Furlough
If the corporates were the wizards, this word would be Voldemort.
The word was not at all new to me, had read the term in a few of Archer's novels, heard in some of the war epics and now, EVERYWHERE. Let me just furnish an abbreviated background of the word.
In the British Army this is the "F" word and not the other one you're thinking about, as that is merely a conjunction, adjective, a modifier, an adverb and not to forget a common verb for them. Well, not deviating from the topic, as this is a subject braggy enough for another discourse.
To put it in a refined and an urbane way,
A furlough is a temporary leave of absence from employment, duty in the armed services, or from a prison term. It may be voluntary or involuntary.
Furloughs from employment or armed services are essentially a vacation (though those who take it may also pursue other activity).
This definition is of course the one our chiefs would like us to be familiar with, but the one implemented would be a kind of an aberration.
To put it in a way I and you will understand, it will be,
Furloughs from employment may be mandated by employers. A furlough can also refer to time off based on a company-planned schedule.
For instance, with a "work 3 weeks, off 1 week" schedule, a company's workforce is divided into 4 groups. Each group, in turn, takes a week off on furlough while the remainder works.
It is more like a temporary layoff, which may be due to economic conditions at the specific employer or in the economy as a whole. These involuntary furloughs may be short or long term, and many of those affected may seek other temporary employment during that time.
Well, loosely put, in employees words, this would be the holiday the worker keeps putting his application for when needed, which admittedly keeps getting winnowed out, and is granted with fancy words of consolation wrapped around it, when not postulated.
"Oh, wide's the world, to rest or roam, with change abroad and cheer at home Fights and furloughs, talk and tale.” - Alfred Edward Housman
