Those who had a shielding letter what do you plan to tell your employer after 30th June?

[Littlemiss74]

I had a letter advising me to shield until end of June. I have been out for walks but that’s about it and quite happy working from home. My employer is very good and supportive and we are currently all still working from home anyway. They have said they are working on ‘plans’ so am guessing this will involve returning safely to the office in the coming weeks/months.

I just wondered what other people who had been advised to shield are planning to do or if your employer’s have said anything to reassure you?
I would be nervous about going back but also am realistic that it can’t continue forever. Some managers are starting to fret about the length of time we’ve all been wfh.

[ssd]

I think if you have to go back they need to give you the safest job they can, would that help?

[lockdownstress]

There will be advice from the cmo this week or next on shielding.

[PhilCornwall1]

Not planning on saying anything. When I don't WFH I'm travelling to client sites and staying over. As soon as I can get back on site, I'm going.

[ssd]

Scotland is now asking shielded people to shield till 31 July. Perhaps England will do the same?

[YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan]

I've gone back to work as they refused to furlough me and I couldn't afford to stay off any longer.

I'm in a job that involves dealing with the general public. I haven't had a risk assessment and people do not keep their distance. They come close when they need to speak to me or just reach past me without saying excuse me so I don't get the chance to move out of their way.

I don't feel comfortable and I'm looking for another job.

[FluffyKittensinabasket]

In the nicest possible way, employers won’t continue to pay staff shielding. It’s awful for those who will lose their jobs but before Covid19, staff who couldn’t work due to illness would be dismissed.

[Littlemiss74]

Just to clarify I am perfectly able to work and have been doing my job in exactly the same way as I would if I was in an office. I am in a key role for the business and it is perfectly possible to do it from home. I was just advised shield as I take medication that puts me more at risk of infection, but my health condition does not stop me from working.

I just wondered what the government had planned for after 30th June as that was the date but it’s not like things will suddenly be ok on 1st July is it.

Thanks @ssd and @lockdownstress I didn’t know that so will wait for the updates.

[ssd]

I can't see how things will change either until a cure or a vaccine comes along. Shielded people are really being left to flounder or work it out for themselves. They aren't asking for charity, but they need protection. It's so unfair there isn't a guaranteed income for people shielding until things improve.

[Blondiecub0109]

My employer has a traffic light system for the return the office:
Red- I’m not ready to return
Amber - I have reservations/have care responsibilities/use public transport
Green - when can I start back?!

No questions asked about which category you self identify and purely really for numbers planning. 99.9% of us are working well from home though

[ssd]

That's a great idea..

[QueenCT]

Waiting for the shielding update this week, I'm currently WFH and will be until shielding is over

[Littlemiss74]

That’s really good @Blondiecub0109

[Yousureaboutthat]

Fluffykittensinabasket
'In the nicest possible way, employers won’t continue to pay staff shielding. It’s awful for those who will lose their jobs but before Covid19, staff who couldn’t work due to illness would be dismissed.'

Most of us were able to work before Covid so why would we be too ill to now? If I were to be dismissed because I'm shielding I would take my employer to tribunal for discrimination.

[BA13]

I live in Wales and had another shielding letter advising to stay home until 16th August.
The rest of UK will probably be the same.

[PhilCornwall1]

• I live in Wales and had another shielding letter advising to stay home until 16th August.
  The rest of UK will probably be the same.*
  
  Really? they just can't keep extending this indefinitely. I was getting regular texts but they have dried up. To be honest, they are making this stuff up now.

[Uhoh2020]

I think many will go back to work for money and for fear of being made redundant or dismissed. Unfortunately not all employers have furloughed staff instead paying them ssp without any further assistance. Some may be able to claim UC but not everyone will be eligible.

[Axlcat]

As far as I understand it, government advice is still to work from home if you can. Given you’ve been working well from home, I’d have a conversation with your manager / hr and share your concerns and ask if you can continue. You could choose to put in a formal flexible working request on a temporary basis if that would make you feel reassured? I think even though you are not shielding you’d still be classed as vulnerable so would expect them to support you,

[JustSew]

Just anecdotally, my Tesco delivery man told me that their shielding staff were going back to work this week.

[BeforeIPutOnMyMakeup]

In other countries they aren't doing shielding they are making every - either by law or simply social pressure - wear face coverings/masks in enclosed spaces. They also put screens up.

I suspect the UK government may go down those lines as it will allow places to open up and there will be no excuse for shielding.

Talking to my colleagues around the world everyone is being made to do a maximum of couple of days in the office to avoid the offices being more than 50-70% full.

[QueenCT]

@BeforeIPutOnMyMakeup shielding isn't an excuse... I'm still working FT, just from home and not in an office with circulated AC and no windows!! I don't feel it's safe to go back yet, I'm at enough risk from a cold/chest infection without this as it is

[Littlemiss74]

I agree @QueenCT shielding is not an excuse and is bloody hard if doing it to the letter. It’s not fun. For some people they are very frightened of catching this.

[kirstinm]

I'm shielding but will go back to work/uni if I come off furlough. Partly financially, partly because I will crack up if I have to do this indefinitely, partly because when my partner goes back to work I think the benefit of shielding will then be not worth the mental upset as he could easily bring it home.

[Splattherat]

Thank you for the thread @Littlemiss74 like you I am also shielding and working from home (but on a pt basis). I only go out to exercise and some fresh air but fortunately live in a quiet fairly rural area with lots of nice walks on my doorstep.
I live in England and was very late getting my letter so my shielding date is until August. We are ok to carry on WFH until at least September but I think after this my employer will be pressurising us to go into work maybe one day a week or more which I am dreading. My DC are teens at secondary and don’t really need childcare. But we are a small team whereby one member of our small team has been taking the ‘Mickey’ all along. Her and her DH are both WFH in the same roles her PT and him FT for different organisations. Yet she has tried her best to get furloughed she has a child in the current year 12 and another in year 5. She brags about logging on in her PJ’s (obv she gets changed, has a shower, makes and eats breakfast in work time). She is rarely available for a SKYPE call (she freely admits to spending time during the working day getting X sorted, helping X with Y or X with her homework). When she was trying to get furloughed she complained about how difficult she was finding things and has been given the option to use some AL or work on an eve or early morn but she refused. Yet she always manages to only have 30 minutes for lunch, always finishes early and always gets her hours in etc. So I am sure we won’t both be able to both continue WFH.

[OhFuckOffWithTheBubbleBollocks]

"In the nicest possible way, employers won’t continue to pay staff shielding. It’s awful for those who will lose their jobs but before Covid19, staff who couldn’t work due to illness would be dismissed."

And up until the 1970s people thought that was an acceptable attitude towards women who couldn't work due to pregnancy and giving birth

And yes I am fully aware people can be dismissed under capability grounds for illness but this situation is nowhere near the same. Due to a global pandemic we are being advised by the government not to go to work (WOTH) as we face a higher risk of death than the vast majority of the public. In this situation surely employment protection could and should be given - especially as statistically we are a very small group (and the group within who are working is even smaller).

Given the gigantic costs which multi million pound companies are claiming from the government to furlough their own staff - people
begrudging the cost of giving shielded people the remuneration etc they would otherwise be receiving, is a pretty low attitude and one I would personally be ashamed to hold.

I'm sure there are companies as well as individuals who do hold this grudging and petty attitude and I would dearly love to see their views publicised if this was the case. I really do think it's pretty shameful, to be honest.

(Clearly the government hold this view as they are not extending us any protection whatsoever). I really believe this situation should be treated on a par with maternity leave with guaranteed income and protection from dismissal.