Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Covid is a gift to the lazy, and it's turning people against restrictions, vulnerable, etc

118 replies

tfresh · 08/03/2022 10:09

More of a rant than anything, but I think most people would agree at this point many private companies, and the vast majority of the public sector are now acting a total disgrace when it comes to covid.

Passports now take 2 months to turn around, the reason.. covid.

Bins still not regularly emptied ... covid

Ring up any government service, sorry we're not answering the phones..covid

None of it makes sense anymore, there are no restrictions, we have a vaccine, etc.

Certain jobs cannot be done from home, it's time to go back to work or move job. Why are companies putting up with staff who are refusing to work? It's crazy.

What makes matters worse is, this is turning people against the genuinely vulnerable. Now when someone says they can't come into the office because they're vulnerable, it's treated with suspicion and eye rolling rather than care. As always the piss takers ruin it for everyone.

If you can get down the pub on friday night, you can get down to work.

OP posts:
ronjobbins · 08/03/2022 12:49
Biscuit
GrannyBloomers · 08/03/2022 12:50

@BIWI

Ah *@tfresh* you've fallen for the Government's Jackanory that it's all over now, haven't you?

Yesterday there were over 126,000 cases

see here

The number of reported cases has been creeping up daily - at least when they bother to release the number now. They're starting to not do this on a daily basis any more.

I thought that was for 3 days - there was nothing reported between Friday and Monday.

But that's still more than a 50% rise on last week. I wonder if case numbers get back to the 200k a day, whether restrictions will be required to prevent a complete collapse in society

RoseyLentil · 08/03/2022 12:50

Bins not being emptied is nothing to do with covid. There just aren't enough hgv drivers.

ApolloandDaphne · 08/03/2022 12:50

I got a new passport in 2 weeks and my bins have been emptied every single week. I haven't had an issue getting appointments for things I have needed other. I imagine there may be some localised issues here and there if workplaces have an outbreak but on the whole I haven't found it hard to access any services, including LA and medical ones.

GrannyBloomers · 08/03/2022 12:51

Restrictions may have ended but people are still people and unfortunately they may get sick, it might not be life threatening for the majority of people now, but there's a gulf of difference between life threatening and being well enough to work effectively.
And then what of those that it is life threatening for? They're going to do even less work if they're dead.

This.

And that's without considering the impact of long covid. I read this morning that does have proven neurological impacts in some people which can be long lasting. That's not going to help any employee.

Lyricallie · 08/03/2022 12:56

My new passport came through very quickly after my wedding. My driver's license was less than a week for an address change in 2021. I have no issues with GP/nurse appointments and I have to go 3 monthly for blood tests. Our bins have always been picked up. I phoned Halifax the other day to check if something was fraud picked up in two minutes. So essentially your experience is not universal. But my anecdotal evidence is as valid as your anecdotal evidence.

fromdownwest · 08/03/2022 13:02

@GrannyBloomers - A complete collapse of society...

Come on now, time to accept that we are now moving on. Don't be so dramatic.

luckylavender · 08/03/2022 13:13

@bluepeacock

Yesterday there were over 126,000 cases

So what? How many cases of flu are there at the moment? Or colds, or norovirus?
I guess we don't have numbers on that because people don't test for it and report it.

As long as vast numbers of people aren't dying and needing hospital treatment the numbers don't matter any more.

I can't believe people are still checking the numbers daily ffs.

And I can't believe your sneery attitude
JeffThePilot · 08/03/2022 13:13

Of course, public sector workers couldn’t be furloughed and if they couldn’t work from home (which most did) they were redeployed. Delays are due mostly to sickness - still happening and more regularly now - or from a backlog from systems trying to adapt to WFH. OP doesn’t seem to have given this much thought.

luckylavender · 08/03/2022 13:14

@Clarabe1

I was watching the news last night about the refugees not been able to get visas and my first thought was that it’s probably more incompetence than anything else because those that should be working on granting the visas are off sick with long Covid… Hmm
Goodness me, could you be anymore condescending?
luckylavender · 08/03/2022 13:16

[quote fromdownwest]@GrannyBloomers - A complete collapse of society...

Come on now, time to accept that we are now moving on. Don't be so dramatic.[/quote]
Come on now - you sound like David Cameron

willitevergetwarm · 08/03/2022 13:21

Got my passport back in less than 3 weeks

fromdownwest · 08/03/2022 13:28

@ luckylavender - and someone saying we are facing a complete collapse of society sounds like a lunatic!

GrannyBloomers · 08/03/2022 13:46

@luckylavender How do you know I am not the David Cameron?

ImplementingTheDennisSystem · 08/03/2022 13:48

I don't think it's because of Covid anymore. There is literally a shortage of people - in every sector of industry, across the entire UK. I'm in a corporate law firm and it's on its knees due to staff shortages.

luckylavender · 08/03/2022 13:49

[quote GrannyBloomers]@luckylavender How do you know I am not the David Cameron?[/quote]
Would explain a lot. Empathy was never his strong suit.

ethelredonagoodday · 08/03/2022 13:50

I work in the public sector, and in our organisation we haven't had anyone, in an organisation of about 15k staff, on furlough or sitting doing nothing. All those who could have been furloughed were redeployed into covid related tasks. Those in front line roles haven't stopped. And all the people I know who work in the public sector have been the same. As soon as people could re start their 'original jobs' they did.
🙄🙄🙄

Sheilablessus · 08/03/2022 13:50

Banks & insurance companies are still blaming Covid for delays. If banks really cared about customers they would at least halt the branch closures.
People shout at staff because there is no way of getting the companies to listen to us. It is pointless writing to complain, they don't heed what we say. If we shout at someone it will be reported and have a chance of seeing changes made.

luckylavender · 08/03/2022 13:51

@fromdownwest

@ luckylavender - and someone saying we are facing a complete collapse of society sounds like a lunatic!
Things aren't exactly great for humanity right now
luckylavender · 08/03/2022 13:53

@Sheilablessus

Banks & insurance companies are still blaming Covid for delays. If banks really cared about customers they would at least halt the branch closures. People shout at staff because there is no way of getting the companies to listen to us. It is pointless writing to complain, they don't heed what we say. If we shout at someone it will be reported and have a chance of seeing changes made.
There's a recruitment crisis. If you're the sort of person who shouts at staff, give your head a wobble. Or try and shout at my staff and see what happens.
Waxonwaxoff0 · 08/03/2022 14:31

DS's passport only took 3 weeks, just got it back. Everyone I know got theirs back really quickly.

worriedatthistime · 08/03/2022 14:53

Dvla have always been useless long before covid

yorkshireteaspoonie · 08/03/2022 15:09

I'm assuming you don't work OP as your opinion feels very far removed from the reality of the workplace.

Maverickess · 08/03/2022 22:28

@Sheilablessus

Banks & insurance companies are still blaming Covid for delays. If banks really cared about customers they would at least halt the branch closures. People shout at staff because there is no way of getting the companies to listen to us. It is pointless writing to complain, they don't heed what we say. If we shout at someone it will be reported and have a chance of seeing changes made.
Well, shouting at staff doesn't get the companies to listen either, all that happens is the staff member is apologised for, they promise more training will be given aaand nothing changes because it's become 'part of the job' to be shouted at if you're in a customer facing role and seen as just the way it is, routine and it shouldn't be, no one deserves to be abused no matter what job they do. Some companies don't value their staff past being a tool to make money, so all you're doing is shouting at someone who has zero power to make the changes, and isn't valued enough to be listened to anyway.

Companies don't listen to their staff any more than they listen to their customers, probably less so because the company is the one with the power and staff are just a tool to produce profits. It's the culture that's developed -
company promises customer moon on a stick, company won't provide the resources for staff to give customer moon on a stick, customer shouts at staff as they feel aggrieved, staff feel shit, customer feels better, company blames staff and carries on as before.

There was a news article way back in the thick of the pandemic where people were abusive and violent towards staff in customer facing roles because of the covid changes - nothing changed, all that happened is that the staff got abused.

It's nothing more than taking out frustration on someone you know just has to stand there and take it.

RichTeaRichTea · 09/03/2022 06:31

I agree with Maverickess. This is much more about big organisations wanting to get away with cost cutting as long as they can