Furlough may be a new word for the majority of us, however, furlough was used until at least 1908 to describe military personnel who were on home on leave.
The origins of the word ‘Furlough’ can be found here.
You are likely to have mixed emotions during furlough leave as it is a significant change or you may be welcome to the idea due to childcare or providing care for a vulnerable individual.
Below are our top tips of what you could be doing during your furlough leave including tips on home schooling:
Ensure you have a routine
Having a routine is key for you to start your day, treat this time off like you would if you are working.
Exercise
It is important we complete our daily exercise; Gymshark and Joe Wicks have daily workout sessions. If a workout session is not for you, a simple walk around the block will help you prepare for the day ahead.
Please see below links for the training sessions:
Here is a picture of the Hart Team and this was taken in May 2019, we had a visit from Daz and Tanya from BBC WM Radio Station on this day and they interviewed us about the Business Mile Initiative that we have been taking part in. We hope to be able to carry on doing this when it is safe to do so.
If you did not know, Betty the Boss was the centre of attention, watch the video here.
Set Goals
Set your goals of what you want to achieve and go ahead and achieve them!
Your goals could be:
- Setting a “Tick” to-do list, this could be as simple as cleaning out a cupboard
- Signing up to free courses – the Government have released a new website for furloughed employees who are wanting to upskill.
- Industry knowledge – learning more about the industry you work in or an industry you have an interest in
- Updating your CV – please see link for our top 10 CV tips.
Aim to have at least one achievement per day, it could be the smallest thing possible, but it will make you feel that you have accomplished a task/job by the end of the day.
Talk
It is important we still stay in touch with our friends and family regular, it helps with your mental wellbeing.
Here are some tips from Mental Health UK
Hobby
Hart Recruitments employees who are furloughed have been taking up a new hobby, these include colouring, painting, upcycling, running and baking. Creating a new hobby or picking up a previous hobby will help with your mental wellbeing.
Leanne, our Recruitment Consultant at Hart Recruitment who is currently furloughed has been baking cakes and she created this masterpiece for her sister’s birthday:
Download and follow the full recipe and method for this cake here.
Home Schooling Tips
It is important you maintain normality and routine for your child / children whilst schools are closed. You need to decide what aspect of the daily routine will stay the same at home and consider starting at the time the usual school day starts. Here are our tips:
- Exercise
- Ensure you get dressed and your child / children are dressed for the day ahead
- Provide structure and variety to each day
- Ensure your child/children have a mixture of quiet places they work throughout the day
- Serve refreshments and lunch at the same time
- Ensure your child / children are having regular breaks
- Most of all, try and make sure they are reading every day
Here is a timetable created by our team member Vicki Walker. Is this something you have been doing too?
Here are some useful links:
Temporary work/Volunteering
During furlough leave, you can have a second job depending on your terms of contract with your current employer. We advise you to speak with your current employer to confirm before going ahead. You can also complete volunteering work during furlough leave.
Tia and Leah who are currently furloughed have signed up and are currently NHS Responders during these uncertain times. Tia has assisted the elderly with collecting prescriptions and dog walking. Leah has opted in for telephone support and is currently waiting for her first call.
Now is the time to take advantage of the time that has been given to you, it is a great time to develop yourself for your future career opportunities.
If you need any support and advice, we are here to help even if it just a chat, please call us on 0121 360 6000.
Please follow us on our social media to stay up to date with our tips, advice and guidance – we are here to help.
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