[Closed] Are you going into work today?

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.

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/wheres-the-coronavirus-were-all-going-to-die-conspiracy-thread/

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.

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
Member

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?

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.

Self employed rope access tech.
Went in this morning to pick up my kit as we have been stood down for the foreseeable future.
Knew it was coming but that doesn’t make it easier.
Currently doing the maths with the Mrs as to whether she picks up an extra shift a week (A&E ACP contracted for 30hrs p/w normally) or I try for a job at Tesco round the corner.
Made a bit trickier as our dog walker informed us today would be her last day until things ‘clear up’ a bit so have to factor stuff like that in.
Am hoping that the rumoured assistance for the self employed comes to fruition and isn’t as hard to claim as solving the DeVinci code...

Site Investigation / Geotech here. We are basically shutting up today despite a lot of the industry seeming to think its business as usual. We have reporting to do for those of us who can work from home but decided we shouldn't be sending crews out.

Not a fun decision bit kind of a relief to be honest now its been made

Work in food manufacturing so we need to continue supplying to feed the masses.

I don't think we have every been as busy to be honest.

We are trying to do all we can to separate workers on the factory floor but production lines are unfortunately not designed for social distancing.

Building sites in Cambridge appear to be carrying on; which seems pretty daft in the current situation.

Wife looks after 17 Kia Dealerships; they are likely to go down to a skeleton crew just providing servicing & repairs as necessary to keep Kia driving nurses etc on the road. Kia are also keeping a register of people who need a service but can't get one, so they won't have their warranty invalidated if they miss something scheduled due to the lockdown.

Went in - desperate hour getting some stuff organised and then we got sent home

Self employed, work from home when not travelling. My day to day life is almost completely unchanged by the new rules - I didn’t realise I was under virtual house arrest all these years. Apart from 1 hour on a bike instead of 4.

Government help for the self employed seems easy to me - just give everyone a universal basic income payment and claw it back through tax returns later if necessary. Sunak is making it much more complicated than it needs to be.

Another gardener here, I have checked with all my clients to make sure they are happy for me to be still working on their gardens. I am avoiding all the very small gardens and vulnerable clients, gloves on all the time, no coffee/drinks/snacks accepted, no pets outside while I am there, i only use my own tools anyway. Pretty much a normal day for me really.

2 days there’ll be a rethink on wtf happens to MOTs – probably extensions by 6 months for everything about to expire.

Not really as garages are allowed to work, booked my car in for mot next week as it runs out on 4th April.

I just dont understand. It say "all non essential businesses and premises must shut". Its even underlined.

Why the hell are people still trying to go to work?

Do you sell food, fuel or medicine? Do you fix transport? If not, you need to go home.

Its not ambiguous, its clear as can be. Said before, virus wont kill us, stupidity will.

No, I can't be arsed!* +

* I might be an asymptotic COVID-19 carrier (or very mild, I have something), been isolating since this time last week, after better half instructed to stay away from her NHS work and now been told to have another week away from work because symptoms ongoing.

+ It was a week booked as annual leave ~16 months ago.

My guidance is taken from this which is very clear to me that I can go to work as I can't do my work from home:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others#closing-non-essential-shops-and-public-spaces

Yes, was in very early. We are a 'hub' school, and though not yet full of children from other schools, there is a lot of planning and organisation to do in preparation for the first group to arrive tomorrow, and then increasing through the week.
Easter holidays are cancelled, and I suspect before too long weekends will go too.
Who cares; we all need to do something.

I just dont understand. It say “all non essential businesses and premises must shut”. Its even underlined.

No, we didn't understand either. Some of what we do is classed as essential, some isn't. So I went to work to find I wasn't needed to do the essential bit, for now at least.

I work for HM Government by the way. Literally everyone is figuring it out today, now the details have been clarified.

I'm based from home with a maintenance job that covers a 1/4 of the UK.
I've been told to keep working but only cover breakdowns for essential customers and no routine checks.
Not that keen on traveling as far as I have to but most customers aren't that keen on having me on site thankfully.

@stevemuzzy

Member
I just dont understand. It say “all non essential businesses and premises must shut”. Its even underlined.

OK I’m adding myself to the slightly confused list as, before reading that guidance (which I have just gone and found on the gov.uk site) I thought it was a focus on shutting down retail outlets. But yes that guidance is clear, but I don’t think that was the message given out last night and conflicts with the info @windyg posted, also from the gov website.

Either way my work is essential so I’ll still be going in, but it’s not as clear as I thought it was.

Supernova I like that suggestion. Only issue with universal basic income is the potential large amount of money being paid out in the first place.

Gardener/grounds person and yes, was in work today, as mentioned in the other thread, only my boss and I, we don’t work closely to each other and only one allowed in the ATV at a time. We’re keeping our distance from everyone, being outdoors and working in this weather is great for mental health

I work for a large Civil/Structural/Rail/Environment /Building Services Consultant - been told all of our offices are closed from tomorrow.
I've been WFH since last Tuesday as Mrs has mild asthma and kidney issues.

Self employed gardner, I worked today in total isolation. Just me in a huge garden- No contact with anyone.
Mrsbeanz is key worker in an office, I have far more chance of catching something from her than working on my own .

OK I’m adding myself to the slightly confused list as, before reading that guidance (which I have just gone and found on the gov.uk site) I thought it was a focus on shutting down retail outlets.

this quote on BBC News site:

But on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said those who cannot work from home should go to work "to keep the country running".

Well, I've been told I'm back in tomorrow, I work as a lorry driver for a builders merchants. If you ask me, it is beyond stupid. I'll be making my opinion that they are putting corporate profits above the health of their staff, their family, and everybody bloody else in the country loudly known.
It amazes me how someone can work from home (look after themselves) can throw their staff under the bus. When this is all over, and life is back to normal, they can fin another ****ing driver.

It amazes me how someone can work from home (look after themselves) can throw their staff under the bus

I understand the sentiment - we are office based but it's mainly managers who have laptops to work from home, everyone else who actually does the work has been coming in on public transport for the last few weeks. To be fair, we closed the office today

Yup, working this week. Self employed and my main income comes from the event industry so that’s the next six months with no work, so have to take work as it’s offered. Would love to be not working, but yea, money for food and such like is pretty handy

I am self employed fitting kitchens and bathrooms. Most of my customers have postponed. Most of my supplies have to be ordered in advance and that is now not possible because most have shut their doors.

Yes, went in today, even though I've got this week as holiday.
Electrician, working for a large social housing provider doing repairs to tenanted houses.
I volunteered last week, got called in today for a briefing, and to pick up PPE, which wont fully protect me. A DIY style disposal dust mask wont be filtering out the virus I reckon!

We have to ask if anyone in the house has a cough, a temperature, or is self isolating due to a possibility of them having it. We can refuse to go in if they have.

There's 13 of us (all trades) covering 20000 properties.We are only attending emergency calls, and, to be fair, the amount of calls we had last week was minimal, as people dont want anyone around their house, so they are putting off the little jobs we usually do.
In all cases we have to put on gloves, mask, plastic hair cover and overshoes. The tenant will be asked to open windows before we enter, then they must go into one room, away from where we are working. If anything isnt an emergency, we can refuse to do it.
Tenants do ring up and exaggerate the fault, so filtering the calls out doesnt always work.
What has annoyed me a little today was I found we're doing this for 3 weeks, which is fine, and we're getting a small bonus for doing it, which is nice, but the other 200 or so staff are going to be paid full pay for sitting at home for the next 2 weeks+.
But overall, I'm happy to do it, I'm out and about, and thats got to be better than sat in front of a screen all day, or worse still, getting the DIY done at home.

Key worker status for me so no change and no option to work from home.

Most of our products are used in the fresh produce market so things are going a bit mad.

Anyone else feel some people are using using the excuse to skive off work?
Got a few people in self isolation the same people that the first to try and get out of work

Self-employed plasterer here. Got work this week on my own in an empty house. Nothing else definate booked in after that though. I can’t see many people wanting tradesmen in their houses for a while unless it’s essential maintenance. I have enough money to ride it out for 2-3 weeks, but after that I’ll have to apply for supermarket/ delivery job or go back to farm work.

Yep, been in. Tenant had a broken boiler. I attended with gas engineer. All kept distance and no tea and biscuits, but was otherwise uneventful, boiler now running happily again. It must be short on original parts with all the bits that have been swapped in it's four and a bit year life.

Also tidied up two flood damaged properties as it looks like their reinstatement is now on hold, making them look less like a building site from the outside.

Mrsmidlife's solicitor's office is running a skeleton crew on site with IT and a few managers, most sent home with laptops or to use whatever kit they would normally use for logging in from home. Front office now closed. There's been a run on laptops, surprisingly, so not all the new ones ordered have come through yet.

Started a new job yesterday, went in for induction, office was on a skeleton staff, around 30 out 350. Everyone working from home today including me which is weird on day 2. All site engineers are now stood down at home.

Marina/Boatyard industry - the yard is shut and access to the \marina discouraged. All the trades are off on full pay - the 6 marina staff are working as glorified security staff! I just hope the customers don't expect their usual fulsome welcome if they come within 50 metres of us!

Pharma scientist at a CRO, all non tech staff are WFH and only half to 3/5th of tech staff are in.

Not sure what we are classed as, stuff I'm directly impacting is either early stage 1/2 or long term transition to continuous so years off too.

Half supporting some vaccine work but we are using them as the delivery system for a small molecule warhead so not really applicable.

The boss (a mate) of a steel fabrication company that has just finished a job for me - which has now been postponed indefinitely 🙄, told me that he has work on for some big clients who are pointing their fingers toward “contractural requirements” to get it done. He has sent his office staff away to work from home . Workshop staff are all in and so far appear fit and healthy and keen to work.
All are on PAYE, so when the inevitable happens , it sounds like they will get their 80% wages, but from what he was saying it sounds like he has to pay it, then claim it back ? Doesn’t seem feasible, wage bill alone is around £10k + a week, but if no work is being done, then there won’t be any money coming in to pay it.

Went into work yesterday, I was told I hadn't made it onto the skeleton staff and that I was being furloughed..

So now I'm isolating with the wife and kids. Plenty to keep me busy.

It can be frustrating. We should have been working on the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth for the next 8 weeks, cleaning down and prepping he building for some painting works that are desperately needed in some areas (as well as because the Emirates branding is likely to need to be removed as their deal ends in June and I’d be sure if they pay out another £3mil for that now!)

If anything the shutdown of the tower and Gunwharf Quays (the retail park it’s sited in) reduces our overall risk as there are virtually no members of the public below the working areas and no contact with them when we have to move through the building.
Workers are by the very nature of what we are doing at least 3m apart and dangling up to 170m from the ground, fairly distanced from others.
Yes, there would have been the fact that any incident that required emergency response would be diverting support from vulnerable users but we’ve a zero accident record for the last 7 years and the works are relatively low risk given their nature so we were happy with that.
Our contract managers at the Council and the maintenance company we are employed through were both happy that we were in a low enough risk to carry on working however the higher level on management decided that a blanket ban on non emergency works could have no exceptions. That is what shut us down yesterday.
So I know we were not engaged in ‘essential works’ but we were in a position to effectively social distance from others and the situation actually reduced the overall risks of the task but we are unfortunately now not able to work for who knows how long.
We’ve already had a terrible spring, losing at least 50% of our working time (& therefore money) because of the series of storms and high winds we had through Feb/March & Dec/Jan are always very quiet in our industry so the war chest is more of a war cup right now.
Self employed, wife earns a bit too much for me to be eligible for UC, so what’s in the bank is what I’ve got left until I can work again. The delay in paying July’s ‘on account’ payment until next Jan is effectively an interest free loan, which is handy right now but I’ll still need to pay that in full when it’s due so it will need to be accounted for when I eventually get back to work.
Sorry for the ramble, but I guess I’m trying to say that it’s not always a clear case of ‘essential’ or not, or indeed of choosing to work or not.

The people who shut us down are all WFH, salaried PAYE types and it’s hard not to feel like they have thrown us under a bus.

Not from today. I shut up shop yesterday as I'm the only one of the team that can go out (one asthmatic with asthmatic wife and one with the virus at home).

WFH from today until I go on Furlough at the end of the month. I may pop by while out for my daily exercise to check that we haven't been ransacked, ride by not going inside.