% or more of their normal salary and are wildly keen to see the current situation continue (and one or two have been noticeably unfussed about social distancing rules too - almost as if they really want it to carry on). It's... dispiriting. Especially as I've missed out on any self-employed support, but Rishi Sunak's told all self-employed people they're picking up the tab for furlough. I don't think they would have established the furlough system if they had had any idea how long it was going to go on for. It's an utter shitshow.

Honestly just fuck off.

I got made redundant from my last job after furlough, so that was fun.

I’m now furloughed from my new ish job, a job I love and I’m massively struggling and depressed. Dh is working 10hr days, my days are like Groundhog Day. I’m desperately worried about losing this job.

What fucking jollies do you think everyone is going on? We’re in a lockdown!

I would a million times rather be doing my normal job, however stressful it sometimes is.

I felt like this last lockdown. I was still having to go to work whilst my scummy neighbours laid in the garden getting pissed all day, enjoying the warm weather. Now they’re complaining because it’s cold and they can’t do that and it’s affecting their mental health. Wasn’t saying that last time though 🤔

You are being totally unreasonable. Of course most people would like a long stretch of time off work still being mostly paid, but the reality of being on furlough for a lot of people must be awful, worry about whether you'll be made redundant, if your sector will ever recover, some people struggling on 80% or less of their income which is if you were on a low income before or had cut your cloth according to your previous income might be totally unmanageable. Have you not noticed the amount of people being made redundant with limited chances to find anything else, or the huge rise in use of food banks etc?
I'm a HCP so no skin in the game as been working as usual throughout but am not short sighted enough to feel jealous.

@Rooroobear

So you come on here to slag people off who are furloughed through no fault of their own because they are all “having a great time” worried about if they will still have a job etc etc and you didn’t get the responses you wanted so your fucking off due to “mental health” see ya

Amazing

I feel absolutely no envy to those furloughed. If they can get some joy out of it good for them

No OP you shouldn't have posted. It probably hasn't done anyone who's furloughed mental health any good reading your bile.

Yabvu. I have been furloughed on and off for nearly a year. I'm financially struggling with lack of earnings,constantly worrying if I will be made redundant,spending all day every day on my own.it is shit!
I'm sorry your husband is struggling but this has nothing to do with furlough.
If he is ill then take time off sick!
If he needs a break then take annual leave!
Maybe he could reduce his hours and you could up yours to readdress the work balance in your own hone?!

I was furloughed first time around.
Then made redundant.
Luckily I had other experience in a role that hasn't closed down and have worked since May.
I can see both sides, I didn't ask or want to be furloughed, I barely coped on 100% wages so a loss of 20% sent me into debt. The loss of everything almost finished me, I am so, so lucky to have the experience I do and that I only went 10 days unemployed technically.

I'm just about straight nearly a year on, some of my ex colleagues really aren't living it up as they're struggling to find anything, losing homes.
The only reason I've dug myself out is the insane amounts of overtime I've done. Covering other colleagues with covid or self isolating. So I have an understanding of how knackered you can get.
This situation has left no one untouched. Even if furlough were not there, people would have had to claim benefits, that's got to come from somewhere.

I'm paying 'back' my furlough if you want to see it that way, no one's having an ace time living it up, working or furloughed.

YABVU

It's definitely not as noticeable as it was in the summer.
We've had no breaks either. DP is in the emergency services so very hard to get any time off. I'm working from home while trying to look after a 1yr old and it's hard work.
It does seem the reality of furlough may have finally hit home for a lot of people who originally took the piss. I know of a lot of people who pushed to be furloughed by saying their workplace wasn't safe and eventually the workplaces gave in - now those people don't have jobs. It serves them right as they were only doing it so they could have a lovely summer being paid not to work (which they freely admitted to).

It's awful for those who did want to work though and have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. They could be impacted for years and god knows what will improve the situation.
My job is one that will take a hit with pay freezes and job losses to pay for furlough so yes, I'm pissed off when I see people taking the piss with furlough.

The truth is, your partner would have been working these hours anyway.
I also know people who didn't enjoy their jobs and commute and love being on furlough, but I can see it helped keep people connected to an employer. Millions would have been unemployed and on UC by now without the furlough scheme. That's more competition for job seekers. It is what it is. The UK did what many European countries did.
I don't think it should be extended though. Businesses have had time to pivot where possible. If they couldn't, they might not be viable in their existing form in the pandemic era - assuming more of this to come.

Everything has become very inequitable, much more than normal. Those still working having to work much harder generally, unemployed who are skilled and hard workers who can’t find a job, some getting furlough money and then working on top of that in other jobs or cash in hand. Some businesses booming and some going bankrupt. If anyone is to blame it’s not those on furlough though, it’s the government who have failed to control the pandemic.

I have felt like this, but a lot of the furloughed people I know have since been made redundant.

Having a bitch about other people but when the shit is thrown back in your direction because, let's face it, you were just being nasty, you claim mental health issues and sod off.

Get over yourself.

I've worked all the way through and coupled with homeschooling it's been beyond tough at times. However, I am so grateful to have some job security.
Family who have been furloughed are living in a constant state of anxiety not knowing if they will have a job.

It sucks all around.

It's not their fault though is it op?

I felt pissed off during lockdown #1, everyone on furlough was having a jolly old time at n the garden and homeschooling. I was working at home with a 4 year old and dh working 12 hour days away from home.

But it isn't their fault that their industries have closed.

I'm on furlough for the second time.

Didn't enjoy it first time, definitely not enjoying it this time. Haven't seen anyone other than my partner for weeks.

I'm going to be incredibly lucky to have a job to go back too. The company are doing all they can, but this can't go on forever. Feels very uncertain at the moment.

My kids have worked throughout, and grateful for it.

Would it make you feel better if people that can’t work because of the pandemic are unemployed, made homeless abs miserable?

Sorry your having a hard time, but other people suffering won’t make your situation better.

Furlough is there to enable people who can’t work to continue to pay there bills and fees their families.

Would you feel better if they lost their jobs and all their possessions?

Try not looking at everything based on how it affects YOU and try putting yourself into other people's shoes. It will help you in life, not just your narrow minded view of this situation.

I'm in the working 12 backside off camp, 12 hour days, on laptop all evening, no separation between work and home, exhausted. TBH, I'd rather that than furlough as I don't have the money stress and no my life can go pretty much back to normal without having to job hunt with millions of others. Also, the people I know who are really suffering with their mental health now seem to be the ones with nothing to do and too much time on their hands to think and be bored.

What are you doing to help him? My DH is also working all day but he brings me lunch and cups of tea which really helps as I can't even get out of my office most days. My company have also recently introduced mandatory lunch hours. They often get booked over but everyone has one in their calendars now so maybe 3 days a week I get out for a quick walk at lunchtime which really helps as well.