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.

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.

Doesn't matter though, does it? If he moved it to online he has the same income and same costs. If he shows it can be done successfully online, then next time he saves the costs of the Hilton as he has time to cancel.

Fwiw, I don't think it's up to Hilton to police this. They cannot be expected to check what every booking is for and determine whether it is within the law.

It is "work" (at least for the presenter) but it's clearly work that "can be done from home" so it's wrong, but I'm not sure it's technically illegal to be honest!

Have DM'd them...

Crazy unnecessary risk. The limits of the law are not a target. It behaves each and every one of us to minimise human contact for just a few weeks more.

Behoves

OP, are you sure it’s going ahead and he’s not using it as cover for a naughty meet up? It’s really bizarre that something like that is going ahead during a full lockdown when it can easily be done on Teams or Zoom. It business management training, not hands on brain surgery.

@CheetasOnFajitas

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.

That’s fair

I know...I'm more angry with the coach but DH will be beside himself if I 'embarrass him' by complaining to the coach 'over his head' so to speak.

I'm trying to avoid WWIII in our marriage and so going to the Hilton instead.

I do think though that the Hilton should be checking that events they're hosting are not breaking national lockdown guidance.

If they are happy to take the profit, then they should also be taking the reputational risk.

I mean DH will also be embarrassed by my tweeting and such, but...he knew what kind of woman I was when he married me.

A ragey embarrassing one apparently.

@Wiredforsound

OP, are you sure it’s going ahead and he’s not using it as cover for a naughty meet up? It’s really bizarre that something like that is going ahead during a full lockdown when it can easily be done on Teams or Zoom. It business management training, not hands on brain surgery.

I'm positive. They were talking about it on the call last night which I can overhear.

Usually if an event like that is going ahead I would expect at the very least the coach to have explained to all participants the legal and commercial reasons for deciding to press on, plus some sort of statement about measures to be taken to keep it as Covid-secure as possible. A sort of “as I am sure many of you are wondering, this month’s in-person seminar will be going ahead. Blah blah blah...”

Has your DH shared any such communication from the coach to you?

I know...I'm more angry with the coach but DH will be beside himself if I 'embarrass him' by complaining to the coach 'over his head' so to speak.

You have publicly tweeted the Hilton though

@CheetasOnFajitas

Usually if an event like that is going ahead I would expect at the very least the coach to have explained to all participants the legal and commercial reasons for deciding to press on, plus some sort of statement about measures to be taken to keep it as Covid-secure as possible. A sort of “as I am sure many of you are wondering, this month’s in-person seminar will be going ahead. Blah blah blah...”

Has your DH shared any such communication from the coach to you?

It was verbally on the call last night (they have a 2 hour Zoom every Weds evening).

There are precautions being taken - sanitiser, social distancing, etc but nothing that helps (A) when the virus is aerosolised and they're in a room together all day and (B) the fact that they all have to use public transport to get there and back.

The reasoning was - the Hilton have confirmed its okay as it can count as a 'business meeting' and its the last chance to see each other face to face as it's the last one of the course.

@yankeedoodledandee

I know...I'm more angry with the coach but DH will be beside himself if I 'embarrass him' by complaining to the coach 'over his head' so to speak.

You have publicly tweeted the Hilton though

Yeah but DH doesn't idolise the Hilton.

I think your husband is been wildly stupid about this. I am in a fitness group where some PTs really are just looking for the glimmer in the guidelines and not really thinking about the bigger picture.

@lljkk

It's work.

Yes but that is not a good enough reason. Any work that can reasonably be done from home should be. I think training definitely falls within this, especially since schools and universities are being told to deliver pretty much most of their education online.

What makes this training so special that it can't be delivered online?. Do the attendees not have devices to get online, is there an an element of the training that really cannot be done online?

There may be good reasons for holding the training in person but I think there probably aren't over and above the fact that it was probably more work to set up and they didn't bother .

This coach - in the personal training world is seen as one of the top 3 or 4 people in the UK.

Like I said he isn't just a business coach, he runs a successful gym and is seen as a big deal.

If I went to him to complain it would be a bit like your DH going to your CEO or a big industry name in your world. Kind of embarrassing.

He will, for sure, still be marginally embarrassed about me tweeting the Hilton but not to the same degree.

its the last chance to see each other face to face as it's the last one of the course.

That certainly is NOT a good enough reason

I do think though that the Hilton should be checking that events they're hosting are not breaking national lockdown guidance.

Do you know for sure that they didn't? It seems entirely possible that they asked and the guy just lied to them.

Hilton: can this work be done remotely?
Coach guy: no.

Sounds like completely unethical and money making behaviour, is the coach a Covid denier?

@hMG206

I think your husband is been wildly stupid about this. I am in a fitness group where some PTs really are just looking for the glimmer in the guidelines and not really thinking about the bigger picture.

I know.

It's peed me right off. He's normally very sensible and actually it's slightly cringe that he's not being sensible because he looks up to this coach so much. Won't hear a bad word about him.

IMO while much of the content of the coaching has been good...in this particular thing the coach is being what I have put delicately as a 'fucking meathead'

OP, you have correctly shown why the deaths (1061 yesterday) and the cases (62,000 yesterday) are increasingly getting out of control.
People are finding so many loopholes to avoid sticking to lockdown rules.
At this rate we will be over 100,000 deaths by the end of the month.

gosh that's really bad. I never thought I would say this but I really hope the Daily Mail picks this up. Would you contact them OP?

Bit surprised at this. I'm a university lecturer, and when the students were coming in for face to face, they were slit into 8 person bubbles and instructed to sit far apart. And that was earlier, before the November lockdown kicked in!

If they must go ahead, I'd expect to split into 2 or 3 smaller groups at least, but it seems unwise as its educational and not really essential work.

@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.

Totally agree.

Didn't an MP do this quite recently, attended some work event which sounded more like a jolly, I think it was in about November and 20-30 people

Yeah but the coach etc is going to know.

I get youre upset. But really this is between you and your husband. The meetings are allowed in lockdown. Doesn’t mean they are a good idea, and it’s not the Hilton’s job to police them and say could yout business be done remotely. Becayse it is a business meeting and they are permitted.

I would deal with your husband over this directly. The Hilton will do nothing other than tell you business meetings are exempt.

Personally I’d be furious if my husband interfered in my work like this. I’d also be furious if he decided to go. He will have to stay elsewhere after.