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Furloughed

Day, after day, after day

By Georgios Vasilopoulos

October 26^th, 2020

Furlough was a largely unknown word for most people, until many found themselves living it as COVID hit like a sledgehammer earlier this year. For many, furlough became synonymous with isolation and loneliness—particularly those living on their own. Furlough meant being stuck indoors without human contact and only communicating with others through electronic devices. Furlough meant passing hours of boredom by spending too much time in the company of their own thoughts.

Some of the more extroverted found the new ‘quiet’ of the world around them overwhelming, worsening mental health issues or triggering new ones. Conversely, some of the more introverted, relished in this ‘quiet’, turning to art, writing and music to pass the hours, days and weeks. In ten or twenty years’ time, it would be unsurprising to look back at this period as a time when artistic expression flourished.

Others found daily life lacking structure, leading them to question their purpose and finding it difficult to stay motivated. With the government’s furlough scheme only providing up to 80% of their wages, many worried about making ends meet and what would happen when the scheme comes to an end on 31 October.

Some had difficulty with the uncertainty of furlough, not knowing when—or if—they would be recalled. In many ways, those who had the closure of being made redundant found the situation easier to deal with psychologically.

I caught up with Andy, a friend of nearly two decades, who kindly agreed for me to document his typical day. An HR manager for a small company, he has been furloughed since April.

Getting out of bed at a decent time and starting the day with structure—the usual morning routine

It wasn’t long before Andy started to feel the effects of isolation. Recently single after a difficult break-up and living alone, he quickly felt the lack companionship and support of a partner, but found the situation an opportunity to explore his introverted side.

Andy says: “I had a long commute to work so I used to leave at 7am and not get back until 7pm—nearly every minute of my days were accounted for, one way or another, and furlough suddenly meant I had a lot of time freed up to do other things. And it gave me a break from my stressful job.

“I did a lot of cooking, exploring more complex and time-consuming recipes that I would have never considered previously. Before, with such few hours left each day, I didn’t take chances with cooking—if you spend hours making something and ruin it, you end up going hungry that day or settling for oven chips.”

Andy takes a time-out to catch up with friends

In many ways, technology—oft scorned for enabling division, misinformation and toxicity—played an important role in bringing people together. Thanks to social media and other communications apps, Andy kept in touch with friends and family and often got involved in online pub quizzes and other group socials.

Andy tends to his garden, a private space where he can spend time outdoors in more natural surroundings

Andy is fortunate, unlike many in the city, to live in a flat with an outdoor space where he can tend to his garden and have over-the-hedge conversations with his neighbours.

“I share a private outdoor space with three of my neighbours. We each have our own garden. In London most people don’t know their neighbours beyond saying hello in passing—during furlough, we all began to chat more and more and we’ve now become good friends.”

Andy continues: “Before furlough I rarely used my bike, but I have been going on rides with friends, exploring the city—especially at the beginning when the roads were empty during lockdown. Some days we just kept riding, finding ourselves up in Hampstead Heath or as far as Richmond Park. It’s been a really good way to socialise safely.

“Also, my local supermarkets were always crowded, even in the middle of lockdown, so cycling to the empty ones in the City and commercial areas was another way to pass the time, get some exercise and stay safer.”

With time on his hands, Andy has been able to focus on his professional development and progress his coursework

Despite the long working days before furlough, Andy has been taking university courses to further his professional development.

“Being furloughed has given me the time to properly focus on my coursework. Whereas, previously, I was working on papers right up to the due dates, sometimes rushing to submit them on time, now I’ve been able to do better quality work and finish modules sometimes two weeks before they need to be submitted.”

As the day draws to a close, Andy winds down with some telly before heading to bed

Being furloughed, especially during a time of difficult personal challenges, had the potential of sending Andy down a destructive path. However, he rose to the occasion and made the best of the situation, learning a thing or two about himself along the way.

“I took a 20% pay-cut because of furlough. In retrospect, this was a small price to pay for benefit of having the time to reflect on my personal situation and work-life balance. I’ve learned to recognise the important things in my life.