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Comment by dreen | Hacker News Reader

In UK employees are more likely to get furloughed, where they are paid 80% of their salary from the government, do not work but keep their job.

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In the Netherlands similar. Government pays 90%, employer the other 10% and can't fire anyone.

But it's doubtful how long they can keep that up for. Some months, sure. But not years, and the virus is going to stick around for a while. I think it's just a delay.

It strikes me as a good play, if we were living in times that were normal.

Take 2019 for instance. If that scheme existed then, without any pandemic, it would be a great way to soften the exit and allow folks time to find new jobs.

But the world we're in now, not so much. It's pulling the band-aid off slower, and my take is, waiting for a hail-mary play when someone magically comes up with a solution for this problem.

My interpretation of all of this waves hand around at world leaders is that they genuinely believe science and technology work like magic, and will come up with something, soon.

In Poland you get fuck all. Government kept promising 40% contribution but doesn't say where you're supposed to find the other 60% from. So companies are letting go of people left and right.

Sweden too, but government "only" pays 60% IIRC. Employer pays the rest but there has also been some ease on how much tax an employer has to pay for each employee.

Same with Germany. We call it Kurzarbeit.

The company I'm in hasn't fired anyone and is safe.

Some neighboring countries have similar programs.

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