Sky TV still sending engineers into people’s homes!

[FreddysHappyDream]

My DP is a Sky TV engineer. He basically installs satellite TV. Somehow Sky have managed to get themselves considered essential “Key Workers” (probably due to the internet and broadcasting side of the business). Even after this lockdown they are continuing to send engineers into people’s homes. Satellite TV is not essential it’s a luxury FFS! They usually have 5-8 visits per day lasting 30mins-2hours, the risk of spreading the virus from household to household is immense!

I am a nurse in a large city hospital, we are currently isolating due to our daughter having had a cough and fever. I cannot risk getting ill and being off work again, I’m needed at work! So frustrated, angry and worried. I have spent the last weeks worrying about how I can keep my family safe from my workplace and it turns out my DP’s presents the greater risk!

AIBU to think that Sky are putting profits before their customer and staffs health & well-being?

I'd have gone crazy without TV. Mental health matters.

I think provided they go alone and keep to the 2m rule and hand sanitizing etc it is still allowed atm per latest guidance re working.

Not saying I agree with this btw.

I have just cancelled a BT engineer coming to our house (which includes a "shielded" occupant). They tell me they must install superfast broadband as they can't renew my contract on copper. I explained I couldn't have anyone in my house at this time and their response was "Oh they do a risk assessment and ask if you've got symptoms or been to any high risk areas lately". There was no understanding at all that I was concerned about the engineer's risk to us, not the other way round!

Having said that, the second person I spoke to was really kind and helpful and went out of her way to find a solution.

I'm concerned that they seem to be several weeks behind current thinking.

I suppose the main thing is broadband if lots of people are now working from home and schools are using online google classroom then they need to keep this going, not necessarily tv tho lol

My dh is still going into people's homes too to fix boilers. I guess everyone needs hot water to wash away those germs...

That's terrible, you need to post this all over their social media, it's a huge PR faux pas.

In America broadband is being noted as an essential utility - along the lines of gas and electricity.

People who are WFH need internet access to do their jobs. I'd say it was an essential service, especially during times like this.

My cousin is a sky engineer and he doesn't have disposable gloves that fit or hand sanitiser and no one is checking that the person who answers the questions about anyone having a cough etc is the person at the property when he gets there. This week alone he's had several people get aggressive when he asked them to social distance. I understand most of us need our broadband to work, buy food, for school work for our children etc but surely there is a huge risk both to employees and their customers. It's ridiculous, you can't go to the shops but a guy can visit 6 houses a day to put fancy TV in?!

I understand the importance of maintaining internet access but this isn’t his role. He installs and services Sky TV. That is it. Access to satellite TV is not a basic necessity. Michael Gove even used it as an example on breakfast TV this morning.

Seems crazy that he can’t step foot in his own Mothers house but it’s okay for him to go into everyone else’s Mother?

It's wrong FreddysHappyDream , all TV installation should be stopped and only broadband maintained at the moment. Not just to keep engineers safe but to stop the spread of the virus. I think people don't care because it means admitting that whilst most of us can stay safe in our little home bubble people like your dp and my cousin are risking themselves and other people for luxuries like TV.

My cousin has an unvaccinated baby because the gp surgery is shut but is going out to work in multiple houses and then coming home bringing who knows what into the house.

My dh and I both have front line jobs and are in work because people need us, not because people need to be able to watch more films.

weve just moved and sky are booked for our broadband. The plan is to let the engineer in and keep well away from him! we wont be in the same room where possible. DH needs this for work as a teacher. The timing is terrible! But we`ll do our utmost to distance ourselves from him. For his sake and ours.

Its not for the TV (our old sky HD box actually works in the wall socket! , so pleased we didnt get rid of it now as we went to sky Q in the last house).
But we need broadband/ phone. At the moment we use "now" temporarily (no contract), but its awful. the internet drops out A LOT!! as its cheaper and uses a narrower bandwidth. DH needs decent internet to keep in contact with his students/ set work etc. Its very hit and miss at the moment. If it was a TV issue, we`d not bother, leave it!

I agree with a PP, sky coming for internet/ phone . yes with caution. Telly....no

We had our boiler fixed last week. He asked if anyone was ill and assured us he wasn't. We were very careful, we cleaned the utility room before he arrived, left the window wide open, left him a clean towel to wash his hands and stayed well away while he worked. I'm sure he carefully washed his hands afterwards to protect himself. Then we cleaned the room, towel straight in the wash, cleaned all contact points, door handles etc.

There is never going to be no risk but he can do a lot to reduce it drastically. Wash hands, don't touch face, social distancing.

niffynoonoo yes if you or dh need your broadband to work that's reasonable. Just like I imagine your dh is having to go into school on a rota to care for key worker children but doesn't have all of them in. My cousin is fit and healthy and fairly young so less likely to have problems himself but who knows about the houses he goes into. So many people risking catching and transmitting the virus when just stopping Sky TV installation, not broadband just TV, could cut out the contact of so many. The economy needs to keep going as much as possible but Sky TV installations could easily be postponed for a few weeks.

Aren't they outside of the house for most of it putting the dish up ?

I think when they are there the house hold members should have to stay out of that room at the very least!

My husband is also a sky engineer, it is actually ridiculous what they are being asked to do. Just because people leave the room doesn’t mean the virus does!

Unfortunately installing the dish outside is a very small part of the process, they have to run the cables inside the home (possibly to multiple rooms depending on package ordered) and educate the customer on how to use it (handling the new controls).

As mentioned above his employers say they are providing protective equipment, I advised him weeks ago to be washing his hands on entering and leaving a customers house and the customer answers a health questionnaire on booking, but customers have openly admitted to his colleagues that they’ve lied as didn’t want to be without satellite TV, how can you defeat this?

There’s thousands of engineers in the UK going into at least 5 different homes a day, do the maths, the potential to spread this virus is frightening.

Can I just say as well, they have this large fleet of staff with vehicles countrywide. The government were appealing for volunteers for the distribution of food & medications to the vulnerable. Why not use them for this, no one is saying they don’t want to work, they just want to be safe. The positive PR for the company putting their customers and staff first would be huge too.

yes @MagentaKitty, will be same here.

as I see it, we need the communication side (phone/ broadband. Our landline is connected to the hub itself). The tv bit no.

I agree the tv bit should be stopped , just sky doing the broadband/phone part.

Once upon a time I had package TV because the normal aeriel had been knocked off during a storm so we couldn't get basic satellite TV, it was all static. Landlord didn't fix itqaa

I’m glad they are. I can’t move away from my nasty ex until I have internet in my new place, so I can work from home. I’m praying my appt doesn’t get cancelled because I need to get out ASAP.

So, please, thank your DP on my behalf.

We have SKY and thankfully it is working fine. BUT I can't get a descent broadcast using any other format. There must be others in the same situation. In this day and age I think satelliteTV is considered the norm and not a 'luxury'.