Why such hatred towards people on furlough?

[blvdbrokendreams]

I am on maternity. I was put on Furlogh in march, my place of work reopened in July. I was too far pregnant and stayed on furlough until my maternity started.
I fell pregnant before the pandemic. We have a 4 month old daughter. My husband is a chef. He went back to work in July and worked until November baring 2 weeks of paternity leave. Furloghed in November and then due to tiers has not gone back. He gets 80 percent of his wage. Thats 201 pound a week. I get statutory maternity pay. 151 pound a week. We have a mortgage property and bills to pay.

The hatred towards people on furlough insisting we have a higher tax rate when we go back, saying we are lazy and not hard working. My husband has applied for 60 jobs this past week alone. Unfortunately with most being zero hours he's reluctant to apply in case he ends up with less then his furlough pay. I've applied to go back to work. I too work in hospitality, I would be on part furlough so wouldn't be any better off plus they have no hours for me. We are desperate to work.
Once furlough ends a higher tax rate for 2 adults on minimum wage would cripple us financially.

Why the hatred? Were not rich, we are struggling. Weve missed meals so we can afford formula and pay our mortgage.
I'm just fed up of the assumptions people make about us

People see it as the holy grail... Being paid to do nothing. when the reality can be very different as in your case. It was particularly bad in summer because people on furlough were seen as being on an extended holiday because the weather was so nice.

My husband was furloughed and I was as jealous as hell! I was going out to work throughout, I couldn't even work from home.

So assuming everyone is a bit like me, it's jealousy.

I had open heart surgery 18 months ago and have to shield. From this week on its the 3rd time I've been furloughed! People can say what they like, if I catch it, its game over! I checked with the vaccine roll out calendar and there's 7 million in front of me! May at the earliest. Sod what people say everyone's just angry and so let's blame the furloughed, lets blame the immigrants, lets blame the chinese. Typical taking it out on anyone. It's an awful situation we are all in but we have to pull together.

I work in a sector that stopped almost overnight in March. I get no financial support. No furlough, no grants, nothing. I'm close to retirement, and had been saving for that. Savings mean that I'm not entitled to any benefits.

It's shit for many. And it's not a competition.

But I sometimes feel a lot of irritation when I hear other people who are working, or who are furlough moaning. I know it's tough for them too, and I keep my irritation inside.

I don't understand the hatred towards those on furlough at all. I'm working (NHS nurse) and I'm so grateful to be in work on full wages, to have a very fulfilling job and still feel a strong sense of purpose. I feel for everyone at home who doesn't have that. It's a horrible time and I think my mental health would really be suffering if I was on furlough. Here's hoping for better times in 2021 for you OP and everyone else on furlough.

Yeah it never occurred to me until the other day when my friend asked if we were jealous of furloughed people. We were just grateful to keep working.

OP, can he not take on a zero hour job on top of his furlough? Then when he can return to work he can resign from the zero hour role.

You should also apply for universal credit as you might get a small top up.

I was furloughed for 4 months over summer, it was FAB. Agree they're just jealous. Went for long daily walks, lazing in the park, cooking long recipes. Probably one of the best Summers for a long time for me.

It's jealousy. Nothing else. People conveniently forget all the times when they've had it better than other people and have accepted it without question and focus on the fact they feel it's unfair.

I think people are jealous and can't see past the idea of "free money". They just don't see the financial hardship and worry because they're not living it.

I hope your DH finds something soon.

It's jealously. And I have been jealous of people on furlough when I was trying to manage two kids and my job and close to burnout. My husband was working as many hours as ever and still had a paycut. However I got over it as we both had job security which those in a number of furloughed jobs wouldn't have. Compared to Debenhams staff I'm very bloody lucky.

I don't believe it's hatred. Having really struggled through the first lockdown WFH full time while also trying to supervise a 13 yo with SEN in schooling (no online lessons, just set work) and got dangerously close to a breakdown, to find that the public sector were going to be paying for furlough with yet another pay freeze, then I was extremely pissed off. DH was made redundant from his retail job in May but has started another one (one day a week contract, joy).

Jealous of what??! We are on a bloody lockdown its not like we can live the high life, go out shopping, eat out and go on holiday whilst we are ‘on holiday’

I bet it would be a different story ‘the jealous’ ones were furloughed!

I don't have anything against anyone on furlough in industries that have really suffered

What I am a tad angry about is in my company which is fine people were furloughed for almost 7 months from march to october and those people have come back to same jobs and the company topped up pay so they had 100% they essentially have had 7 month holiday. And before anyone says they might be first to lose their job they won't be as I work in a unioned industry so any jobs go will be done fairly. That is what pisses me off, who wouldn't love to be paid full pay for 7 months and knownyour job is not at risk

I work in a nursery which had to close its doors eventually for a few months and we got furloughed and our boss topped us up out of his own pocket. Redundancies had to be made though unfortunately

This time around we are open to everyone not just keyworkers...thats what we are cross about. The early years sector of education gets forgotten about

I don't have hatred. My partner was furloughed for 2.2 months last year. He earns over the cap so was on alot less than 80%.
I just hate my job so much that I'd love a bit of furlough (worked all through, L. A).

I’ve been furloughed three times since April. I work in aviation. The reason I have been furloughed is because our industry is completely and utterly fucked.

I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m being payed 80% of my salary to hide from the pandemic at home. As things stand, I will still have a job to go back to, but that could change, of course. Tens of thousands of my colleagues have been much less lucky and are now unemployed with very poor prospects of getting back into the industry.

If you haven’t been furloughed because you’re a key worker and your job is secure, or because your industry hasn’t been obliterated by the pandemic, lucky you.

I don't understand it either. I work in office role but leisure industry so I've been in and out of furlough since March. It's not a nice boat to be in, your sense of purpose is gone overnight. I'd much rather be in work full time.

I've worked through out as has DH. I know I'm lucky,

Still it's been hard because of my job and I'm exhausted and now facing having kids at home again which just adds to the exhaustion.

Logically I count my blessings but a little bit of me is jealous of furloughed friends. It's not a resentful jealousy though as I know really it's a poor deal with so much uncertainty. It's more a 'I'd kill for a few weeks off' type of thing.

I would love not to be furloughed, I was lucky in lockdown two i had the opportunity to work in a different location, and yes it was nice to have the first relaxing Christmas in my entire adult life. However the constant low level worry that I might be out of a job soon, I live on my own-so there is only so much reading/walking/hobbies I can do before going slowly mad and like everyone else I am very worried about my parents means that furlough is no fun. I would love the steady employment others have with the pretence of normal life.

I guess you need to look at the basics. People who are furloughed are sat at home, doing whatever they like (sunning themselves in the garden, re-decorating the house, catching up on jobs that needed to be done, drinking beer in the garden...although thats not the case for you because you're on mat leave) whilst some people are having to work twice as hard under very difficult, what is seen as life threatening circumstances.

There are stories Ive heard where people who have been furloughed have also worked cash in hand and earnt a fortune. Some didnt need the money and bought sports cars with it.

The cost of furlough will also need to be paid back over time. Yet, the ones who worked will also be part of this when taxes change etc.

Whilst I appreciate that furlough might eventually get very boring, for some key workers they are thoroughly worn out and would relish having a whole week off. Not that they could, because theyre too busy working and are likely to loose their annual leave because of not being allowed to take time off because they've been told not to, couldnt because other staff were off with covid or shielding etc. But hatred is too stronger word.

There are stories Ive heard where people who have been furloughed have also worked cash in hand and earnt a fortune. Some didnt need the money and bought sports cars with it.

I can assure you that nobody I know who has been furloughed has been doing anything of the sort. We want to work in our normal jobs, flying you and your family around the world, but we can’t. I do, however, know furloughed pilots who have been delivering groceries for supermarkets and cabin crew who have been supporting NHS workers via Project Wingman.

I think hatred is a bit strong. But yeah, for some (not all) it looked like a paid holiday during the summer lockdown🤷‍♂️. There are exceptions of course, but for those having to still go to work, in many cases in high risk jobs, you can see why it stings a bit.

I'm a key worker single mum. For some time I had to home school my kids whilst working due to daughter's health issues.
I also have disabilities, fatigue and currently suffering ptsd, anxiety, depression intrusive thoughts and an urge to just fuck everything off. I'm struggling to put on be step in front of the other and sabotage my sleep but not allowing my head to shut down, think it's ocd too.
I'm on my knees, can barely get out of bed let alone things like cooking or cleaning the house.
I don't hate furlough staff, just very very jealous of those who are getting 80% plus with a guaranteed job to go back too.
All my furlough friends just seen to be having amazing times, house and garden revamp, fitness regimes established, craft, trips, achievements galore

We're all having hard times for different reasons.