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AIBU?

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Original poster

Stay at home, go to work

205 replies

sunshine19781 · 23/03/2020 21:00

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?

OP posts:
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7
Campervan69 · 23/03/2020 21:26

Some people are so thick, self centred and arrogant. You are not that important. Your work is not essential. Only people like health care staff, the police are important. Don’t think too highly of yourself

The problem is the bosses not allowing these people to stop work and still get paid. That's the problem nobody wants to go into work don't be ridiculous but if you're having to take it off unpaid without being allowed any kind of benefits then of course people will be forced to go in still

horsesaremylife · 23/03/2020 21:26

:He doesn't say don't go to work. He said don't go to working you can do it from home."
^ this I think is the reality so many will keep working because they wont get the 80% of they wages if they are laid off, unless their employers has no actual work for them and lays them off for that reason.

Hellswithbigbells · 23/03/2020 21:28

@RandomComment tell that to the company who puts your food in the shops and have to be shut down for a rodent infestation.

You really don’t have to be so bloody rude, there is lots of work done to keep absolutely essential businesses going but are you too ‘thick, self centred or arrogant’ to see that.

bottlenose301 · 23/03/2020 21:30

Yeah define essential.

My company think my office work that can't be done from home is essential.

Therefore I have to at least show up tomorrow (and hopefully be told to go home). But no word so far telling us to stay home.

horsesaremylife · 23/03/2020 21:30

"The problem is the bosses not allowing these people to stop work and still get paid"
If my DHs staff dont come to work then he doesn't get paid so he cant pay them. Its not that he's not allowing them to stop work and get paid he cant pay them if they dont work.

ilovedjerrymore · 23/03/2020 21:32

Nothing has been mentioned about building sites being closed or being self employed...I myself who am high risk will be at work tomorrow if I don’t I loose my rented house and have no income.
It’s ok for people to say you have to stay at home but when you are living hand to mouth it isn’t that easy.
A lot of self employed people I work with are in the same position!
People can’t live on fresh air and expect landlords to wait for their rent etc! It don’t work like that sadly.

CappyCapCap · 23/03/2020 21:32

Everyone keeps moaning 'it's not clear'.

It really is.

Employers will need to show their work is essential.

Self employed who are going our working on non essential stuff, like nail technicians will be closed.

If you are a roofer and someone needs work dont on the roof, then its essential.

People really do need to start taking responsibility and using their own judgment if they are self employed. Since they run their own business, then they are used to doing that.

horsesaremylife · 23/03/2020 21:34

This is a serious issue and there are no clear guidelines on this. DH's business partner spoke to lots of people today if they know that the government will definitely pay off lay off to protect them from Covid19 then he'd lay them off now.

HeresMe · 23/03/2020 21:34

Some people are so thick, self centred and arrogant. You are not that important. Your work is not essential. Only people like health care staff, the police are important. Don’t think too highly of yourself

Food production is important, food packaging selling food, waste management is important, maintenance of power, water and communications is important, and many more, the list of essential workers is a lot more huge than your list and possibly into a few millions.

HyacynthBucket · 23/03/2020 21:34

CamperVan69 and others on here. Get real. He said stay at home. That means stay at home. It does not mean going to work in a law office. Only essential services will be open. I have just seen this in Spain. Brits are going to have to get their heads round this now (at last) and fast. This is an emergency - it means YOU have to do what is required. It does not mean going to work in a law firm, going to playgroup as someone on here was saying only yesterday, or going to your pilates class. It does not mean letting your kids run wild pushing past other people when they should have kept their distance and above all, selfish, senseless twits that took to the roads and spread the virus all over the tightly packed countryside this last weekend - you bastards, it means you stay right where you are now.

Campervan69 · 23/03/2020 21:34

If my DHs staff dont come to work then he doesn't get paid so he cant pay them. Its not that he's not allowing them to stop work and get paid he cant pay them if they dont work

But the government have introduced a scheme whereby he can claim 80% of their pay so he could send everybody home on 80% pay it's just that some bosses are just not doing that and forcing their staff to come in. My boss has refused to even consider that and has told us we all need to go on reduced hours and reduced pay to keep things ticking over which none of us want to do as our work is not essential

toomuchfaster · 23/03/2020 21:35

Also, again who decides 'essential' I have ordered a part for my phone to be fixed. Sounds like it can wait but I need my phone for my keyworker job; the little, local business needs my money too. Is that essential if it means I might not be able to do my job!

Campervan69 · 23/03/2020 21:35

CamperVan69 and others on here. Get real. He said stay at home. That means stay at home. It does not mean going to work in a law office. Only essential services will be open

Do you think we want to go to work? I have been pleading with my boss to let me work from home which is completely doable and he will not agree to it. He's also not agreed to pay us 80% as the government have offered and at the moment I am therefore looking after my children at home on no pay.

horsesaremylife · 23/03/2020 21:35

*"Everyone keeps moaning 'it's not clear'.

It really is.

Employers will need to show their work is essential."*
@CappyCapCap please can you show me where the government have actually said this because we cant find it anywhere.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 23/03/2020 21:38

If my husband lays all his staff off and they dont get the 80%

Don’t they get the 80% as long as they were e,played on the 28th Feb?

Hellswithbigbells · 23/03/2020 21:40

People really do need to start taking responsibility and using their own judgment if they are self employed. Since they run their own business, then they are used to doing that

I wholeheartedly agree with this. However if you employ people it needs to be clearer for employers to enable explanations to be made. There is a lot of angry employees out there and business owners need some bloody support.

8dayweek · 23/03/2020 21:40

From gov.uk

Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to do
Stay at home
• Only go outside for food, health reasons or essential work
• Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home

horsesaremylife · 23/03/2020 21:41

@Campervan69:
"But the government have introduced a scheme whereby he can claim 80% of their pay so he could send everybody home on 80% pay it's just that some bosses are just not doing that and forcing their staff to come in."
I'm sorry but the general consensus from small business organisations etc is that it's not that black and white. No where does it say if you're not doing essential work you cannot lay everyone off. The implication is that you are laying people because you have no work and thats why you are laying staff off not to protect them for Covid19.

SluggishSnail · 23/03/2020 21:41

My job is biomedical research, we are releasing a new life saving cancer drug this year (or at least that was the original plan).

Genuine question - is that an 'absolutely essential' job?

I think yes, as it will save lives. But should I ask my staff to come in?

(not meaning to hijack thread, but interested in opinions)

MiniTheMinx · 23/03/2020 21:41

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 Justmuddlingalong, yep same here. Its ridiculous, it should be criminal! My husband is in quality in a factory making cash tills....for shops that are closing and don't need cash tills, the bosses are sat safely at home, whilst the workers are being expected to continue to work. Its not essential work, its bloody redundant work! I am very angry. I am not an essential workers, my two boys have been home for a week before schools close, and yet we are all put at risk by his boss' bloody greed.

MovingTowardsANewPositivity · 23/03/2020 21:42

It does actually say Key workers on the list on the government Facebook video though? Why can't they be more clear? It's so frustrating!

Stay at home, go to work
Heathercob · 23/03/2020 21:43

I work with horses who need to be fed, mucked out etc!

TheCountessatHotelCortez · 23/03/2020 21:43

Interested to see if DH us to go to work tomorrow. He works in agricultural structural engineering, so putting in foundations for sheds and drawings etc but has been actually building the sheds lately too to try and get some of the projects finished as some are needed right away e.g. finished one today for lambing and more of the same needing finished, milking parlours etc. I don’t know how critical this is but it may fall under farming category

Pinkyyy · 23/03/2020 21:44

DH and his firm need to finish putting the roof on someone's house tomorrow, is that essential? He doesn't want to literally leave them without a roof over their heads.

horsesaremylife · 23/03/2020 21:44

"8dayweek" your wrong.
He said only travel to work if you cant work form home he did not say all non essential jobs should shut down.
Until he says that many people like my husband are unconvinced that the government will pay the 80% wages. Would you want to be laid off if you are not 100% convinced you were going to get the 80%

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