Boris briefing at 11am today

[Scottishgirl85]

More easing? Please 3 households indoor at a time so our holiday can go ahead!

BBC now guilting people about not being back in the office...

"City centres around the world are eerily quiet at the moment, as office workers try to work from home as much as possible. But there is a growing realisation that this is having a huge knock-on effect on small retailers, who rely on footfall.."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-53434454/coronavirus-dear-customers-i-face-ruin-please-come-back
Coronavirus: 'Dear customers, I face ruin, please come back'

It's a bit much all this emotional messaging...

They have a behavioural nudge unit I think...

@MarshaBradyo

Damn missed it. And not much clearer reading here he’s so muddled.

Is there a transcript somewhere to read?

Especially the part on wfh

Basically you can agree with your employer if you want to/ can continue to work from home. Work places should be covid secure of course.So do what you and your employer want. Perfectly sensible. So many silly exaggerations on this thread.

Thanks Sasha yes that’s what I thought after hearing news. I’m ok with that too and can’t see that he can say much more. Employers have to decide after putting in measures.

@Orangeblossom78

BBC now guilting people about not being back in the office...

"City centres around the world are eerily quiet at the moment, as office workers try to work from home as much as possible. But there is a growing realisation that this is having a huge knock-on effect on small retailers, who rely on footfall.."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-53434454/coronavirus-dear-customers-i-face-ruin-please-come-back
Coronavirus: 'Dear customers, I face ruin, please come back'

It's a bit much all this emotional messaging...

I don't feel guilty but i am happy to support local businesses. Why wouldn't i? Seems so weird the glee people have in refusing to buy a coffee in case you are seen to be helping boris.

I know DH's firm are still going to be primarily WFH from August. They are opening up the offices and getting the receptionists back off furlough, but it will still only be for limited staff, ensuring that not too many staff are in at any one time.

They are also looking at reducing the office space they lease, as they think WFH will stay. More meetings will be done virtually, so reducing travelling time, which is wasted time. They think they will save about £40k in mileage claims across the firm!

@sashagabadon I think he's like a diluted version. He really has been a shocking PM. The push up photo was just unspeakably

They had a lead from the largest law firm on R4 this morning. They will keep nearly all office space but use it differently.

They can see productivity has not fallen and that barrier has been removed for accelerated change. People will use the space still, but in a better way. I think others will do the same. Especially when you factor in cost saving as pp has.

Sasha I was meaning how it seems BBC sometimes tries to use emotional messaging to get people to do things. As mentioned up thread going back to work can put some people at risk.

Of course it is fine to support local businesses, either online or in person, I am just mentioning about how this message was coming across via the BBC at the same time as Boris's speech.

@sashagabadon

I will spend my WFH money on my local independent coffee shops and cafes. My job does not exist to prop up Starbucks at Waterloo Station.

Sorry no fan of Johnson but I think it is a fair point that some of us should be encouraged back into the office at least part time. There a good psychological reasons why some of us need to get out of the house and spend some time around colleagues. Yes people well established in their jobs with a nice quiet space to work might be doing fine but not everyone is in that position. Employers should be consulting to see who wants to go back and trying to find ways to accommodate worker preferences.

Also I don't think we should underestimate the bloodbath that is heading towards the commercial property sector. It will affect more than just a few Tory MPs as many of our pension funds are heavily invested in this sector.

Also if we are going to have such major structural changes shouldn't they be more planned than knee jerk? All sorts of unintended consequences of companies hastily divesting their office space will only come to light in a few years time.

DH lived in London in the late 90s. He lived in a modern flat, which had originally been an office block but had not been able to be leased out as offices, so was converted to flats.

I think that might happen to a number of offices, and possibly large closed department store buildings. So High Streets etc will become much more mixed with retail and residential, so that will be where the footfall will come from.

Agree commercial property will be converted into flats but who will buy the flats if the economy is on its knees?

I have lived through several recessions and it is no joke.

Covid is serious but we also have to have an eye to the economy.

Instead of new housing estates/social housing being built, it could be the converting commercial property instead.

@Nappyvalley15 I think the virus + the economy go hand in hand.

You won't get full confidence in the economy without looking like you're on top of the virus.

I worry a lot about the economic loss of e.g. overseas students and tourists. We need to be fully on top of things to get them back I think. Especially from countries with a very strong approach on this.

Handy if that converted property could be affordable rental properties for teachers, nurses, carers etc that need to be central to schools and hospitals etc.

Those people would actually spend the bulk of their salaries there rather than just a coffee and sandwich at pret or Starbucks

[quote labyrinthloafer]@sashagabadon I think he's like a diluted version. He really has been a shocking PM. The push up photo was just unspeakably [/quote]
The push up photo was a lighthearted moment and made me laugh. Some boris haters are so cynical and determined to find fault in everything.
Boris is absolutely nothing like trump. They are completely different characters.

@ineedaholidaynow

Instead of new housing estates/social housing being built, it could be the converting commercial property instead.

Have to be very careful not to create a lot of low-grade housing. Plus we are not actually short of flats in most places - we are short of family homes.

Even Tory MP s are concerned about 'modern slums' converted cheaply from flats.

The shift to online shopping has already been accelerated by this. It is highly unlikely to reverse. We need to work with the world we actually have not the old one we wish we had.

Just because some people like being office based, why should those that find home working better for their life or health be insulted and bullied back? Plenty of the latter group are disabled people. Why don't they matter? Why should they be coerced into returning into an environment that makes it harder for them to achieve a decent quality of life?

Because let's face it, employment relationships have a huge imbalance of power and employees won't get any meaningful say.

I don't see why we're supposed to feel ashamed to say "I don't want to revert to working in an office, this is a better set-up". It doesn't stop other people going back.

[quote BoxAndKnife]@sashagabadon

I will spend my WFH money on my local independent coffee shops and cafes. My job does not exist to prop up Starbucks at Waterloo Station.[/quote]
Pleased to hear it!! Boris and rishi will be delighted to hear you are doing your bit

@sashagabadon well he does have plenty of fans, but I honestly don't want someone being light-hearted when in the middle of a serious time for us all. The same as his pants joke the other day. It's all so juvenile.

I don't think there's anything wrong with people being encouraged back to work. Employers have to ensure their workplaces are COVID secure so it is likely that some will continue to wfh and offices will reopen with smaller numbers. I can't wait to get back to the office. I miss the interactions that you don't get with zoom. We have to move forward and cannot carry on as we are indefinitely. Lockdown was never intended to be permanent, although some would clearly like it to be.

It doesn’t matter if people prefer different things. It’s better. It means those that want to work in the office more get to travel on quieter PT.

More flexibility means others can wfh if at full productivity (which used to be seen an issue).

I can't wait to get back to the office. I miss the interactions that you don't get with zoom.

People need to realise that not everyone feels this way...

[quote labyrinthloafer]@sashagabadon well he does have plenty of fans, but I honestly don't want someone being light-hearted when in the middle of a serious time for us all. The same as his pants joke the other day. It's all so juvenile.[/quote]
Well you do you. I found it lighthearted and it made me laugh.
I like a bit of fun even in the middle of a pandemic and i prefer politians with a light hearted side.
Even keir got it was a joke and made a funny quip back at pmq's.
I enjoyed that too