What is it like to be furloughed?

By Jamie Williams

“To reduce our costs further, we must now consider out largest expenditure: staff remuneration”

The chilling words that millions of people have been hearing when employers place them on furlough – the Government scheme which pays up to 80% of salaries to workers that their employers cannot afford to keep on – of which half of UK companies are expected to use during this crisis.

It is no surprise that many furloughed employees initially reacted with unease after the guidance they were given was confusing.

An estate agent in Cambridge, Maddy, told me that initially she had “no idea what was going on.” This wasn’t helped by the firm immediately deleting her email account. This seems like a dramatic move, but the agency was only following Government guidelines which state that all working communications must be terminated with immediate effect. Similarly, Max, 30, who works for a media company in London, expressed frustration at the limited communication and transparency from his boss.

The situation was more serious for others. Matt, 23, from Bristol told me of his unusual situation: “furlough without the pay.” Since he had only been on his PR company’s payroll for under a month, Matt was not eligible for Government pay-out. Understandably, he “could not understand the logic behind the Government’s cut-off date.”

Once the news sunk in, the initial shock for some was superseded with gratitude. A grad couple – both of whom have been furloughed – explained they were “happy” stating that the situation had “worked out well”. Why? Because their colleagues who are continuing to work have also had to take a 20 percent pay cut. Understandably they asked, “why would you want to continue to work if the Government is happy to match your salary for doing nothing?”

The big question that remains is what people will do with their time off. Alice, a 24-year-old who works at a bar in London, was frustrated since she was already “extremely” bored and would rather be working than “doing nothing.” Alternatively, others have taken a more optimistic approach. Louise, 35, expressed that the time off was a “great opportunity to do all the things I never had the time to do.” As a result, she has taken up painting and has enrolled onto a Nutrition programme to become a Nutritional Therapist.

Whilst this unprecedented situation has left companies reacting off-the-cuff to the latest policy changes from Government, these human accounts demonstrate the importance of strong and transparent internal communication. However uncomfortable, the message companies must get across is that the furloughing process is essential to ensure that there are businesses to return to once this crisis is over.