Did you guys get offered furlough when the government was giving away tax payer money?
I’m just curious as in my sector it was never offered and there is now talk it may be reintroduced.
independent.co.uk/news/busi … 67940.html
It wasn’t ever an option for those of us in the essential food manufacturing and supply sector, much the same for all people who actually work for a living in all essential services.
Wouldn’t surprise me one bit if they bring it back in, along with further lockdowns especially of the unapproved, not enough people were destroyed financially and in spirit by operation fear, presumably rishis found another few borrowed £billion dangling from his arse.
Why would anyone want to be furloughed if your still able to work, even if it means dropping from 65/70 hours a week to 50
Just my thoughts.
The treasury have confirmed today that there’s no reintroduced furlough scheme, no further VAT deferment options, no further tax payment delays and so on. They say theres enough support already.
I tend to agree. These new restrictions aren’t stopping me from doing anything… yet. I’m still going to the pub, still going to the football, still going away for weekends here and there. Because everything is still open and trading so why not?
Of course this is government though and what goes today doesn’t necessarily go tomorrow so who knows.
To answer the OP I got furloughed for four weeks right at the very start before it was realised that there was more than enough work still going on.
Had no choice in taking it 
I had no choice because the place I was working for shut down for 3 months.
If the truth be out I was quite envious of those furloughed in lockdown 1, especially when it was coupled to the glorious weather too. I gave up phoning that git Robroy as it always seemed that he was half nekkid in his garden sipping a glass of something icy whilst I battled up and down the deserted motorways!
lolipop:
Why would anyone want to be furloughed if your still able to work, even if it means dropping from 65/70 hours a week to 50
Just my thoughts.
Alternatively, why would anyone want to work 65/70 hours a week? It’s those kind of numbers that make younger people disregard the industry out of hand.
Zac_A:
lolipop:
Why would anyone want to be furloughed if your still able to work, even if it means dropping from 65/70 hours a week to 50
Just my thoughts.Alternatively, why would anyone want to work 65/70 hours a week? It’s those kind of numbers that make younger people disregard the industry out of hand.
Or… to adjust that to furlough.
Why would you want to work 65/70hrs a week when you could have been on furlough and getting paid 80% of that for doing 0 hours 
Honestly those four weeks of furlough changed me. It sounds really dramatic but it was the that my eyes opened up and I realised I could live a comfortable life with 20% less pay so from then on I lost interest in the 60+ hour weeks of class one general haulage and realised theres more to life than grinding your balls every day.
Then the “driver shortage” happened and pay rates went up, more respectable jobs suddenly became available so I ended up doing less hours for more money. Winner winner chicken dinner.
I loved my 3 months off and would gladly do it every year if I could. The great weather helped [emoji2]
even frosty got furloughed last year…
Yes, got furloughed for 3 weeks, brilliant weather so made the most of it. Company regretted it as they were just as busy, made record profits apparently, and repaid the government cash.
lolipop:
Why would anyone want to be furloughed if your still able to work, even if it means dropping from 65/70 hours a week to 50
Just my thoughts.
You’ve not got a life outside of work have you?
I notice there was no option for “I worked during that time but my company still claimed furlough money for me” .
But we don’t need that option because no company took advantage of the scheme in that way did they?
I had 4 months furlough although I wasn’t offered it until I contacted Headquarters, as an Asthma sufferer I was advised to isolate so thats what I did!!!
Bloody great 80% pay not working… although now I wouldn’t!!!
I had 11 weeks on furlough with my wife from early April 2020 and thoroughly enjoyable it was too, it’s what I imagine being retired must be like for those lucky people that can do so in their mid 50’s on a good pension and as I will probably have to keep working until I drop we made the most of it.
I had seven weeks at the start of it last year as the construction industry closed it’s doors at the end of that first week. Luckily we didn’t stop dead and had a few days to collect stuff, park it up properly and be ready to fire up the business as and when it was needed.
When we started back, the hard work paid dividend as we knew where everything was and what was good or needed attention.
I enjoyed my time much more than I thought I would, decorated and did loads of jobs without being stressed and the weather was good.
The furlough scheme was a great help for many employers and employees.
I did feel a bit upset recently when I was off with Covid and although fit enough to work forced to isolate and just get SSP at less than £20 / day before tax.
There were people on furlough from hospitality and travel sectors for months and months getting paid to not work, when they could have been doing some other type of work or service.
I feel that as the country started to open up again, people on furlough should have been forced to do something to earn their money. A couple of days a week doing community projects, litter picking or other local work would have been good. If I had been off for months I would have been more than happy doing that
Zac_A:
lolipop:
Why would anyone want to be furloughed if your still able to work, even if it means dropping from 65/70 hours a week to 50
Just my thoughts.Alternatively, why would anyone want to work 65/70 hours a week? It’s those kind of numbers that make younger people disregard the industry out of hand.
More like why would anyone want to do whatever it is that’s needed to be done, during the 45/50 hours, above the 90 hours in a fortnight that they’re allowed to drive for.
adam277:
Did you guys get offered furlough when the government was giving away tax payer money?
I’m just curious as in my sector it was never offered and there is now talk it may be reintroduced.
independent.co.uk/news/busi … 67940.html
Sorry bro I don’t see any chance for this. This talk is coming from businesses, basically they’re saying to the gov we’re not gonna pay workers to not work - if you want to do lockdowns etc. you have to fund it yourself
Little chance as it is since Omicron from the bits and pieces i hear is less serious symptom-wise than Delta
The whole idea of furlough was dumb beyond belief but what can you do. If by a slim chance they decide to do it again I’m taking unpaid leave while this crap lasts. I’ve enough £ to last me 6-9 months if I cut out some avoidable expenditures so big F you from me instead of tax revenue or NI and to answer the original qustion - no i wasnt offered a furlough as I wasn’t ‘‘eligible’’ and of course I’d have taken it and probably went on to work agency or deliver fast food to make cash on the side
8wheels:
I did feel a bit upset recently when I was off with Covid and although fit enough to work forced to isolate and just get SSP at less than £20 / day before tax.
And that was the problem therein.
People getting paid 80% of their wages to sit at home and enjoy some extra time off up to nigh on year or longer for a lot of people.
Yet we had no choice and had to continue going to work every day no matter the risk of is catching it.
I never caught it during lockdown thankfully. But still had to go to work every night, delivering that most essential item of chocolate. Because it was classed as a food stuff.
Yet I got it in Oct just gone, had to self isolate for 10 days and got like you said 20 quid a day SSP. because od changed jobs and handy been there long enough to qualify for company sick pay unfortunately.
Yet anyone on a low wage could claim 500 quid for self isolating. If you earnt enough tough luck you were on your own.
As usual like most things when it comes to the welfare state, if you earn enough tough luck your on your own, if you do naff all be lazy and sit at home etc then you get handed money over fist.
Same when I bust my ankle in 2010. One month company sick pay and the rest of the 3 odd months off on SSP. Even claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit, I didn’t even qualify for my full rent to be paid, so had to pay some of that out of my SSP and feed myself etc all out of 90 quid a week or whatever it was.
The system has been wrong for many years and those who get to sit at home enjoying life are the real winners, no travelling to work, no daily grind etc etc.
But yeah I’ve got no hard feelings for people who were paid to stay at home in the lovely weather in the slightest. [emoji23]
I’m sure people could have lived without being able to buy chocolate for a while, it wouldn’t have been as bad if we were at work and working for other companies delivering essential supplies like proper food and toiletries etc, that I could have swallowed a lot more.
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