Is this really legal???

[umpteennamechanges]

I had a thread last month about the same thing but now we're in a March style lockdown I'm even more

My DH is doing a business coaching course, they meet once a month when 20+ people come from all over the UK for a day together in a room with the business coach. It's hosted in London in the Hilton.

Last month I was very unhappy about it since London was in Tier 4 and it seemed totally irresponsible.

I really complained about it to DH who very reluctantly decided not to go (he sulked for a few hours). I'm not CEV but am in the 'more vulnerable' get a free flu jab group. We have a 66 year old lodger and we were meeting his parents in their 70s for Xmas the following week.

Anyway...we've gone into lockdown now, the case numbers are crazy, the new variant is spreading like wildfire. It didn't even cross my mind that it would go ahead in person this month.

DH has just informed me that it is going ahead next week.

That the Hilton have advised that it's perfectly legal to have a business meeting with 20+ people coming on public transport from all over the UK.

This seems fucking crazy.

I can't see that it's on the list of exceptions on the Govt website?

Can anyone find how this is supposedly legal?

Because I haven't reported anything but if this isn't legal I'm going to report it TBH.

@umpteennamechanges, I'd say youre just being sensible

It sounds to me like this “business coach” is a total snake oil merchant and your husband has been sucked in by bullshit, to be honest. Like those “seminars” about how to get rich in property that you used to see advertised. I bet they are also encouraging him to become a business coach and run his own disease-riddled seminars in other hotels, MLM style.

Enjoy! Make sure your question is tagging a couple of media outlets

You might want to ask your husband to take a step back and have a think about how he can possibly trust any advice that this “coach” is offering if he/she really thinks that it is OK to run a face-to-face event in London in lockdown when cases are one person in every 30 of the population. Even if there is a legal loophole this is ethically unsound and too much of a risk. Imagine what other “tips” this person may be dispensing?

You are allowed to meet in groups for work I'm sure?

Only if essential, only if it can't be done from home/remotely, and only if covid secure.

This sounds like none of those things, so is not allowed.

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

I think this comes under the category of just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. It’s a stupid idea.

this.

Let the Daily Mail know that this is happening! Seriously a stupid thing to do and if this bloke is giving any advice at all, my advice is to do the opposite.

@Cornettoninja

Enjoy! Make sure your question is tagging a couple of media outlets

I tagged Metro. Perhaps the Guardian next!

And the London Standard.

To be fair the rest of the advice the coach has given has been sound otherwise I would've got us a refund.

He (the coach) also has a very successful business in the personal training industry.

I suspect he loses his money for the room booking if Hilton say that it can go ahead. It won't be cheap in central London.

But IMO it's cowardly to push ahead on that basis instead of escalating a complaint on the Hilton side to get the money back.

I am also a type of coach

Ooh are you a Mercedes Benz Tourismo?

I'm in the 'since you're off to the Hilton you might as well stay there for a week as you can't come back here' camp.

Slightly off the point, but I've never yet been to a business coaching course that produced anything remotely useful. I worked for a time for a company that was particularly keen on these sessions and spent a fortune both on the coaches themselves and in terms of lost productivity whilst staff members attended. To no-one's great surprise, the company in question collapsed a couple of years ago.

I thought the rules were if you can work from home then you should. So if this meeting can be done via zoom then it should. I'm not in England though so it sure if that's the most up to date advice.

I agree that it shouldn't happen btw. But I think legally it probably does slip through some loophole

@MaryLeeOnHigh

Slightly off the point, but I've never yet been to a business coaching course that produced anything remotely useful. I worked for a time for a company that was particularly keen on these sessions and spent a fortune both on the coaches themselves and in terms of lost productivity whilst staff members attended. To no-one's great surprise, the company in question collapsed a couple of years ago.

Maybe they used shit coaches?

IMO you have to be very choosy. Particularly since COVID the world and their dog have become coaches and there's no regulation.

For a start you want to verify that the person coaching you has actually done whatever they're coaching you about successfully themselves.

I personally know someone who has set themselves up as a coach to coaches (yes, I know) on 'how to get themselves a six figure coaching business'

When she had never had a coaching business before that. And doesn't even have a consistent income herself.

She charges £££.

That IMO is exactly like MLM shite. And it makes me ragey (I'm not always ragey BTW) because it gives everyone a bad name and it's so unethical!

I've also seen a 23 year old set themselves up as a life coach.

I mean, I don't want to be ageist but IMO you can't possibly do that role when you're that inexperienced in life...

@RafaIsTheKingOfClay

I think this comes under the category of just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. It’s a stupid idea.

@umpteennamechanges I agree with this. Yep, it's not illegal, but it is rather reckless and unnecessary.

@CheetasOnFajitas

It sounds to me like this “business coach” is a total snake oil merchant and your husband has been sucked in by bullshit, to be honest. Like those “seminars” about how to get rich in property that you used to see advertised. I bet they are also encouraging him to become a business coach and run his own disease-riddled seminars in other hotels, MLM style.

Agree with this. Whilst some 'coaches' are genuine and helpful, some of them are just utter bullshit, and totally pointless.

'Life Coach' is a non-job IMO. And so are many more 'coaches.' Especially the type you see at seminars!

Totally unnecessary. I'm currently in a zoom training meeting with 30+ doctors and nurses as part of a course we are doing that has weekly sessions. We'd love to do it face to face, but we aren't. Because we can do it on zoom.
So irresponsible of the coach lead and the hotel.

FWIW, those people bashing people in coaching jobs, there are some excellent people out there providing mentorships and coaching. DH (a c-suite exec) has an absolutely wonderful one who has transformed him and really supported him both professionally and personally in the last couple of years. There are a lot of MLM style motivational quacks but there are also lots of genuine, excellent people out there.

DH has his on a 1-2-1 basis though (now all contact free) not as part of a conference scenario. I would agree that the course the OP’s DH is attending is one of those ‘can happen but shouldn’t really’ things. Let us know how you get on with your Twitterings.

Good to see your Tweet got a reply, let us know how it goes. Are you OK with being identified on MN though?

'Work - where you can work from home you should. Zoom etc is adequate for this type of thing given the worldwide emergency'

Exactly!

Oh op I'd be furious. What kind of business coach lacks the intelligence to do this via zoom.

I hope this makes it to the Daily Mail and the Hilton gets shamed. Essential work fgs is surely hcps and keyworkers.

Have you name changed Op for this thread?
You have outed yourself with the screenshot if you want it removed

Just to be clear @BalladOfBarryAndFreda I wasn’t so much bashing coaches in general, rather suggesting that one who would do something like this seems to be lacking in sound judgment and so might be a dodgy one.

@Hoppinggreen

Have you name changed Op for this thread? You have outed yourself with the screenshot if you want it removed

I haven't but TBH anyone could find me by looking for tweets to Hilton so I'm not too concerned...

Probably is legal but extremely irresponsible. Our company banned all face to face meetings in March last year and none resumed throughout 2020 regardless.