I'd like to clarify something about furlough

Associate
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I've noticed a lot of resentment about people who've been furloughed and the misconception that peole on furlough're all lazy and enjoy it.
My point is, furlough is NOT a choice or something we can request. I've been furloughed twice and had no choice or say in the matter (the first time I was glad of it becuase of the staffing and shoplifting situation at work and the second time I only found out a few hours after I arrived home from work). It was alright for the fisrt six or seven weeks but after so long, I wanted to go back to work.
So not all people on furlough're lazy sods who want to stay furloughed and ask for it.

Some people might not have even needed to be furloughed.
 
Man of Honour
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But then some have had a choice and some do want to drag it out as long as possible for the free monies.

As with all things it's the people taking the pee that others notice.
 
Associate
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I was one of those whio couldn't wait to go back and the last time I was furloughed, I even mentioned something about violating it and going back to work if I could. It was alright for a while but it screwed up my chance to book holidays in advance and at least I kept myself occupied.
 
Caporegime
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I was one of those whio couldn't wait to go back and the last time I was furloughed, I even mentioned something about violating it and going back to work if I could. It was alright for a while but it screwed up my chance to book holidays in advance and at least I kept myself occupied.

You wanted to go back to work and still receive furlough pay?

Being on furlough didn't stop you booking holidays.
 
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I didn't realise there was resentment for those genuinely on furlough.

The main resentment that I have is towards the people fraudulently claiming furlough.

I was furloughed becuase I was considered at risk and I bet some people've been furlughed by mistake but after last nights shift,if furlough wasn't ending, the bss would have been glad of it (low staffing levels and a shedload of stock to put out and there have been times where I've come in half an hour early and told to start straight away,even before I get a chance to get my coat off (The samething happened when I was told I was being furloughed the first time. I hadn't taken my coat off, got called into the office and was told I was furloughed and after the shift in question, I was glad of it).
 
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I was furloughed twice. I didn't handle the first period of furlough at all well, but the second one was great. I treated it as a test run for retirement. I'd like to be furloughed until I can retire. I did enjoy it. Not because I'm lazy but because I found that I like having a life.
 
Associate
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I was furloughed twice. I didn't handle the first period of furlough at all well, but the second one was great. I treated it as a test run for retirement. I'd like to be furloughed until I can retire. I did enjoy it. Not because I'm lazy but because I found that I like having a life.

My furloughs took place when the pubs were shut.
 
Soldato
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I was furloughed from the end of 25th March 2020 until 8th July 2020. I like many others had no choice in the matter, the prime minister shut us down. While we did open up again on May 16th, it was just with a skeleton crew until everywhere else and our trade customers started opening up again and more staff gradually went back. I resent people who say furloughed people are lazy dole bums as if it was a choice, and the same with the people who say the furloughed should be made to pay it back through tax rises. Get in the bin.

I enjoyed the time off and got a load of DIY and stuff done. I was also lucky that my employer topped our furlough up to 100% pay.
 
Caporegime
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I didn't realise there was resentment for those genuinely on furlough.

The main resentment that I have is towards the people fraudulently claiming furlough.

Lots. I know several people who took another job while on furlough and have earnt tonnes of money - full time job plus 80% of their old wages.

Also now I am hearing from other business owners that they are asking their staff to come back off furlough to find out they changed jobs months ago and never had any intent at coming back but thanks for all those months of extra money.
 
Soldato
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Lots. I know several people who took another job while on furlough and have earnt tonnes of money - full time job plus 80% of their old wages.

Also now I am hearing from other business owners that they are asking their staff to come back off furlough to find out they changed jobs months ago and never had any intent at coming back but thanks for all those months of extra money.

The decision to allow people to work other jobs whilst furloughed is fair enough. It would have been an absolute nightmare for people with 2 or more jobs if they weren't allowed to work one of them if furloughed from the other.

I do think morally if you find another job that pays equal or above what you earn at the job your furloughed from, you should notify the employer who put you in furlough and ask them to pause claims. Realistically though, very, very few people would do that.

The sheer amount of money claimed fraudulently or by people who were technically eligible but absolutely didn't need the money is outstanding. My day job for the past year has been dealing with furlough fraud and the lengths people will go to in order to get money they don't need from the government never ceases to amaze me.
 
Soldato
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The issue I have with furlough was the abuse by companies using it to stress test their businesses without paying wages

They could drip feed in staff every few weeks to find the optimum staffing levels whilst not worrying about the wage bill and then make lots of redundancies whilst using government money to pay for their little experiment.
 
Associate
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self employed and the help has been crap. but in all honesty there are people in any industry or type of business that will take the p!!s

either furlough employees and keep the dosh or get a bounce back loan and close the company down etc.. but nothing ever happens to them
 
Soldato
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I spent most of last year on furlough (and shielding) and coped ok with it (on less pay, but I only work part time anyway)
For people still on it, with the scheme winding down there has to be some serious concern about their jobs.
 
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