To think some have been given the nod?

[whatnow41]

DH works in an industry that has close links to both healthcare and hospitality. Since March he has noticed a pattern of certain very large customers (national chains of pubs or big brands) seeming to know and respond to lockdown and tier information a few days in advance.

In March I was working as a manager for an organisation that supplied call centre workers for the NHS Covid line. We definitely had some kind of a nod. We were told to get as many people as possible WFH in the 2 weeks before lockdown was announced. Literally getting brand new staff in, trained in a day, and out the door again to WFH.

I now work for a call centre again within a very key industry. Beginning of last week, despite our whole call centre being key workers, we began prep for WFH. The management have always said we can't support staff well enough to support customers on a WFH basis due to tenure. 95% staff have less than 3 months as it's a new site.

The positioning statement from our ceo last week was that we were just doing some business readiness planning "in case Boris announces increased levels of restrictions".

Now on the BBC news channel Boris is warning restrictions may be increased.

Some people get the nod, don't they?

I work in government affairs for a large supermarket chain and yes, we are in regular contact with ministers and civil servants and yes we get a heads up.

The fact is you need more than 2-3 days notice to prepare for the changes, e.g. supply chains, covid security. There have been times where we have had little to no notice and that was a nightmare to implement!!

Come on, OP, it's no more likely there's such informal advance notice than a Secretary of State's publican/neighbour with no sector experience gets a lucrative COVID-related contract. You'll be saying next that information that has real value with respect to Stock Market investment isn't held securely and that some people have made unlawful fortunes from the turbulence without the risk of guessing and getting timing wrong.

If you want to know what's going to happen, listen to what Boris says, and plan for the opposite.

The only time he doesn't lie is in front of bulldozers.

We both work work in the nhs. DH is senior in ITU. We get no warning of anything, staffing shift patterns are worked out (currently) based on best guesses, looking at how the data develops.

Frankly, look at what Scotland does and England is generally 2-3 weeks behind!

@anewdispensation

Yes they do. I know someone who is the CEO of what is deemed a systemically important company and they meet regularly with the cabinet ministers and sometimes Boris as the impact of any new restrictions or changes have to be critically examined and analysed which means they have some time to put necessary measures in place

Every large company has a public affairs team who's job it is to meet with MP's and cabinet to do this. We absolutely do not get a final "heads up". We do use common sense to read between the lines and see what they are briefing in to media. I work for a FTSE 100.

@Watchingbehindmyhands

I don’t think you need anything other than a half functioning brain to realise that the likelihood of lockdown is increasing day on day at the moment

This. I was shocked more people didn't leave London before that announcement was made. That news was being leaked to media days prior.

A few weeks before lockdown, while we still had very few UK cases, the local authority I work for had a big work from home day where they asked as many people as possible to work from home to 'test' the systems. Clearly knew it was coming.

As others have said, people with anything about them read the science, watch for changes and patterns of cases in other countries, listen to the social media and broadcast media chatter (there are definitely "leaks" to gauge public opinion I think, of course there are).

I doubt there is any official heads up for most organisations until the last minute when it comes to precise details and exact timings, until the official press releases/government briefings. But they are sometimes told to prepare for this and that and then not surprising that they are able to come to their own conclusions. WHEN changes might happen can't be an exact science but guidance from eg D for E to "get remote learning procedures in place ASAP" combined with watching the news and briefings, ONS stats etc regularly, listening to personal stories from relatives working in A&E, military, police etc can all give an indication that something is brewing.

Schools HAVE to act according to government instruction. Before the March lockdown when heads were watching events unfold in other countries, seeing their staff and pupils drop like flies with an unspecific and undiagnosed "virus", listening to their close relatives tell them what was going on at their hospital, having spouses of their employees who work for the military/law enforcement be put on standby/leave cancelled etc, they must have been wringing their hands in despair waiting for the government announcement for full lockdown. There was a feeling in my school of "what the bloody hell are they waiting for??"

My DH works for head office for a high street bank and he’s been told he’ll be working from home till at least April/May. He was due back this month but they extended it in late November.

@Yubaba

My DH works for head office for a high street bank and he’s been told he’ll be working from home till at least April/May. He was due back this month but they extended it in late November.

Most big firms have given out the same message to their staff. Its not because they've had a "heads up" but because they are contingency planning. It's easier to plan for staff being at home until Spting/Summer than planning for the next 4 weeks then having to adjust again.

Also big firms are generally all about the £££. If wfh is working why risk bringing people back & getting sick.

Everyone knew the lockdown was coming in March and most companies tested their IT systems for WFH. This wasn't down to a 'nod' but just sensible business planning.

Am still laughing at Dave from DVLA getting the 'nod' though

@Yubaba

My DH works for head office for a high street bank and he’s been told he’ll be working from home till at least April/May. He was due back this month but they extended it in late November.

This means nothing. A lot of companies have done this. It's also easier to give staff longer timelines than not.

@Zilla1

Come on, OP, it's no more likely there's such informal advance notice than a Secretary of State's publican/neighbour with no sector experience gets a lucrative COVID-related contract. You'll be saying next that information that has real value with respect to Stock Market investment isn't held securely and that some people have made unlawful fortunes from the turbulence without the risk of guessing and getting timing wrong.

Agree. That definitely didn't happen.