Furlough refused to 71% of working mothers.

Another day, another example of folks not being allowed to go on furlough by their employers, citing the fact that other people in the company are working hard.

Yeah, right.

Times are pretty tough, and we don't all get to deal with tough times with the same bandwidth. Poor mental health can strike any of us, at any time. One in four, in a good year.

And this year is not a good year.

71% of working mothers were refused furlough.

I'll just leave that statistic there. Look, I get it - you wouldn't employ people to do a job if you didn't need to employ that person to do that job. As an employer I understand that particular dynamic. But what company runs people until they break, permanently, when there is an option to NOT DO THAT.

This situation? This year? It's pretty fucked up. But we don't make our fucked up life more palatable by fucking up more people.

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If you have caring responsibilities you can be furloughed if caring responsibilities arising from Coronavirus (COVID-19) mean you are:

• unable to work (including from home)
• working reduced hours

Examples of caring responsibilities include caring for:

• children who are at home as a result of school or childcare facilities closing
• a vulnerable individual in your household

You should speak to your employer about whether they plan to place staff on furlough.

Your employer can furlough you if you are clinically extremely vulnerable, at the highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus or off work on long-term sick leave. It is up to your employer to decide whether to furlough you.

If your employee’s health has been affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) or any other conditions, your employee is eligible for the grant and can be furloughed, if they are unable to work, including from home or working reduced hours because they:

• are clinically extremely vulnerable, or at the highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus and following public health guidance
• have caring responsibilities resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19), such as caring for children who are at home as a result of school and childcare facilities closing, or caring for a vulnerable individual in their household