you need to bear in mind that the government's furlough scheme is capped (gross £2.5k per month) and it has an expiry date. this means that in such a situation, you can't assume you'll be on furlough until "normality resumes". even if the government extends the scheme, the company can still fire you and opt for not having you on furlough or not. overall furlough is as uncertain as it gets. on the other hand, dismissal might come with a "severance package".