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.

I am honestly sick of him. Which interesting as I don't even see that much of him.

The only time I come across hysteria regarding this shitty situation Is on Mumsnet

You should read more widely then - it's hardly hidden.

I don't know. I am somewhat vulnerable, and have no idea where the guidance leaves me. I have, however, spent the last 8 weeks working my arse off and being hugely productive from home...so hope that is sufficient to allow me to continue working from home.

Eh, I thought the message was continue to work from home if you can but if you can’t you should be encouraged to go back as long as social distancing measures can be applied?

Unless every manager has spent the last 6 weeks re-planning their workplaces so employees can be two metres apart and is also expecting an immediate return to the level of business they experienced pre COVID then no ones getting phone calls tonight.

Bare minimum managers need to work out staffing levels to ensure safe distancing...companies also won’t bring people back off furlough until they can be sure they can pay their wages which won’t happen immediately.

I don’t know how anyone could have listened to Boris and expected to go into work tomorrow if that’s not what they’ve been doing anyway during lockdown

It will be up to individual employers, so yes, some will expect those who are vulnerable (not the high risk, shielding group) to go in to work "if their job can't be done from home".

@altmum I am a Conservative!

Christ , no. But I can work from home.

Do you not realise that plenty of people on the vulnerable list have been working out of the home this entire time? Many are keyworkers, including front line NHS staff like a relative of mine.

I'm extremely vulnerable and I read somewhere (like a broadsheet, sorry no link) that they are considering dropping furlough pay to 60%.

To me that just seems discriminatory and people will end up just having to go to work even though they have been told they are highly likely to get a bad outcome and need a ventilator.

Added to that, living in a tourist area we are unlikely to cope with a spike due to people traveling here now they are allowed to, seemingly.

Ok so yes we can obviously apply common sense to our own lives and family.

But what about those of us who have empathy for others? For the people whose employers are making them go to work (so they have to choose to use public transport or/and send dcs to school or nursery) or those whose nursery is going to start charging when schools open so they feel they must send dcs in.

It is possible to have common sense whilst also having concern and empathy for others.

The shielding list makes no sense if it doesn't include the most clinically vulnerable. Diabetics have the highest death rate yet aren't shielded? They can presumably be forced back to work?

Do you not realise that plenty of people on the vulnerable list have been working out of the home this entire time? Many are keyworkers, including front line NHS staff like a relative of mine.
This is probably why these poor people aren't being shielded. Highly vulnerable but many are key workers. It's awful people aren't being protected.

Some of you here need to learn your rights and join a union. Just because you didn't get an initial letter doesn't mean you shouldn't be off for 12 weeks as a vulnerable person you just request the note from your doctor. Also you are fully entitled to the time off on long term sick or furlough pay. I as a severe asthmatic have not been and will not be returning to my work as a mental health support worker. They refused to furlough me because I am a gap year student so I am on the equivalent of disability benefits which cover me comfortably and hopefully til I return to university I will be able to get safer work in an admin role ect that I am actively seeking.

I forgot to mention I suffered pneumonia less than six months ago have been in intensive units several times with my lung and heart conditions and my workplace (ymca) was not putting in the correct procedures to correct me or those around me.

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

Yes, we all do. The advice for the whole population remains to WFH wherever possible

From the current published government advice;

It is still very important that people stay home unless necessary to go out for specific reasons set out in law. These include:

for work, where you cannot work from home
going to shops that are permitted to be open – to get things like food and medicine, and to collect goods ordered online or on the phone
to exercise or spend time outdoors for recreation
any medical need, to donate blood, avoid injury or illness, escape risk of harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person

Diabetics have the highest death rate yet aren't shielded?

There are more deaths because there are more diabetics in the population.

The death rate in say those living with a shielded condition is lower only because fewer people have it and those who do are likely to be shielding. But they are still horribly over represented in the deaths figures (see the various websites of charities for those diseases)

BTW not all employers are furloughing the shielded, and the shielding letter talks about UC as the long term alternative. Be careful what you wish for - shielding even from your family within your home is tough, and it could be asked for indefinitely

I'm not asking for myself. I'm concerned about other people.

Just as diabetes is common so is asthma. Whilst an increased risk, their death rates are nowhere near as high as diabetes. It's clearly not just because it's a common condition.

It's been known since January/February that diabetes had one of the highest death rates with Covid worldwide. Not every country is like the UK in terms of having lots of diabetics.

There's research suggesting Covid is a vascular disease. That might explain why diabetes is so high risk.

If we are going to have a shielding list, we should include diabetics on it.

Also shielding isn't mandatory. People on the list have a choice to not shield if they so wish.

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?

Probably. Teachers seem to expect Boris to personally visit their school, re-arrange the desks and plan the timetable.

A friend of mine decided to stay home and asked to wfh about a week before lockdown was finally introduced.

She has various serious medical issues making her vulnerable to Covid19.

Her boss accused her of absenteeism.

Some bosses are total arseholes.

Clinically Extremely Vulnerable here.

Shielding is incredibly tough. Ten weeks in, another twelve weeks to go (just had another letter this week).

Really stressed out about the work side of things as have been told I will be expected to go in the week after next, despite the fact I can do 100% of my job from home for the next six months.

This is completely ridiculous. The very minimum the government could (easily at little or no cost) is make wfh mandatory where it's possible to do the job from home. Or at least to be the choice of individual employees.

What are your boss's reasons for not allowing wfh @MonkeyJunk? I believe they can't legally force you in as you're on the shielding list.

@ToffeeYoghurt My boss doesn't trust anyone with my protected characteristic and has to have us in the office where we can be controlled.

It's shit. I really need to find a new job (working on it).