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Original poster

To think the government should just lockdown and bring furlough back...

136 replies

Riskyrice · 16/12/2021 12:50

.... As right now we might as well be in lockdown? Its like a lockdown by stealth-scaring the shit out of people so they stay at home, but not offering any support to businesses impacted.

I work in retail and this morning I have had 1 customer. This would usually be a busy week with people christmas shopping. It is also usually busy between Xmas and new year, but I imagine it will be tumbleweed. So many pubs are going to be in trouble because everyone has cancelled Xmas party bookings.

The government should just close shops and hospitality now and bring back furlough instead of this ridiculous middle ground.

OP posts:
Immaculatemisconception · 16/12/2021 13:43

To think the government should just lockdown and bring furlough back

YABU

CousinGregg · 16/12/2021 13:44

Nope

lololololollll · 16/12/2021 13:44

@NorthSouthcatlady

No. We don’t have the money for people to sit at home
Selfish attitude. I don't have the money to keep my business open with no customers.... someone will always be in the shit which ever way you look at it
userxx · 16/12/2021 13:45

Fuck no.

JuneOsborne · 16/12/2021 13:49

Pandemics are expensive. For a whole host of reasons.

Furlough is actually a fairly controlled way of dealing with the economy compared with mass businesses folding and mass unemployment as a result of businesses folding. Also, if a business takes a say, quarter of its turnover in December and it's a shit December because of a pandemic, that's less money in the tax pot.

Whichever way you slice and dice it, it's not cheap to live through a pandemic. At least with furlough there's an attempt to save businesses and job and livelihoods.

Sorry things are so shit for you op.

VladmirsPoutine · 16/12/2021 13:49

I think they should but as you can tell from how this thread is going the government are lucky that the populace would rather more people struggle and die than have the state act to the benefit of us all.

JessieLongleg · 16/12/2021 13:54

As above if people are let go because of low customers they get on benefits. And employment benefit is to low to keep most people out of debt, furlough at least allowed people to pay their bill and spend money on food etc. Then the government get more vat. It makes no sense to keep people on such low money and sterotype the as people that want to stay at home for free. There is such a small amount of people that see benefits as a free stay at home. People want jobs so they don't get stressed about money. These people that sterotype people in that way are not looking at the bigger impact on the economy or get those people want a future career. This government are very skilled at blaming those individuals why allowing our economy to be dependent on less secure jobs. I get some people don't have ambition but that's a really a small amount and poverty is. It a route out of poverty is just a very sick side of capitalism. If business run at the most efficient there will always be a certain amount of people between jobs. New jobs are not mostly pickled up instantly especially now.

RoastedParnsip · 16/12/2021 13:54

No I want to not be made unemployed at Christmas. What an unpleasant comment.

So why do you want to be furloughed so badly just because you had a quiet day? Hmm

CellophaneFlower · 16/12/2021 13:57

The issue I had with furlough was that furloughed staff could get another job. Made no sense to me, unless they were limited to only earning what they needed to top up their furlough to their usual wage.

Perhaps if furloughed staff had to actually work for their wage (vaccinators, emergency response operators etc) it may have made sense.

At one point, supermarkets were crying out for staff, whilst some sat at home being paid. How is this right? So yes, perhaps no furlough and universal credit instead might make sense.

Getyourarseofffthequattro · 16/12/2021 13:58

@CellophaneFlower

The issue I had with furlough was that furloughed staff could get another job. Made no sense to me, unless they were limited to only earning what they needed to top up their furlough to their usual wage.

Perhaps if furloughed staff had to actually work for their wage (vaccinators, emergency response operators etc) it may have made sense.

At one point, supermarkets were crying out for staff, whilst some sat at home being paid. How is this right? So yes, perhaps no furlough and universal credit instead might make sense.

What do you propose they do with their children whilst they're out vaccinating? (Untrained vaccinators doesn't seem like a great idea either)
Getyourarseofffthequattro · 16/12/2021 13:58

And just LOL at universal credit instead

caringcarer · 16/12/2021 13:59

There is no more money for more furlough. They were too generous first tim we around with 80 percent. Most European countries paid between 60 and 75 percent.

Brighteyedtriangle · 16/12/2021 13:59

What shop do you work in?

It cant be the shopping centres near me, they are rammed.

VladmirsPoutine · 16/12/2021 14:00

@CellophaneFlower You're the perfect citizen for this type of government. I bet you also think parents shouldn't be given vouchers for their kids if in need of free school meals incase they trade them for a gram of crack.

OhdearOhdearOhdearIndeed · 16/12/2021 14:02

If you ignore a lot of the press that profit from hysteria and listen to the scientists then it is a very mild variant. Which is the kind of variant I would want to get if it is true. I'm not sure a lockdown of the same magnitude as before is warranted this time, in fact it is going to lead to further declines in health, both mental and physical, which would lead to more strain on the NHS.

As stated a million times before, part of the issue of an overwhelmed NHS is delayed discharges, reduction in the number of beds, staffing issues and not recruiting new staff (wages are an issue as they are the same wherever you live in the country, unless it's London).

KilmordenCastle · 16/12/2021 14:03

@MorningStarling

I agree that there should be another lockdown but disagree about bringing back furlough. I think we just need to let businesses fail, a good business will have a backup plan to cope with a few more months of no income. Businesses that are surviving hand to mouth can be afforded to let go under. Their better prepared competitors will take over their customer base, and when the pandemic is over there will be an opportunity for new companies to fill any gap in the market.

It's unfortunate for the staff who will be let go of course but there are always casualties. The money spent on furlough is either borrowed or diverted from elsewhere. In either case it means other services will suffer and the people who rely on those services will suffer.

No furlough harms the staff of a failed business but furlough harms society more widely.

Wow Shock this is a really shitty attitude to have. You know that you are talking about huge numbers of people losing there jobs here? It's not just a few "casualties".

I work in hospitality and was furloughed through the lockdowns. I desperately don't want another lockdown and I don't think that the country can afford furlough again. I (and every one of my colleagues as far as I know) want to keep my job, be allowed to do my job and be able to earn my own money rather than be given it by the taxpayer. DH and I both work in hospitality and we are able to work around each other to look after the dc's. If you want us to lose our jobs and not get furlough then please find us both new jobs that we can do with schools closed and no childcare, and make sure that we're earning enough to pay the bills and put food on the table.

gogohm · 16/12/2021 14:03

The reason I've not been shopping this morning is because I've been at work (actually at work I don't wfh) I'm off shopping when I finish my cup of tea! We can't afford furlough as a country

CellophaneFlower · 16/12/2021 14:04

Plenty of people were trained to be vaccinators. It doesn't take a medical degree.

LakieLady · 16/12/2021 14:05

@Hospedia

its not about saving lives this time its about not overwhelming hospitals

Exactly this.

If 10,000,000 get infected (just for example) and around 1% need some sort of hospital treatment or an A&E or walk-in visit - then that's 100,000 people. While those 100,000 people are being seen what happens to the strokes, the heart attacks, the car accidents, the appendicitis cases, the overdoses, the industrial accidents, the anaphylaxis, and so on - where do they go when there is no capacity to treat them?

And that's not to mention the strain on infrastructure when medical staff, emergency personnel, food chain workers, childcare workers, teachers, bus drivers, etc are sick and/or isolating.

I agree.

I know 12 people who've tested positive in the last 9 days, including my 83 year old MIL. And I don't know hundreds of people or anything.

BIL's father is currently in hospital with it.

It's such a worrying time. Christmas has been cancelled for many,

Landof · 16/12/2021 14:06

Sorry to hear you've been quiet today. I wonder if it's area dependant? I went in to my local city today and it was really festive and busy.

Getyourarseofffthequattro · 16/12/2021 14:08

@CellophaneFlower

Plenty of people were trained to be vaccinators. It doesn't take a medical degree.
No it doesn't take a degree but it should take a certain level of training and you should be paid properly for it but apparently you don't want that.
caringcarer · 16/12/2021 14:08

Also last time we had furlough Sunak said there were many fraudulent claims by businesses and the self employed. Until they find a better way of validating claims I don't think there will be any more furlough. Tax people are still going through claims and clawing money back now.

Original poster
Riskyrice · 16/12/2021 14:09

@Brighteyedtriangle

What shop do you work in?

It cant be the shopping centres near me, they are rammed.

It's an independant shop in a town.
OP posts:
caringcarer · 16/12/2021 14:10

I think online retailers will do well.

luverlybubberly · 16/12/2021 14:11

It's busy here. I walked past a cafe at 11am this morning and there was a long queue. This is at a park - I suspect that the coffee shops in the shopping centres will be heaving