Feifei Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me, Feifei…
**Roy
**…and me, Roy.
Feifei We may sound a little different – that’s because we are not able to record in our normal studios during the coronavirus outbreak. Roy, why have you shaved off your beard? I don’t think I’ve seen your chin before.
**Roy
**Well, I got your message – you told me to trim my beard. You said it’s sad, but necessary to keep my fur low during the coronavirus. I thought it was a bit weird as my beard is made of hair – not fur. I’m not a dog, Feifei.
FeifeiThat’s debatable – I saw you run after a ball Neil threw for you. Anyway, I wasn’t talking about your beard. I said it’s very sad at the moment that some workers have been furloughed, but it’s necessary for some businesses to do it. ‘To furlough someone’ is when workers are put on a leave of absence, for example due to an economic problem the business is going through.
RoyAhhh yeah – that actually makes more sense. I was so confused about why you were talking about my beard. I agree, it is really sad that some people have been furloughed. That’s our word for this programme, isn’t it?
FeifeiIt is, and it’s not a new word, but it’s certainly more commonly used recently due to the coronavirus crisis.
We’ll talk about it more after these examples…
ExamplesVlad is worried about being furloughed, but it looks inevitable.
The company decided to furlough workers while the business wasn’t operating.
After Mandy was furloughed, she decided to devote her free time to painting.
FeifeiThis is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we’re talking about the word ‘furlough’, which describes when workers are put on a leave of absence, for example due to an economic issue that a company is facing.
RoyYes, sadly, a lot of workers are being furloughed at the moment due to the coronavirus crisis. It’s different to being sacked or made redundant, isn’t it?
FeifeiThat’s right – it’s a temporary situation, so workers stay on the payroll, but they’re not working.
RoyWell, hopefully everyone will be able to get back to their jobs soon and not be furloughed any more.
FeifeiYes, and next time I send you a voice message you should listen more carefully. You’re so silly, Roy.
**Roy
**Should I grow my beard back?
FeifeiDefinitely. It suits you.
**Roy
**Thanks for the advice – I will.
Feifei Bye, Roy.
Roy Bye, Feifei.