So will the "clinically vulnerable" be going back to work tomorrow, or not?

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Note: I do not mean the "clinically extremely vulnerable" who are self-isolating for 12 weeks.

I mean the wider group of vulnerable people, which includes those who are pregnant, those who have diabetes, moderate asthma, BMI of 40+, and other chronic illnesses.

On 1st May, their official Government guidance changed from be especially stringent in social distancing, to take particular care to minimise contact with others outside your household.

So, does that mean they have protection to continue working from home?

Lots of them will be getting phone calls from their managers tonight telling them to return to work tomorrow.

Boris should have acknowledged the clinically vulnerable in his speech.

Of course not.

You can choose to gloss over what was said in an effort to make a thinly veiled snipe at Boris/the government. Or you can listen and absorb what was said, or review it through a trusted news source or on the government’s own website.

No idea. Such a mess.

@Sadie789, where's the sniping? If you know the answer, can you tell me please?

I didn't hear any guidance about the vulnerable group.

@Sadie789 you say of course not, but not all employers are decent. Boris has said it's time to go back and many employees will be given no choice, vulnerable or not.

Of course they won’t. Honestly, if your particular group wasn’t mentioned just carry on as you have been.

I would just assume that anything that wasn't mentioned stays the same as it was, so vulnerable people still being extra vigilant with social distancing.

If anything were to change, it would be updated on the vulnerable page on the .gov website, so I'd check there for any changes.

Did you want Boris to call out the name of every person in the UK and give them a personalised rundown of what happens next?

The detail will be discussed tomorrow in Parliament.

He said that those who can can be encouraged to go back to work. Ergo the clinically vulnerable cannot

I have gathered from new editors that there is a 50 page document being published by the Gov't tomorrow. Hopefully there will be some clarity about the clinically vulnerable in there.

news editors

Why are people so confident in saying of course they won't.

If people aren't shielding, officially shielding then I'm pretty sure their employers will now expect them back.

It's absolutely appalling - we are nowhere near ready to deal with this.

Exactly, @Joan0fSarc

He also said that those who can work from home should continue to do so.

I have no idea - being vulnerable (not extremely/shielding group) and a reception age child needing to get public transport to school I am anxious about that - fortunately I am full time carer to my eldest child so then dont have to go to work so can do the hour walk home to avoid transport that way. This is a mess.

If you did not have a letter, would your employer have not been asking you to work already? Assuming not retail etc.

My husband is a key worker with Asthma. He has not stopped working. He would not be paid. So no choice.
Unfortunately if you refuse to go to work your employer does not have to pay you.
I'm not sure if you losed your job if you would have a case under constructive dismissal as the work are not providing a safe working environment? I expect it does depend on the steps they take allow social distancing. It's a scary situation if you are vulnerable, you have my sympathy.

I don’t think people saying “of course not” are being fair. Some of us in the vulnerable (not shielding) group had really resistance from our employers about working from home. I for one was not allowed to WFH for over a week when the guidance on this was first released and it took a change in the Royal College of Obstetrcians guidance (and me quoting it at every manager I could think of) before I got agreement. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m now asked to go back.

If people aren't shielding, officially shielding then I'm pretty sure their employers will now expect them back

Some employers have insisted staff who were not shielding but vulnerable come in from the get go. If they refused they had the option of taking annual leave or losing their job. Household names who have done very nicely out of all the extra grocery shopping/deliveries of non essential items while all this has been going on.

Wow, they just scrapped the furlough scheme then. Pure cowardice. Thanks to everyone who voted in these clowns. Here comes mass unemployment!

I thought the whole of the speech was vague and unclear.
I have also noticed on similar threads that there appears to be a coordinated swift robust defence from certain posters whenever someone criticises Boris. Makes me wonder if the conservatives have recruited some new MN posters??

Furlough already in place to end June. Sunak confirmung this week what follows

Yup, the Tory shills and Spads are on here.

I've been here since 2012 under various nicknames and it's definitely much worse lately for Tory plants.

Has the pandemic rendered people’s common sense null and void? The only time I come across hysteria regarding this shitty situation Is on Mumsnet.

All of his speeches to date have been ‘vague and unclear’, he’s constantly trying to keep everyone on side and be everyone’s best friend. If we’d had stricter lockdown policies from the beginning we wouldn’t have the highest death rate in Europe and second highest in the world but there you go. Boris the clown wanting to be everyone’s mate.