Who are all these people that will suddenly back at work this week?....

[Derbygerbil]

.... and why weren’t they at work before?
.... and will there be enough work for them to do?

I thought most employers furloughed their staff if lockdown meant there was very little, if any, business, irrespective of whether they had to close.

This helped those businesses massively by effectively paying their salary bill. If the Government are saying they expect people to be back working at those businesses, it implies the furlough is being phased out, for those businesses at least. However, those businesses won’t magically be able to operate as they did before, or even close to it. Aren’t there going to be a load of firms who could survive over the lockdown, but will now go to the wall now they need to be back in business. I can see it might be necessary, but it’s going to be tough.

from the link I just posted for the new guidance published today pg 29.

"All workers who cannot work from home should travel to work if their workplace is open.
Sectors of the economy that are allowed to be open should be open, for example this includes food
production, construction, manufacturing, logistics, distribution and scientific research in
laboratories. The only exceptions to this are those workplaces such as hospitality and nonessential retail which during this first step the Government is requiring to remain closed." (see link below)

www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance

I'm a self employed cleaner and have not stopped working the offices I clean where social distancing is easily done. A few customers have still paid, some haven't.
Phoned everyone this weekend to discuss measures going forward and I'll be resuming about half this week.
Using my mum for childcare, nursery not open and I'm not sure if I'd be happy sending my daughter there at the moment anyway.

I work in food manufacturing. The first week after lockdown it was business as usual. The second week perspex screens went up where we work shoulder to shoulder. The third week shifts changed, the office people started to work from home and the canteen was put two to a table with a screen inbetween.

Mildly amused on one hand at people wondering how going back to work is going to happen safely (we've worked it out as weve gone along) it's now second nature to us to keep our distances and give others space, and quite understanding the fear of people who have spent the last month or so isolating with their own family suddenly having to be with lots of people.

manufacturing, logistics, distribution and scientific research in
laboratories. The only exceptions to this are those workplaces such as hospitality and nonessential retail which during this first step the Government is requiring to remain closed." (see link below)

This is where the discord happens.manufacturing should go back to work? ....but what if you're manufacturing for non essential retail who havent placed any orders....?

This is where the discord happens.manufacturing should go back to work? ....but what if you're manufacturing for non essential retail who havent placed any orders....?

This is the problem for my company & why we’re only just getting ready to go back now. Some, but not all of our suppliers have reopened but our customers are still shut. We can’t manufacture with no demand for our products.