London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 08, 2025

Not working due to lockdown? Here's how to keep busy and learn new skills

Not working due to lockdown? Here's how to keep busy and learn new skills

Using time in furlough to invest in personal growth and learning relevant new skills can help people maintain their confidence and motivation, says Namrata Murlidhar, marketing director at LinkedIn Learning.

What furlough means for employees’ pay in the context of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic varies slightly in different parts of the world but it is generally understood as a leave of absence. 

While affected workers will therefore have more free time on their hands, activities are also limited to the confines of your home due to widespread lockdown measures during the pandemic. 

“Keeping yourself stimulated and finding new ways to learn essential skills can make the eventual return to work smoother, or open doors to new opportunities in the future, ” said Murlidhar, urging furloughed workers to also stick to a routine as much as possible. 

Jo Cresswell, careers expert at jobs site Glassdoor, said that the increasing number of workers being furloughed “shines a spotlight on the importance of transferable skills.” 

This applied to those who have been laid off and who are looking at a possible change of career in order to rejoin the workforce quickly, as well as those looking to hone their abilities to return to their job “stronger and more efficient,” she said.

Key skills that she said are essential to keep polished during this time include active listening, which is not only listening to respond but to also interpret the true meaning of what is being communicated to you and being able to respond accordingly. 

Similarly, she highlighted the importance of communication skills, both verbal and written, with a focus on the ability to be “clear, concise and logical.” 

Organizational skills are also key, Cresswell said, in maintaining the ability to meet deadlines, multi-task and to “always know the status of any activity point.” 

Digital courses 

Dominic Harvey, director at U.K. IT jobs site CWJobs, encouraged people on temporary leave to seek out free online courses to expand their knowledge and existing skillsets, adding that he himself had recently started a Google digital course in marketing. 

Another platform is edX, which has a range of free online courses, from top universities like Harvard, including “Modern masterpieces of world literature.” There are also courses focused on soft skills, such as “Creative thinking: Techniques and tools for success” by Imperial College London. 

Learning platform Coursera has both free and subscription courses, including soft skill courses like “Improving communication skills” by business school Wharton.

“Workers who undertake these courses will certainly benefit as business and HR leaders will value and recognize the proactivity to diversifying their skill sets during down time,” Harvey said. 

Half of U.K. employers are expecting to furlough staff due to the economic strain put on their business by the pandemic, according to a survey of 301 human resource workers by British body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, published last week. 

Meanwhile, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found in a poll of 254 U.S. companies in March, that 37% of employers said that they were likely to furlough employees in the next three months.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
×