Forum menu
Before I type anything else, I just want to say thanks to the fantastic NHS staff and other key workers.
But if you don’t have the luxury to work from home, and aren’t a key worker how are you coping?
Self employed trades, are you cancelling jobs and hence income? Or is that deemed essential if someone needs a plumber, roofer, electrician, etc etc ?
What about car mechanics ? They keep key workers cars on the road, can they work?
Just curious as to what is deemed essential? Essential to one isn’t to another?
Stay safe
Yeah essential is a subjective term, the company I work for is still waiting for the cabinet office to confirm if people working on government contracts (where the government agency's staff have all been deemed key workers) are also key workers. Given the agency I'm contracted to isn't showing any sign of postponing IT project work (even if some of it really isn't essential) we're a bit stuck in the middle of things at the moment.
I don't have a WFH option yet so commuted to the office as usual, the roads didn't seem any less busy than they have been the for the last couple of weeks either.
Car mechanics... The rules aren't clear. If the MOT is about to expire are you allowed to drop your car of at the garage?
Llanfrechfa Grange SCCC Hospital. We've been instructed to get on site on Monday and crack on until it's done. Due to open late autumn, revised date of end of April. 556 bed hospital with critical and specialist care.
Trying to find somewhere to stay may need interesting!
my job is definitely not essential but I will be at work, we sell wine for delivery to hotels, restaurants and also web sales to the public for home delivery. The sales to the public are completely bonkers but the B2B bit of the business has fallen off a cliff. We have been advised it is ok to keep running. Anyone who can is working from home but we still have drivers delivering and people in the warehouse. I'm not sure how I feel about it to be honest. On the one hand as a country do we drive all economic activity through Tesco and Amazon or do we try to keep going as long as possible and risk being part of the problem. Not my decision I might add!
just heard from one of my mates that hes been told to go in. hes a welder who will be working in the shop with 11 others!
I guess so, until i get told otherwise by my bosses. Manufacturing tech with aerospace/military applications.
Yeah essential is a subjective term, the company I work for is still waiting for the cabinet office to confirm if people working on government contracts (where the government agency’s staff have all been deemed key workers) are also key workers. Given the agency I’m contracted to isn’t showing any sign of postponing IT project work (even if some of it really isn’t essential) we’re a bit stuck in the middle of things at the moment.
Civil servant here, key worker but not in today, will be at work tomorrow. Hopefully contractors who are non-essential will have been told to stay away. Our site had loads of trades floating around yesterday, although a lot of the IT contractors seem to have gone, I personally found it very poor practice. Whilst lots of our work is relatively important, even in this crisis, I’m not sure any of the building work going on is essential to our work and it seemed like we were just bringing an unnecessary hazard into what otherwise is a fairly secure site. As mentioned on another thread I had four blokes ask to get into my office to check snagging. Our Gold Group were certainly gearing up on things last night so hopefully the wider CS is a well.
I guess even if you are going to work, your suppliers may not. It will only be a matter of time before we run into supply chain issues.
Construction of a new building on a school site near me is going ahead by the sounds of it.
Are Timpson's shops allowed to stay open?
From Timpsons website:
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS.
Our online store and locksmiths business remain open.
However, due to the coronavirus outbreak we are sadly going into hibernation
with the closure all of our shops from 5pm on Monday, 23 March.
Please read my full message here.
James Timpson CEO Timpson Group
Car mechanics… The rules aren’t clear. If the MOT is about to expire are you allowed to drop your car of at the garage?
The official list includes 'garages' (as a separate item to 'petrol stations') so I'm assuming MoTs are still on.
Im a Structures Examiner on the railway.
I've been deemed a key worker, normally my time is spent either on site in small groups who can normally apply social distancing easily or at home report writing so i'm well versed with working from home. I'm unsure if the work at height will be going ahead, it's inherently riskier than low level examinations.
It's still early days so i'll see what we're doing in the coming hours.
From Timpsons website:
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS.
Our online store and locksmiths business remain open.
However, due to the coronavirus outbreak we are sadly going into hibernation
with the closure all of our shops from 5pm on Monday, 23 March.
Please read my full message here.
James Timpson CEO Timpson Group
They should stay open - they're key workers
I'm in. Power Station worker, but not in the control room or other critical staff, so I think it's wrong but our plant manager is hugely into presenteeism. Everyone clustered round into little groups talking. 🙄
I really think we should be selectively sending people to WFH, because then there will be staff to cover others if/when it gets critical.
Our place is staying open as our customers deem our goods essential according to the boss. ****ing joke if you ask me. And I can work from home but haven't been given any equipment to do so.
I work on one of the biggest construction sites in Manchester, 350+ men. a lot of self-employed guys. We can only access site via a turn-style with finger print recognition. We have cleaners disinfecting surfaces all the time, but social distancing is being poorly followed despite managements best efforts. Ultimately until the government specifically says construction must shut down, it will continue. Its madness.
They should stay open – they’re key workers
Outstanding. Thank you for that!
I think it’s wrong but our plant manager is hugely into presenteeism. Everyone clustered round into little groups talking. 🙄
Seems to be a theme.
We were told the clients wouldnt accept remote working. The client FO'd over a fortnight ago when all this started to kick off.
And I can work from home but haven’t been given any equipment to do so.
This is whats happened at our office. Management refused to allow any working from home. Project directors took a more pragmatic view and basicly allowed it for anyone who could justify it. But theres no hardware.
So this morning the project manager just instructed us to unplug our pc's and take them.
I did wonder how far a company that outwardly prides itself on putting health and safety above everything was going to push this in the face of the overwhelming advice to the contrary!
I did wonder how far a company that outwardly prides itself on putting health and safety above everything was going to push this in the face of the overwhelming advice to the contrary!
Excellent point, I'll use that as an argument later when this inevitably comes up in conversation again.
I'm a self employed gardener.
I could go to work and not have to be in social contact with anyone all day. I can't work from home.
Guidelines say you can travel to work but doesn't say key workers only.
I'm currently at home trying to get clarification if I could go to work. If a financial package had been announced for the self employed.. people wouldn't be having this issue
Yes, manager in a medicines release lab here.
Am on site 2 days a week. But have set my office up in a cat 2 lab so am happy with the containment here.
Excellent point, I’ll use that as an argument later when this inevitably comes up in conversation again.
Point out that as a notifiable disease cases are to be reported under RIDDOR rules and that they should count as an LTI if it was likely contracted at work.
I'd like to know what the position would be if someone was left with lasting effects or died as a result of contracting it at work. Difficult to prove but now that we're more locked down if your employer is the only reason youre leaving the house and interacting with people it could be the next asbestos.
I'm in work - just finishing the jobs I have in and cleaning up loose-ends. Chucking the Mac in the car and a load of paperwork then going home.
I run a one-man-band print shop, so in theory I could lock the doors and work alone without seeing anyone. The work just isn't there to do though.
The whole "key-workers" thing is a red-herring, more misinformation spread on social media by the un-informed. 🙁Guidelines say you can travel to work but doesn’t say key workers only.
There is a list of proscribed business types (linked to above), mainly retail and other public-facing businesses. If a business isn't on that list, it doesn't have to close, and the workers may travel in to work (if they cannot work from home). Very simple & unambiguous.
The whole “key-workers” thing is a red-herring, more misinformation spread on social media by the un-informed. 🙁
There is a list of proscribed business types (linked to above), mainly retail and other public-facing businesses. If a business isn’t on that list, it doesn’t have to close, and the workers may travel in to work (if they cannot work from home). Very simple & unambiguous.
My thoughts exactly. There’s a lot of chat about “essential work” but I don’t actually think there’s been anything to say you should only be at work if it’s essential work you’re doing. I think I’ve understood correctly.
You may still go to work and travel there, unless you work in a retail outlet of some kind which must now be closed (with exceptions).
I thought it was more about closing shops so that the masses didn’t go in to them and mingle. Obviously any workplace that can shut down would be a benefit and everyone that can WFH should be doing so.
I’m at work, there’s 4 of us in instead of the usual 15 - 20. At shift changeover one person is going in to let the offgoing shift leave before the others then go in.
Self employed plasterer. Even though Micheal Gove, this morning said I can go to work, I've decided to stay at home and ride it out with my family. I'm lucky that we can live without an income for a few months. A lot of self empoyed cant, so need to go to work. Government needs to be very specific on who goes to work, otherwise this shambles will continue
The college/training school I work at has refused to close so far, thankfully they finally told the students not to return today yesterday afternoon so only marking for me until the 20th April.
When the dog walker cancelled this morning it sealed it to work from home, whether I get paid for it or not is another matter
My employers whole Covid-19 attitude to-date has been to bury their heads in the sand.
I made the right call
I work with adults with physical and learning disabilities, so ama key worker as some of them need constant support.
‘All carrying on as normal’ was the message at 10:00 pm yesterday.
Today I got up, cycled into work, put the kettle on, then noticed I had a message:
“All workshops suspended today while we work out a plan. Do not come in to work” - helpfully sent when I was about 2 minutes away.
I popped to the office to see if there was anything I could do as I was there, but no - so I’m home again. I did take a longer-than-necessary-but-lots-more-fun route home.
Oh well, I guess the lawn needs mowing.
I’ve decided to stay at home and ride it out with my family.
Self employed aswell. There's work for me but I'm doing the same.
If a business isn’t on that list, it doesn’t have to close, and the workers may travel in to work (if they cannot work from home). Very simple & unambiguous.
+1 - I work from home anyway, but do need to visit sites a couple of days a week to carry out surveys & easy enough to distance myself when I do unless it's a busy construction site, in which case I can refuse. Other than that where does "London" start if TFL are saying only essential workers should travel?
I'm a self employed builder. Managed to finish off the job I was on yesterday. All my work booked in for the next few months has been cancelled or put back by the customers.
Probably have enough money for 2 weeks.
Applying for Universal credit is very difficult, especially since I'm living in temp accommodation following a relationship breakup.
It's been a very hard winter for me due to the weather so I have nothing left in the pot. Work was just picking up again.
Not sure what to do tbh
I’m in the shop today as cycle shops are allowed still , I have work to do and bikes to try and reunite with owners while I can still be here
My former work colleagues will be at work today.
Apparently, a large Japanese car manufacturer in the NE UK, has decided that, making cylinder heads for car plants in Romania and Spain is essential.
Given that the car assembly production line is shut down, due to supply from EU issues. I fail to see how they will get them to their destination
But, what do I know
We have been in the shop today taking all the cash and stuff out.
Still had people open the door and start browsing at the cards.
Production staff at work, all office staff now WFH. Management conspicuous in their absence. MD sent out an email today saying we'd be staying open (but no managers on site) until instructed to close by government but we've got bugger all to do and several of our suppliers have shut up shop.
I’m a builder the company I work for closed the doors yesterday. I thought all sites were to close and only emergency jobs allowed.
Gardener (and what was presumably, his son) just turned up at neighbours house and did the garden.
She's in the "at risk" cohort.
She was also on the senior secretarial staff to the Mid Staffs senior management. Perhaps that had nothing to do with the gardener turning up and staying to make sure the (tiny) garden looked nice.
Automotive manufacturing here, tier 2 to a big UK car plant or 2.
we are in working, both production and white collar, we've been told that we are going to shut down as of Wednesday as there are no sales, nothing to do with the health risk! WFH is available for a few but it contravenes the Furloughed working policy so we'll be completely knocking it on the head.
no, we have been WFH since last week.
I was out getting my allowable exercise this morning and noticed all trades seem to be cracking on as normal and there were loads of trucks on the roads delivering all the relevant materials to support them.
Self employed in the hospitality sector here.
No work as of yesterday with nothing on the horizon.
Made a claim for universal credit and have applied to local supermarkets for temp work. The bulk of work around here is in the hospitality sector so what few jobs are available with supermarkets will see a high number of applicants I imagine.
Point out that as a notifiable disease cases are to be reported under RIDDOR rules and that they should count as an LTI if it was likely contracted at work.
This intrigued me, so I looked it up. It seems companies don't have to report it as a RIDDOR, it's a notifiable illness, so up to a GP or hospital to report it.
I'm a gardener and still working at the moment. I'm avoiding contact with customers, so no coffee and a chat, won't be buying plants etc. Two jobs which require going through the house so I won't do those. I feel a bit uneasy but I feel like there's very little to be gained from not working providing I observe social distancing and keep cleaning my hands and wearing gloves. Somebody told me they heard an expert on the radio saying gardeners will be fine as long as social distance.
ElShalimo
MemberCar mechanics… The rules aren’t clear. If the MOT is about to expire are you allowed to drop your car of at the garage?
Jeremy Vine was discussing this about an hour ago - someone got in touch to say their MOT has just expired, so their car insurance is invalid, so what do they do. DVLA was saying they will tow the car away for not having valid MOT/ insurance; but it sounds like in the next 2 days there'll be a rethink on wtf happens to MOTs - probably extensions by 6 months for everything about to expire.