Westminstenders: Operation Shock and Awe

[RedToothBrush]

The government is launching its get ready for the end of transition campaign which has been dubbed a 'shock and awe' campaign.

In this campaign we will learn all about what Brexit means and what amazing opportunities lie for having increased customs and borders, beaucracy and increased costs. Bet you are all really excited and looking forward to this.

We will also get a 'Farage Garage' in Kent to cope with these wonderful opportunities in traffic jams. This will be something that businesses throughout the country will be super excited to plan for in their socially distanced Zoom meetings or across warehouses with their face masks on. And banks will be delighted to see an uptick in applications in CCJs and debt reconstruction plans.

It will be a super fun time for the under 30s who have zero hours contracts, worked in retail or hospitality. Or should I say 'worked'.

Meanwhile the right to a jury trial has been binned due to 'long covid delays' which are shorter than they were several years ago. The NHS isn't getting the funding it expected, and waiting lists are longer than ever with no way to clear them. The plan to build more hospitals seems to have disappeared with the Nightingales. Many councils are about to go into insolvency and be taken over by accountancy firms. The civil service is being dismantled and conservative loyalists with no experience being put in charge of important functions of state. Communications with the press are being 'streamlined' to make them incredible of holding power to account and only able to repeat government public announcements.

Anyone looking forward to Christmas? When you write a letter to Santa remember to add 'visa application form', 'a sleeping bag for use at Dover', 'tinned tomatoes' and 'packets of seeds to grow your own' to the list.

Also - jumped or pushed? www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/17/top-civil-servant-overseeing-care-homes-england-steps-aside-rosamond-roughton smells of Cummings again to me.

For years I had been resistant to home working

If you multiply how long people have been doing it by the number of people doing it, "home working" has been the default for all human existence. It's just the past 150 years or so that are an aberration ...

I do think that many people who used to work in offices are feeling the loneliness that being at home entails. I'm happy without office politics but it does have it's benefits for MH. Companies who can do things to recreate that community at home (I was thinking how on Fridays we used to get bacon or sausage baps for eg) and maybe do 2 days in the office (which might become necessary anyway with distancing requirements) and good interactivity online will fare better for worker engagement I suspect. Productivity already looks like it's up from what I have seen!

We have a very home-working friendly work environment in my team, in that four of us were already permanently working from home pre COVID. We also have team members in the U.K., EU, Asia and Russia so we are already used to using MS Teams etc.

Nevertheless some of my U.K. colleagues are desperate to get back into the office one or two days a week, for mental health reasons.

I've been home working for over 20 years but still miss my U.K. office trips.

I do think that many people who used to work in offices are feeling the loneliness that being at home entails.

YY

Especially those whose normal social network was at work and don't have lots of non-work friends. We can adapt over time, but the suddenness is the challenge.

Actual chat on LeaverWhoWontWearAMask's wall re where can she go on holiday:

No1: Skiathos in Greece where we are going they wear masks on public transport but other than that they aren’t. But it’s a holiday roulette with Greece...they are testing at the airport and if you get chosen you have to self isolate after the test for 24 hours. If positive you are put in a government hotel for 2 weeks. If someone on your flight is positive they could quarantine the whole flight for a week! I’m nervous! 😬
· Reply · 1 h
No2:
@No1 I’m going to Kos next week, absolutely crapping myself we could end up quarantined. We booked back in January and non refundable!!!! LeaverWhoWontWearAMask check the country’s government arrival advice to where you want to go, not just the UK gov. xx
· Reply · 1 h
No1:
@No2 That’s the exact position we are in! If we don’t go we lose our money but we may end up all 5 of us locked in a room together for 2 weeks! From the people who went this week they said they are only testing 5-6 people from each flight so th… See more
· Reply · 1 h · Edited
No2:
@No1 God it’s so stressful isn’t it. I’d rather be tested here and if positive just go home! I’ve joined Greece and kos fb pages to see how people are getting on. Where are you flying from? We were going from Gatwick but BA changed it to Heathrow!… See more
· Reply · 1 h
No1:
@No2 Ha ha! We’ve all had those thoughts! We’re going from Stansted which I would never normally fly from but I feel a bit better with it being a small airport now. If it all goes ok I think I’ll be able to social distance better there than here…

We really need a facepalm emoji on MN. doesn't cut the moutard.

Ah missed the "see more"" bits
...they said they are only testing 5-6 people from each flight so that’s our chances lowered 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

... Gatwick but BA changed it to Heathrow! Actually hoping brits take it out there this week, Greece reinstate the ban and we get our money back! 😂

...I feel a bit better with it being a small airport now. If it all goes ok I think I’ll be able to social distance better there than here but it’s the uncertainty that’s hard. My parents have decided to lose their money and won’t come.

Sorry late and catching up, but in future do we need to be GDPR compliant, in theory we could ditch it no?

In theory, but this creates all sorts of problems for businesses transferring data from the EU to the U.K., especially if it is "sensitive" (ie personal) data.

In theory, but this creates all sorts of problems for businesses transferring data from the EU to the U.K., especially if it is "sensitive" (ie personal) data.

Sadly our current government don't seem to be deterred by problems! If they can rationalise/sell brexit they could have a go at this...

DH's company is thinking at the most they'll have in person team meetings once a week or fortnight to outline the projects, then they'll all head home to work. Absolutely no need for them to stay in work - use of video conferencing has been successful.

There are plenty of careers which require you to be in a specific location, but for those that don't, it seems wholly unnecessary to require it anyway.

[quote OldLace]@smallaxe

cheifly they mean the kids who run riot in school (many, it seems)
but yes, also probably those kids who are easily popular / mix well / it all comes 'effortlessly' too as well. Being ASD it doesn't do to them sadly.

but there is much value in being the quiet observer i believe.
And it keeps them off popular social media (they scorn FB et al too) which is all good afaIcs.[/quote]
Oh, I see what you mean. I've struggled with feeling 'other' all my life and I always seem to learn most from people with ASD kids. I'm in my 50s but 8-13 in terms of emotional development so I'm always interested in how 'other ASD kids' see things and deal with them.

Everyone I know reckons they work more productively at home. They talk about going in 1 or 2 days a week for social, anti-isolation reasons. Maybe they’ll all choose to go in on Fridays to do the end-of-week drinks gathering!
(I remember when I worked Mon - Thurs, being sad I always missed Friday drinks.)

Perhaps it’ll end up with most real work being done at home and people going to the office sometimes for some fun!

(And yes I know they can’t all go in on Fridays as there won’t be enough desks in the new smaller offices!)

The change to WFH should encourage people to make more of a social network where they live,
instead of relying on work for this (those who do)

It will take several months for most people to build a bigger home network,
but the local economies will gain too as they service people who no longer buy their coffees & lunches in the Smoke or sub-Smoke cities

Very encouraging news about the Oxford vaccine
and a good detailled explanation of what is happening

I hadn't realised Gilbert's team had the massive time advantage of having nearly finished developing a MERS vaccine

It is the clear front-runner

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-07-15/oxford-s-covid-19-vaccine-is-the-coronavirus-front-runner

BigChoc

It's a tricky one. I think for those who actively seek a network they'll replace it to an extent, but I'd suggest that perhaps some introverted people benefit from having the work-social-network imposed upon them a bit, and that whilst they're lonely at home they may struggle to summon the energy/oomph/enthusiasm to actively make new friends outside of work. I also think it's relatively easy to maintain an office friendship compared to a more 'social' one, captive audience and all that!

I think for a lot of women socialising nearer home will be far harder. So much more is being asked in regards to childcare on top of work, I think men will "find time" to go to the pub while women will largely "find time" to do the extra housework and care roles. As per Invisible Women, it was noted that work enables women to escape the home life but not the actual work that is involved therein.

Really good points, Grumpiest. And if you move to a new town or city, work is perhaps the best place to start to make new friends.

Of course there are still many jobs that can’t be done at home.
But I hope commuter trains become less packed. It’s galling to spend thousands of pounds on season tickets and then have to stand in a packed carriage for most of your journey.

I agree jesuis at least the socialising with work friends went on during the working day, socialising outside of work now eats into some other time slot.

I'm quite introverted and I'm sad to miss the very relaxed sort of social relationship you have with colleagues (and which built over many years), I'm not sure I have the energy (nevermind the opportunity) to build a circle out side the office.

All that said, I hope not to be back FT in the office in future, I think there's a balance to be struck now.

Boris wants everyone back at work in Central London to fill up all the (282) skyscrapers he enabled his chums to build. I don’t know any companies in the services sector who are not planning to reduce their square footage of office space in London, and estate agents report a massive increase in interest in homes with gardens within reach of London and a corresponding reduction in interest in flats centrally. The rental market in inner London in particular is in free fall as Air BNBs are put up for permanent rental. None of this is good news for Boris’s donors.....

The rental market in inner London in particular is in free fall as Air BNBs are put up for permanent rental.

Having seen the exorbitant rents my DD has paid in London, this is good news. Tough luck hey for Boris's donors - they have to take the rough with the smooth.

I think working from home is also much easier if you already know your colleagues and the job well. When I was new in my role I absorbed so much informally from ongoing conversations in the office with more experienced people, or the chance to ask a quick question, and even now I pick up potential problems far more sometimes from random conversations in passing in the corridor etc... than I do from emails or structured meetings. Over a longer term, I think the lack of this informal contact would make our team less effective.

@smallaxe:

"Oh, I see what you mean. I've struggled with feeling 'other' all my life and I always seem to learn most from people with ASD kids. I'm in my 50s but 8-13 in terms of emotional development so I'm always interested in how 'other ASD kids' see things and deal with them."

I firmly believe that 'if you've met one person with ASD you've met one person with ASD' as it is such a spectrum but I also know what you mean too, I think? anyways, feel free to pm me if ever you'd like.

My dd went into meet Senco of potential school this am with earbuds in and sleep mask (pushed up on forehead). When Senco asked her' and what do you like about school?' she said: 'Nothing'. Sole word for 30 mins. I am hoping the Senco now realises that a little more than 'a morning routine' , (printed out and waiting for us), will be necessary.

Sorry to digress.

My neighbour who works high up in the care sector is looking very worried. She was telling me about the expected cases and possible deaths before next Spring. She says the figures they are considering are: 250,000 and 120,000 respectively. But Boris says: 'back to normal by Christmas' ??? How can both these be remotely possible?

Peregrina Yes, in a buyers market renters are making cheeky offers up to 20% below the asking price apparently. Obviously not how far it has fallen yet but an indication.

Part of the air bnb sector had become a bit of a racket in London with companies buying up whole blocks of new shoebox blocks, fitting them out cheaply and substandardly and then posing as friendly owners with fake personas to look as if they belonged to cool caring individuals. Lots of complaints but what you would tolerate in an air bnb is different to what you want to live in so interesting to see how that pans out. (And perhaps a rare source of karma within the pandemic)

Would it be fair to think a more WFH environment is better for women ?

That being the case, be prepared to see all the forces of heaven and earth be deployed to prevent and reverse it.

For one thing, it becomes much harder to distinguish between the work the highly paid menz do from the exact same work women do for a fraction of the wage. And you know that's not allowed.

If the properties bought by some in London (and elsewhere) with the sole aim of being an "AirBnB host" all start to go on the market at the same time, we could see that housing market correction that successive governments have trousered so much to prevent.