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Covid

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Original poster

To be raging at my work and is there anything I can do?

95 replies

secretdoubleagent · 23/03/2020 06:17

So bit of background I work in a office as an administrator, area that I work in is not classed as key worker.
Ever since the gov have said for people to work from home where possible my company have been dragging their feet and not letting us work from home. It would make our jobs more complicated but other offices in our sector have managed it.
Here's my aibu given that all these huge companies ie McDonald's, Primark etc have said they are shutting for safety reason aibu to demand to work from home?
There are probably around 30 of us working in the office and the company are still letting people just walk in off the street and are insisting that people keep appointments with clients.
I feel that we should be shutting the offices but have been told if we refuse to come in we will face disciplinary proceedings and if we say we are self isolating we will only get SSP.
Is there anything I can do? Given what is happening I feel the company are being irresponsible?
Thank you for reading my ramblings and hope it makes sense (feeling a bit flustered with everything that's happening)

OP posts:

AlwaysCheddar · 23/03/2020 07:07

A lockdown is coming in next 24 hours (?) so they had better get you a laptop quick! Selfish employers.

DoubleAction · 23/03/2020 07:08

I think a lot has changed since Friday and these companies will have a change of heart today. I don't know where they'll get the tech from though!

I work in school and have borrowed screens etc for DH to use while he's wfh (with permission)

Zebrasinpyjamas · 23/03/2020 07:22

Don't tell them you have a cough as your allowance of sick pay days will start ticking down and you will probably actually need your full allowance in the near future.

I'd suggest as a group of employees you tell the owners how you can work from home sensibly (eg we can do XXX tasks, use zoom to video call for free etc) and say a healthy workforce can work for longer plus continue working longer during any future lockdown. (Not the most important reason but might appeal to bosses focussed on money).
The guidance is clear about now people should only be doing essential travel and what jobs count as "essential".

CappyCapCap · 23/03/2020 07:23

Companies that are only just looking to sort their tech out, are ridiculous.

My company, have a business contingency plan, which include having a company that we can loan laptops off.

We got 200 in 4 weeks ago.

When we were told we could work from home, but in a cyclical fashion. I had my entire team set up for home working in 3 hours

Darbs76 · 23/03/2020 07:25

Tell them your socially isolating due a family member having a cough. By 14 days time it will be shut no doubt

DoubleAction · 23/03/2020 07:25

Yes Cappy, but this thread is not about those sort of companies.

DH has been working from home for a fortnight. He had a laptop but life is easier with bigger screen which I've borrowed for him. Otherwise he'd have had to carry it home on the train.

tulippa · 23/03/2020 07:47

YANBU. I'm in a similar position but currently on week 2 of self isolation as DS had symptoms last week. My company have even twisted the wording on the keyworkers list and said how fantastic it was that we could all keep sending our kids to school and keep coming in to work.

I am not a keyworker. The country will not fall apart if I stop going in to work. Yes it's difficult to do my job from home but it's also a job where it's impossible to keep 2 metres away from anyone while you're doing it.

I don't understand why we're waiting for the virus to spread further instead of doing something about it now!

CappyCapCap · 23/03/2020 07:52

Yes Cappy, but this thread is not about those sort of companies.

Eh, the point was that you dont know where the tech is going to come from.

The point is that all companies should have been thinking about this weeks ago. Thinking about it now is ridiculous.

The thread isnt about where the tech is going to come from. So, should you have not mentioned it?

What exactly do you mean 'not that sort of company'. Every company should have a business continuity plan. Any company that didnt, or didnt implement it will find themseleves lacking.

The point is, it will get to a point where they wont get the tech. Which will leave people still having to go in or working at home with less equipment than they would usually need

Taciturn · 23/03/2020 07:58

I would ask them what their business continuity plan is should someone be diagnosed. What about if 80% of your workforce is sick at the same time?

DoubleAction · 23/03/2020 08:00

Yes and companies should have been planning for this for a while, but the ones who were resisting homeworking left it too late and now wont be able to source the tech.

TBH, even if every company that has office based workers had thought about it sooner, do you really think there would have been sufficient stocks? Where? Even the carefully built contingency plans, based on borrowing or buying emergency equipment wouldn't have planned for everyone needing them at once .

onegirlandherdog · 23/03/2020 08:06

Start coughing a lot at work. They'll soon rethink it. Also, they are monumental arseholes.

LakieLady · 23/03/2020 08:11

I think employees in workplaces where this kind of unreasonable demand is being given should ring up and say someone at home has a cough or fever and self isolate for two weeks. By the time the two weeks is up, the company policy will have changed

Exactly what I was going to suggest.

People shouldn't have to lie, but the government are too spineless to compel employers to do the right thing, so staff are being put in a position where they have to.

I almost find myself wishing Thatcher was still in charge, everyone would be clear about what they had to do, if nothing else.

zombieapocalypseisnigh · 23/03/2020 08:13

Are the bosses themselves coming in and dealing with the clients and walk ins? Or just having you all put yourselves in danger.

DemelzaRobins · 23/03/2020 08:21

OP this is disgusting. I'd be developing a dry cough too - at some point in the next 14 days we will be entering lockdown.

My employer let me WFH before the advice to WFH as I have an underlying condition. Once the advice to WFH where possible came out everyone who is able to WFH was allowed to do so which is the vast majority of our workforce.

Those who need to socially distance the most - pregnant women, those entitled to the flu jab and over 70s - don't have to come in at all. If they can't WFH for any reason then they are on special leave with full pay.

Your employer should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Bubblewings · 23/03/2020 08:27

VivaleBeaver “A presence must be maintained”
Wow - they are literally promoting the opposite of social distancing then

Zombiemum1946 · 23/03/2020 08:31

Name and shame to whom ever you can.

luckylavender · 23/03/2020 08:34

@Landlubber2019 - if you report in & say you're coughing, it's 14 days self isolation & probably SSP.

Thespiceisright · 23/03/2020 08:36

Self isolate then.

I don’t think that people who are shouting for a lock down even at work realise they might have no work to go to after this finishes. A lot of people’s jobs will already be on the line but you just don’t realise it.

The economy is going to be fucked for many many months after this and we are 100% going to head in to a recession. At times like this employers will want full hands on deck to the company doesn’t go bust and you end up redundant and losing your house

MamaGee09 · 23/03/2020 08:40

I agree with a few other posters and believe lockdown is imminent .

goldpartyhat · 23/03/2020 08:41

Maybe say you have a sick relative/child and self isolate 14 days. By the end of that period the epidemic will be raging and common sense has to step in. You can work from home as soon as you self isolate

Thespiceisright · 23/03/2020 08:42

Well considering there probably is thousands of pounds worth of equipment and alcohol they may be worried that people will break in.

CaptainBrickbeard · 23/03/2020 08:44

Thespiceisright the economy will be even more fucked if people go into work and spread this virus faster and further. Uncontrolled rampant spread of the virus is worse fro the economy than even lockdown will be. We are all painfully aware of the recession headed for us which will be beyond anything we’ve known. People going into work right now won’t prevent that or protect us from any of its impact. It will make it worse.

NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 23/03/2020 08:51

If you are in a position where you "can" work from home then you should do so. I would tell my employer that I am following the directive of the PM and that his instructions trump theirs. Quote the PM's advice.

Everyone who can work from home needs to take the government's advice and ignore any employers who advise to the contrary (unless you are a key worker). You need to protect yourselves, your families and everyone else and this is the best way to do that.

NotEverythingIsBlackandwhite · 23/03/2020 08:53

My work place have closed after Boris ordered all bars, restaurants and clubs to close however they insist that 2 people still go in to the premises twice a day to check everything Is ok. What the feck is going to happen to it?
My cousin has been asked to go in today (only lives a few doors down from the rural pub) to help secure as much stock as possible because of the worry of break-ins.

Thespiceisright · 23/03/2020 08:54

captain a very very small % of people die from this. If you social distancing and going straight from home to work and still following government advice whilst there - it’s unnecessary to close down businesses. I’m not talking about pubs etc.. although I personally know some one who has two bars who will be bankrupt after this.

I’m talking about your bog standard offices that need to keep ticking over to keep people afloat when the virus has subsided and the government says ‘sorry were bankrupt please join the queue at the employment office for your benefits ‘

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