AIBU to ask if non essential workers can go to work in lockdown?

[WorkQuery]

We are a small business and have some bookings to deliver training to a group of 8 people next week. We are not essential workers. The training can't be delivered online due to various reasons.
Can we still do it on basis that it is work that cannot be done from home? I have Googled it and it looks to me like the lockdown rules would allow this to go ahead.

My large company has just e mailed us all to say nobody is permitted to attend the office from Thursday, so we wouldn't be allowed to attend the office to go to a training session. Sorry, I'm sure it's not the answer you were looking for. Can you move it to Wednesday?

No. And the attendees cannot attend even if you could run it.

Adult training is similar to education no?

If it can be delivered in a Covid secure way (but that tends to be rather individually subjective), could it not go ahead?

I agree with Edwin.

You could go to work, but the people you are training are very unlikely to be able to attend the training unless it is vital training for essential workers.

I have had confirmation that trainees can attend. They are based in Wales and lockdown in Wales ends 9th November. Training was booked for 12th November. Our business is based in England.

You can go to work, if your work cannot be done from home. So yes.

It will be business as usual for us in our office except we may be in on a rota basis.

I doubt non essential training would go ahead due to space/social distancing though.

Agree with others, the issue is the attendees. if, as per your update, the attendees will be back at work, then yes, you can attend to perform the training as this is work that cannot be done from home. That's how I understand this. To be honest, I think this is actually what the government wanted originally the first time too....

Thanks all for your advice!

Yes. It can't be done from home, and it's not in any of the specifically restricted categories.

As long as you're not in a sector forced to close, and you can't work from home, then you can work as usual.

Lockdown doesn't mean all businesses must shut and everyone has to stay home all the time. It means stay home unless you have to leave for work, exercise, caring duties, essential shopping, medical reasons and childcare.

I'm non-essential but can't work from home. I'll be working as normal throughout.

There is no mention of "Essential workers" in the current pre-legislation guidelines. If you can't do your job from home, you should go to work

It can be done, but is likely to have to be done in a covid secure way.

People sat further apart than normal, avoidance of physical contact, cleaning of equipment between being touched by different people.

Depending on what the training is, this could be difficult - eg first aid training where people practice on each other. But then you have to balance this against the potential consequences of the training not going ahead.

You will also need to take the lead from your clients, who may wish to avoid visitors to their site, especially if they're in Wales as they might not want people from England visiting due to higher transmission risk.

@BarbaraofSeville

It can be done, but is likely to have to be done in a covid secure way.

People sat further apart than normal, avoidance of physical contact, cleaning of equipment between being touched by different people.

Depending on what the training is, this could be difficult - eg first aid training where people practice on each other. But then you have to balance this against the potential consequences of the training not going ahead.

You will also need to take the lead from your clients, who may wish to avoid visitors to their site, especially if they're in Wales as they might not want people from England visiting due to higher transmission risk.

The clients are still keen to have the training. I just wanted to make sure that wew weren't breaking any rules by doing it.