Stay at home, go to work

[sunshine19781]

What is deemed absolutely necessary when deciding to go to work? Many self employed, builders for example, will want or crack on with their jobs so they get paid. Has Boris done enough?

Indeed. The question is, 'absolutely necessary for whom?'

Agreed also office workers are all still being forced to go in. What happens to no gatherings of more than 2 people in that situation?

Come on, it's really not hard.

If your job does not involve providing absolutely essential services, stay the fuck at home.

@BoingBoingyBoing easy enough to say. But for people who can’t afford to not work?

You talk to your work and you talk to your bank and you work it out, like all the grownups are doing.

Isn’t that what the financial support packages are for?

BoingBoingyBoing he didn't actually say that though did he? I work at a law firm and I'm sure they're not going to close and we're going to be forced to carry on going in. They won't let us work from home. But that is a gathering of more than 2 people

@BoingBoingyBoing easy to say if you can still afford to eat without going to work. I can work from home but DH can’t. We’ll just starve.

Travel to and from essential work.

The key word being 'essential'.

Christ.

Again he didn't actually say that he said travel to and from work only if it is essential to do so. Well if your office is open and you're being forced to go in against your will as they won't allow you to work from home then I guess that is essential.

It's this kind of attitude that's going to keep us in this situation for a long time.

Talk to work? Talk to the bank? You think companies all over the country are just going to say “yeah that’s fine. We will keep paying your wages while you do no work for us”. And banks “yeah no problem. Don’t pay your mortgage. Overdraw your account. No problem.”

What kind of attitude? I am desperate to be able to work from home but my boss will not allow it. I'm currently having to take unpaid leave to look after my children and I do not want to have to go into work where there is the risk of contracting it from other people.

To me, essential means you are on the key workers list. If not, Stay at home.

Going to work because your boss is a dick doesn't make it essential.

I've already lost my job. I'm staying at home because, y'know, viruses don't discriminate against people who are not able to obey incredibly straightforward guidance.

If you're not able / allowed to work from home then you should still travel to work. Even if your work isn't on the list of key workers. This is the same as other countries already in lockdown. You are allowed to go to work. It's social things that are banned.

Jesus. No self employed builders should not be going to work.

I'm wondering about my services as a childminder. Two kids have been pulled already, one has parents who are key workers and one has parents who can work from home. Do I now have to refuse to take those children? I don't need to leave the house. Should I keep taking the key workers child but not the other child! So confused.

My DJ has just listened very carefully he employs 30 people only 6 can work form home and they are already doing this. Its not essential but BJ didn't actually say don't go to work unless your in an essential job he said only travel to work if you can't work form home. He'd happily lay then all off tomorrow if the government will definitely pay 80% of their wages but he has plenty of work and no one knows if you can lay people off to reduce their risk of infection.

I don't think Boris was clear enough; if he meant 'unless essential for the continued running of the country' he should have said that. Lots of companies will interpret it as, 'unless essential for the business/worker'.

The question is “essential for whom?” For most people their job is essential for them to eat.

And banks “yeah no problem. Don’t pay your mortgage.

They are offering 3 month mortgage holidays.

Bargebill19 to me too but he should have said that. My DH is in manufacturing and he will have to go in tomorrow. They may tell him to go home and work from home, we don't know yet, but the actual factory workers may well still have to go in.

We don't know but Boris hasn't ruled it out officially.

Plenty of banks are offering payment holidays. Councils are freezing council tax payments.

How can the message STILL not be getting through to some people?

My idea of essential work and DP's employers seems to differ somewhat. He's in a factory where social distancing is not possible. His bosses are cherry picking what bits of government advice they take, and of course the owners have decided to work from home. Lucky them to have that option.