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.

Just found this on MITMagazine - seems to be a reputable site:
Where business meetings and events are concerned, all hospitality venues, accommodation such as hotels and all entertainment venues such as concert halls will remain closed. A limited number of activities are allowed in venues, including essential worker training, specific education programmes, charitable and medical use, volunteering, nursery activities, mutual aid groups, elite sports training and film production. The new government guidance does not specifically detail the rules and regulations around business meetings and events, but in the broader context, only those from the same household, those in a support bubble, and those meeting one other person from a separate household for outdoor exercise are permitted to gather, therefore business meetings and events are assumed to be prohibited

@Xenia

It is lawful and if people stop doing this mind of thing we will not have the tax revenue to pay nurses and many people might die as a result. So these people are just as much heroes as nurses really when you get down to it. Without those working and generating taxes in since March 2020 the country would be even more on its knees.

So my children don’t get to go to school for months but a group of personal trainers can travel across the country for ‘one last chance’ to meet up with each other, after doing a 6 month online course? Nah. Bollocks to that.

OP to get the daily mail to pick this up I’d recommend aiming for 500+ comments and keeping the thread active. A more provocative title would have helped...

Ridiculous since could easily be done on teams or zoom

Is he having an affair and using this as an excuse.... seems odd.

If not why is it going ahead

I thought 'work from home whenever possible' meant just that? It is quite possible to do this at home!

Hopefully your idiot husband will not go

I too thought 66 yr old lodger with parents in their 70's...
Lodger's parents must have had him or her quite young.

'' We have a 66 year old lodger and we were meeting his parents in their 70s for Xmas the following week '' .

''Eats shoots and leaves'' comes to mind. :)

@HappyNewYear2021

I thought 'work from home whenever possible' meant just that? It is quite possible to do this at home!

Hopefully your idiot husband will not go

Exactly. If they can have a meeting in the Hilton, why can't I go back to my office? Why do I have to work alone every day, losing the will to get changed or do anything :(

It is legal, but its also quite stupid when there will be other options.

Re. meeting of 20, especially of coming from different parts of the Country seems risky.

@Needclarity

Just found this on MITMagazine - seems to be a reputable site: Where business meetings and events are concerned, all hospitality venues, accommodation such as hotels and all entertainment venues such as concert halls will remain closed. A limited number of activities are allowed in venues, including essential worker training, specific education programmes, charitable and medical use, volunteering, nursery activities, mutual aid groups, elite sports training and film production. The new government guidance does not specifically detail the rules and regulations around business meetings and events, but in the broader context, only those from the same household, those in a support bubble, and those meeting one other person from a separate household for outdoor exercise are permitted to gather, therefore business meetings and events are assumed to be prohibited

Thanks!

That's the kind of conclusion I'd come to having read the Govt site!

Well he can spend his own money on staying at the Hilton for two weeks can't he?

But he's obviously a bit dim because unless this is put on by his company and 'business coaching' course run by randoms is going to be like one of those 'property investment' seminars. Is he even in business or is this a fantasy?

No REPUTABLE company is going to run a seminar right now. Just shrug and tell him to self isolate - using his own money and making his own arrangements. Twat.

I’d def be asking questions of the hotel.
Should be on Zoom.

@Xenia

It is lawful and if people stop doing this mind of thing we will not have the tax revenue to pay nurses and many people might die as a result. So these people are just as much heroes as nurses really when you get down to it. Without those working and generating taxes in since March 2020 the country would be even more on its knees.

You’re genuinely telling me a bullshit (sorry OP) business coaching course running in the Hilton is as important as a nurse going to work right now?

If you want people paying taxes in the future this crisis needs dealing with first.

I swear you live in a different dimension sometimes.

“Last time they can see each other”... oh bless, did they want to sign each other’s school shirts, and swap friendship bracelets?

Ok just read a bit more about the course. I can understand why he wants to do it, the guy is his hero, and men are very susceptibile to this but he will have to self isolate before seeing his parents/your lodger.

Also is there any difference to a child going to school? Given that kids don't social distance or wear masks? If you have kids who meet others or go to school or did until this week there's really fuck all difference. Apart from your kids at school is convenient for you and important to their mental health. And they take far more risks.

He wants to be a success and to be sprinkled by the magic dust from this guy (who is fucking irresponsible btw). But almost every person on this site takes exactly the same risks as you would when their kids go off to school. Worse in fact.

@Myshinynewname2021

Ok just read a bit more about the course. I can understand why he wants to do it, the guy is his hero, and men are very susceptibile to this but he will have to self isolate before seeing his parents/your lodger.

Also is there any difference to a child going to school? Given that kids don't social distance or wear masks? If you have kids who meet others or go to school or did until this week there's really fuck all difference. Apart from your kids at school is convenient for you and important to their mental health. And they take far more risks.

He wants to be a success and to be sprinkled by the magic dust from this guy (who is fucking irresponsible btw). But almost every person on this site takes exactly the same risks as you would when their kids go off to school. Worse in fact.

We don't have any DC so other than this course our risk is very low.

Our lodger is very anxious about the new variant which I can understand given her age so I also think it puts her in a very difficult position.

To those saying the Hilton has no responsibility here - yes they do just like the bar that hosted that singers birthday party. They absolutely have a responsibility to ensure that their venues are not being used to breech lockdown restrictions. Otherwise I could book any room for any reason I like and meet up with a load of my friends as long as we handed out pens and paper and had a flip chart. Maybe that’s how wedding receptions could get round the rules...

@Myshinynewname2021 but there are degrees of risk/benefits aren’t there?

Travelling on public transport to a hotel conference room to listen to some self-proclaimed guru tell you how to run your business can be achieved in other ways that don’t involve unnecessary contacts with other people.

If we assume the dc attending school at the moment have parents who would otherwise have no choice but to leave their employment or not provide any kind of education (puts hand up) then that tips the balance. The risk of dd contracting covid and bringing it home to CV DP and I is outweighed by her living in a household with a lost income.

I doubt it's legal. The GOV.UK site says that you should WFH, unless your work cannot be done remotely.

A business coaching session can be done remotely.

We're teaching millions of children & young people remotely, and yet we still have entitled business people fantasising that their coaching is "essential." Fuck that.

It's why we're in the state we're in.

OP, your DH should not be attending. The whole thing should be done on Zoom.

How ironic given that as a personal trainer your husband is currently only allowed to work 1:1 with clients, outdoors.

@oakleaffy

I too thought 66 yr old lodger with parents in their 70's... Lodger's parents must have had him or her quite young.

'' We have a 66 year old lodger and we were meeting his parents in their 70s for Xmas the following week '' .

''Eats shoots and leaves'' comes to mind. :)

Unnecessary spite comes to mine.

It was obvious what the OP meant.

The law says you can work out of the house so really there is often a big divide between guidance which is not legally binding and the law. As the state is not choosing to compensate people for lost income for most of these kinds of jobs people have no choice if they want to feed their children but to keep on working. My son has worked right through since March. He drives a food delivery van. He cannot do that from home.

Obviously you cannot drive a food delivery van from home but you a CAN offer coaching sessions via Zoom or similar
Completely different scenarios

'My son has worked right through since March. He drives a food delivery van. He cannot do that from home.'

Jesus. Obviously he can't. What part of a business coaching session can be conducted online can't you understand?!

It would be best if it's called off of course, but it would be epic if it goes ahead (with or without your DH) and the police raid it . The big shot coach and his disciple wannabes rounded up like common criminals and slapped with fines. Would 100% serve them right.

Tell whichever newspapers etc would rage at covidiots and/or at luxury hotels trying to profit from spreading deathly risk. London is the worst part of the country for infection. Anything which can be done online must be.
But then, I want parliament doors nailed shut too, for good, because that is an office job which they have already shown they can do from home. What on earth could make them wish to congregate in a golden trough surrounded by lobbyists?