Furlough scheme - time for it to end?

[VauxhallandI]

Well it has recently come out that staff who are sick are still eligible to be on furlough so from a technical perspective there's nothing especially wrong with them having been on furlough. If the suggestion is that their sickness was faked then the issue lies with the GP system where they are, due to the pressures on the GP system, probably more likely to hand out sick notes simply to clear a patient quickly (though I'm sure plenty of GPs do things properly still!!). Plus it sounds like more of an issue with the employer not having a robust sickness and absence policy to account for employees who may be faking sickness and dealing with them under either disciplinary or capability grounds.

In any event I would be very surprised if your scenario wasn't something of a minority pursuit!

If a member of my staff was out of contact despite reasonable attempts by myself to get in touch (phone calls, some emails maybe even a visit at home) over the course of a working week. Then personally I'd be starting a disciplinary proceedings as they are supposed to still be able to return to work.

It feels like a lot of the criticism directed against those "loafing about on furlough" (again what else are they supposed to do anyway?) are either directed at tiny number of people or are probably more accurately issues with the employer. Plus it is still the employer who makes the decision who isn't and is not on furlough at the end of the day...


Now here I do agree with you fully. I think a fair number of British companies are going to be in for a rude awakening when it comes to getting staff to do various jobs again now that the flow of people from Europe who might be willing to put up with rubbish conditions and rubbish pay and came pre-trained (or didn't need training as the job was menial) are no longer available in anything like the numbers they were. I think a similar issue is likely to be playing out int he hospitality sector at the moment where there are also reports of issues finding enough staff.

The British public are going to be in for a rude awakening when prices go up to pay for all these higher wages when maybe most can ill afford it.

 

[The Ham]

The British public are going to be in for a rude awakening when prices go up to pay for all these higher wages when maybe most can ill afford it.

I think that many are in for a shock, but only as they have short memories.

Around 2000 it was often the case that you couldn't get a trades person without paying a premium as there was a skills shortage, then the Eastern Europeans were allowed in and prices fell.

Now that many of them (and probably a fair few others from the EU) are less likely to be here, then it's likely that we'd be rolling the clock back to see similar (if not higher) prices being charged.

Especially as it's unlikely that we've trained up enough in the intervening years.

 

[david1212]

Lots in the travel industry won't be able to go back without being bored as travel is still very thin on the ground for now.

The last time I was in the local town centre two travel agents ( Co-op and ? TUI ) were open. Looking in each at least three staff at desks but not one customer between them so where is the income to pay these staff, overheads etc. coming from ?

Even if UK Freedom Day had gone ahead today what difference would it have made to these? Go further and add a few more countries on the UK green list plus for those who are double vaccinated less restrictions to amber list countries and how much more business would there be ? Just one factor is the restrictions in other countries both for all and just for incoming visitors.

As well as all the customer facing staff currently on furlough there must be a lot from behind the scenes support e.g. cruise/ferry terminals, airports, ship and aircraft maintenance. This then rattles along to the suppliers of maintenance items. Even further along manufacturers and the associated supply chain. This includes aircraft, ships, terminal technical equipment and fixtures.

Taking another path while UK staycations will offset some of the lack of tourists into the UK I see gaps plus come September once the schools return demand will drop then roll off further by the end of September. One gap is coach shuttles from airports to hotels and then the days trips with guides e.g. tours of London, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cambridge, York etc. I don't see UK staycations plugging all of this either directly or by creating alternative demand. Come October will there be any foreign tourists let alone numbers similar to 2019 ?


I'm sure some who have posted above will strongly disagree but my view is there either has to be support past September for certain groups or there will be even more moving from furlough to redundant so adding the the number of unemployed and claiming benefits. Either way short term the government pays out, longer term with support some employment and the associated skills are retained.

 

[DelayRepay]

I'm sure some who have posted above will strongly disagree but my view is there either has to be support past September for certain groups or there will be even more moving from furlough to redundant so adding the the number of unemployed and claiming benefits. Either way short term the government pays out, longer term with support some employment and the associated skills are retained.

Controversial suggestion maybe: For any industry which cannot fully open after September, staff who receive furlough pay should be made available to the local authority or NHS to carry out any duties that they are capable of. This could be working in food banks, or supervising queues at vaccine centres, for example.

Presumably, though, the customer facing staff in travel agents will be busy come September as people start to think about booking 2022 holidays. 2022 is likely to be a bumper year for foreign holidays, I would imagine.

 

[duncanp]

Controversial suggestion maybe: For any industry which cannot fully open after September, staff who receive furlough pay should be made available to the local authority or NHS to carry out any duties that they are capable of. This could be working in food banks, or supervising queues at vaccine centres, for example.

Presumably, though, the customer facing staff in travel agents will be busy come September as people start to think about booking 2022 holidays. 2022 is likely to be a bumper year for foreign holidays, I would imagine.

I think this is a very good idea, and should have been implemented much earlier.

But I think it is too late now, and I hope that the furlough scheme is abolished after the end of September, with all industries and settings able to open fully.

IF there are further restrictions in the winter (I sincerely hope NOT, but you can never be 100% sure) then perhaps people affected could be paid an enhanced rate of Jobseekers Allowance, where you would have to actively look for alternative paid work or take any voluntary work offered.