Why won't they let you work from home?
SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)
- Thread starter Don't Kill Bill
- Start date
Feck knows. With construction being encouraged to stay open and our office 'being covid safe' because they've stuck a few screens up I presume they've just decided they're happy to keep us all in.
I know that people who are against lockdowns bang the mental health drum far too often but I think getting gyms/amateur sports back to normal should be a priority. Not because I’m worried about a huge outbreak of clinical depression if they remain closed but they do provide joy to huge swathes of the population.
Taking part in (or watching your kids take part in) sport is a massive part of what makes life bearable for a lot of people. And it leaves a big hole in their routine now they’re gone. Without these weekly dopamine hits everyone is going to get more and more jaded and less willing to stick to the government recommendations. Plus they’re done while sober, so we can generally rely on sensible precautions to be taken, which doesn’t apply to most other ways we might seek out dopamine squirts.
Im in exactly the same boat mate.
I have literally just come here to ask if an office can be legitimately classed as 'Covid secure'
My boss wants everyone in the office as productivity suffers 15% at home.
Boris said to work from home if we can, and we can. He did not say to work from home unless your office is covid secure!?!? Is that even a thing?
Victoria had an anti-lockdown demo of just over 400 assorted loons and white supremacists today (despite lock down being on the way out) and the police arrested 404 of them for breeching covid laws.
Clearly, your safety should be paramount, but if the staff are 15% less productive at home, that's a problem that might result in you not having a job to come back to, if this drags on.
We've found we've been more productive at home, to some degree, although it hasn't all been plain sailing. Some staff not now keen to go back and work from home, although I suspect some others are thrilled.
The Italian government is bringing in new restrictions tomorrow - the worst-affected three regions (Lombardy, Piedmont and Calabria) will be in a red lockdown like the one we had back in March, with everything closed except food shops and pharmacies. The next set of regions will be in an orange lockdown where they will be allowed to also keep hairdressers open - there are a lot of regions in this list. The remaining regions will be classed as green and will be under the current restrictions with some enhancements.
So basically bars and restaurants are closing completely in most of the country, we won't be allowed to travel to a red region if we don't live there, there are likely to be evening curfews. Shopping centres to be closed at weekends, too. At the moment we're not prevented from leaving our Comune of residence, which was the really difficult restriction in the first lockdown for those of us living in very small places.
So basically bars and restaurants are closing completely in most of the country, we won't be allowed to travel to a red region if we don't live there, there are likely to be evening curfews. Shopping centres to be closed at weekends, too. At the moment we're not prevented from leaving our Comune of residence, which was the really difficult restriction in the first lockdown for those of us living in very small places.
I think the problem with this, as with all of these suggestions, is that the confines of what you're deeming acceptable socialising are dictated largely by your lifestyle (or at least, as much as I understand what your lifestyle is). Whilst I don't have any objection to the idea that standing around on the side of a football pitch is basically safe (as is probably playing the sport itself!) it seems to me that you could make the same argument for basically any outdoor activity.
I think one of the things that I found hardest during the first lockdown, and more so when the restrictions were being unwound, was the sense of unfairness that what was and wasn't allowed was designed around the nuclear family. At the time I was in what lockdown had turned into a long distance relationship, which was diabolically awful and was for the best that covid ended, but I desperately wanted to see her and couldn't whilst other people's lives were returning to some degree of normality, it was that period that I found really tough, and so did almost everyone I know who was single/not living with their partners.
Perhaps I have an over-keen sense of fairness, but it seems to me that the mental health discussion is essentially one of just that. It's easier for everyone to make sacrifices and to pitch in and muddy together when it's felt like everyone is doing that, but when it feels like you and people who live lives like yours are bearing the brunt of restrictions that's when, I think, people seem to struggle. On a larger scale, I think it's why so many people despaired about Cummings and then stopped following guidelines.
So, I think for me, the answer is really that (as much as we would love to be able to have those touchstones of normality) a more brutal lockdown is paradoxically easier on mental health. Not only should it in theory mean that it should not have to last as long, but by creating a shared experience it at least feels like we're all pulling towards a collective goal – even if that means that activities that are essentially very low risk and basically fine don't take place either.
Small world view buddy.
I hate Whetherspoons with a passion. Always a last resort.
But my grandfather went there daily for the last decade of his life. Spent hours drinking 99p Doom Bar with his 80+ year old friends and his brother. Guys that fought in the war. Worked hard in factories. Blue collar fella that gave my mum a good life and did his best in life.
Taking away his ability to go to a pub would have almost certainly have ruined a year of his life.
I don’t believe Pubs should be open. But to many, they’re as valuable as a cafe and a gym and a park.
People try to reduce these things to binary positions. It’s stupid.
We all live our own existence. To promote our own needs and views should not involve reducing others position.
The idea that you cannot get what you need from a gym, without going there, is false. I respect your order of priority. But we’re all wrong headed.
There's a long list list of activities that are of minimal risk but put them all together and I'm going to assume they suddenly collectively become significant.
Good luck to any government in unpicking them in a fair way that isn't open to legal challenge on a number of grounds.
I'd argue the only things that should be kept open are where there's an obvious need and reasonable alternatives don't exist.
Good luck to any government in unpicking them in a fair way that isn't open to legal challenge on a number of grounds.
I'd argue the only things that should be kept open are where there's an obvious need and reasonable alternatives don't exist.
No matter how much messaging about Covid transmission you put out there, the tide of panicky idiots will never be stemmed.
Stokie mum bins £23 takeaway over what she says delivery driver told her
"I may as well have got £23 and put it in the bin because that’s what I did last night. I was so disappointed and very angry about it."
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/new...2gxFlh4ugFJe-6QY2rWM16Ltxjp6QJm0iakTu76u9PQzE
Stokie mum bins £23 takeaway over what she says delivery driver told her
"I may as well have got £23 and put it in the bin because that’s what I did last night. I was so disappointed and very angry about it."
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/new...2gxFlh4ugFJe-6QY2rWM16Ltxjp6QJm0iakTu76u9PQzE
My following post maybe summed up my position more clearly and it wasn't for my own gain, I am no longer in that business, so telling me I have a small world view is wrong, it wasn't what my intention was. I think there is a valid discussion to be had for gyms if they are catering to those that need prescribed, instructed and supervised exercise.
The last sentence is wrong. For people like me, yes, I can do what I need to do elsewhere. I actually have my own gym so there has been very little impact on my fitness regime. There are, however, people who use gyms for rehab and actual health reasons.
But there are a lot of people who use gyms for rehab/health reasons who won't be going there until the strain on health services and the risks of doing "anything" outside the home are reduced again - including the ones who need help most urgently. Things like rehab for stroke victims and for hip replacement patients following surgery simply isn't happening (and hasn't been for months) across many regions, supervised physio for post-op cancer patients has mostly turned into watching a youtube video and reading a leaflet and (if you're lucky) a zoom session.
What we're talking about in the case of whole sectors of the economy and of social life are situations where it's not proven if they spread the virus in any significant way or not - tiny little additions to the R value perhaps. The trouble is that we're in a pandemic where the psychology of social distancing and avoiding human contact relies on us to play along. "All in it together" might mean it doesn't matter about the details or the specifics, but it matters massively in the overall response of people. The more the world seems to be shut, the easier it is to encourage people to think in terms of minimising their personal interactions and getting the numbers down again.
The more special cases and exceptions there are, the more people get irritated and irrational about the overall concept - the likelier they are to "cheat" or to rationalise why their conduct is ok, because "it's no different to" whatever is happening.
Like I've said before, I get it. There's not one post in this thread from me that would indicate I'm not in agreement with lockdown. All I was meaning to state was that out of all businesses that have had to close, allowing well run gyms to open would surprise and concern me the least because in my opinion they are as close to being an essential service as anything and provide massive physical and mental health benefits at a time where both are at a premium. I hate to quote myself but see below.
I literally said I hate Whetherspoons, then supported their function as part of society.
We’re all small minded at times and all support our own view.
Sorry if you felt I was criticising you. We’re all in the same boat. I was just providing context for how we all feel differently about ‘what’s important’.
Nuthin but love for you Brutha
Loads of places operating in the same manner, I'm hearing. Nobody is taking this anywhere near as seriously as they did in March, despite the prognosis being worse. The rules being inexplicably more lax than they were last time makes it easy for employers to dick their employees about and needlessly put them at risk. The decision to do a half-arsed lockdown at this precise moment is going to cause more damage than last time to retail and restaurants etc and be nowhere near worth it as they've not done enough to actually stop people going to places where they can spread the virus. I can't see this winter being anythong other than a complete disaster.
No, I felt no criticism fella and everything is contextual I know. I'll reiterate that I'm not actually on my soapbox with my megaphone, shouting 'Gyms must open' but as someone who used to work in that industry and especially in prescribed exercise I'm aware of the importance of keeping certain individuals moving and, although I'm a believer in the current social restrictions, I could understand gyms being given some leeway if they could prove to be run correctly and safely.
Definitely. My girlfriend works in a department of 8 people all in the same fairly small office room. 4 of which are her department managers or near enough, 2 of them tested positive so they and the 2 other managers worked from home yet they wouldn't let my mrs and the 3 others work from home and then a week later would you believe it she tests positive. Of course they've still not changed anything and she was back in yesterday which is the first day she could stop isolating from. It's ridiculous.
My dad is lucky in that he works in an office on his own. But he doesn't need to be there either. He started off shielding in March because of health issues. But now, with the situation every bit as bad as it was back then, he's back on site and in work, where he uses a computer to do tasks he can do remotely. I've no idea why, but most managers are obsessed with the idea that you need to be in the office to do work, and they need to have that physical control over their staff. I know from experience that when I am in the office at work and it's a quiet period, I can do next to nothing in a day, so it's just a case of being seen to turn up, and has no effect on productivity.
Case numbers are not great at all here (Switzerland), yet bars and restaurants are still open. Can one be blamed for going to a bar and following the guidelines, or should people take a bit more responsibility on themselves and refrain from going?
I think a lot of that depends on what you do in the rest of your life - whether you're living alone, working from home and keeping yourself to yourself otherwise, etc.
Its addiction in my opinion.
Addiction for alcohol, takeaway food, hanging out with your friends, shisha etc.
It's hard to control this for a person and its something that has to be done by themselves.
What's the general rules on getting a test in the UK?
I've had a sore throat, slight fever, slight nausea & varying sense of taste for a few days now but no other symptoms at all really. Sleeping, working & eating all fine. Feels like a little bug I've caught. Is that worthy of a test?
I've had a sore throat, slight fever, slight nausea & varying sense of taste for a few days now but no other symptoms at all really. Sleeping, working & eating all fine. Feels like a little bug I've caught. Is that worthy of a test?
Thanks. Put's me in the maybe bracket as expected.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-coronavirus-vaccine-to-given-22951475
Allegedly vaccination programme to be started from December with over 85s and frontline staff
To be delivered by primary care. The GP magazine Pulse which allegedly broke this news that mirror and express are quoting has crashed
Allegedly vaccination programme to be started from December with over 85s and frontline staff
To be delivered by primary care. The GP magazine Pulse which allegedly broke this news that mirror and express are quoting has crashed
Well fecking durr. It was amazing to see the left in the USA tell everyone that COVID warranted a shut down of everything but protesting should be encouraged.
It takes a while to load and you need to register to get access to the full article.
They specify a vaccine DES (Directed Enhanced Service) which is basically a program for how a vaccine will be administered and the criteria for who should be administered and when. If this sort of information is supposedly coming out next week, then a vaccine must either be being close to being deemed safe and effective or is being approved for emergency use (most likely the latter).
GPs to be put on standby in case vaccine rollout begins in December - report
Family doctors will be told to prepare for vaccinating over-85s and frontline health workers from early next month, according to GP magazine Pulse.
GPs will receive a "directed enhanced service" (DES) from next week setting out how they can deliver a service above their usual contract.
The two frontrunners in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine - BioNtech and the Oxford vaccine - have suggested clinical data could be sent to regulators within weeks.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "While there are no certainties in the development, production, and timing of new vaccines, there is a possibility a COVID-19 vaccine could be available in the UK in the first part of 2021.
"It will only be rolled out once proven to be safe and effective through robust clinical trials and approved by medicines regulator the MHRA.
"Once approved, the NHS stands ready to begin the vaccination programme to those most at risk, before being rolled out more widely.
[Sky]
Family doctors will be told to prepare for vaccinating over-85s and frontline health workers from early next month, according to GP magazine Pulse.
GPs will receive a "directed enhanced service" (DES) from next week setting out how they can deliver a service above their usual contract.
The two frontrunners in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine - BioNtech and the Oxford vaccine - have suggested clinical data could be sent to regulators within weeks.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "While there are no certainties in the development, production, and timing of new vaccines, there is a possibility a COVID-19 vaccine could be available in the UK in the first part of 2021.
"It will only be rolled out once proven to be safe and effective through robust clinical trials and approved by medicines regulator the MHRA.
"Once approved, the NHS stands ready to begin the vaccination programme to those most at risk, before being rolled out more widely.
[Sky]
I can't remember now if it was on here or elsewhere but I read someone in the NHS say they had been told to get the flu jab asap as a vaccine was imminent and that you need about a month between the two jabs?
Please feel free to delete this if neccessary and it is bollocks I'm not trying to derail or stir but I definitely read it somewhere.
Please feel free to delete this if neccessary and it is bollocks I'm not trying to derail or stir but I definitely read it somewhere.
Definitely the latter. Would be fantastic news regardless. Even if only approved for emergency use there would still need to be solid evidence of efficacy (and short-term safety) It’s the long term safety that will be impossible to generate any time soon. Hence full approval impossible until well into next year.
A further 397 deaths have been reported within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.
Yes, it came up on here a couple of moths back:
I don't think that was related to a specific vaccine, just to the broad principle that a vaccine could arrive within months and that getting a flu vaccine early couldn't be a disadvantage, but could be a big deal.
Saw my Mum for the last time before lockdown tonight. She was crying her eyes out as she left. she couldn’t even hug her grandchildren goodbye.
feck this virus.
feck this virus.
Wow. Can’t wait to see the protests about this.
I remember that, great conversation between "the left" and the USA. Was a bit one sided, right?