When will this shit end?

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

1 minute ago, BobWillis2 said:

I agree with what you say. I just feel like the next logical step from roughly a quarter full is maybe 50% and then 75% before going for full capacity. The Final is on the 15th May, the idea that 37 days after the 25% test we’ll be at full capacity seems highly unlikely. 
We can all argue about the speed of the roadmap until we’re blue in the face, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make here. 
The only way to find out how safe or unsafe it will be to have large non socially distanced events is to actually trial large non socially distanced events. Either we’re heading into 21st June blind and hoping for the best, or they’re overselling how much normality there will be on the 21st June. 

Good points. Maybe they'll trial a few more events in between the Cup Final (if successful) and June 21, increasing the capacity gradually each time? 

[efcfanwirral]

8 minutes ago, BobWillis2 said:

I agree with what you say. I just feel like the next logical step from roughly a quarter full is maybe 50% and then 75% before going for full capacity. The Final is on the 15th May, the idea that 37 days after the 25% test we’ll be at full capacity seems highly unlikely. 
We can all argue about the speed of the roadmap until we’re blue in the face, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make here. 
The only way to find out how safe or unsafe it will be to have large non socially distanced events is to actually trial large non socially distanced events. Either we’re heading into 21st June blind and hoping for the best, or they’re overselling how much normality there will be on the 21st June. 

Honestly I think 21st June will start to sound very different to what we've been led to believe when we get past the local elections.

I have a feeling the events industry has been sold up the river for political gain once again 

[BobWillis2]

6 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Good points. Maybe they'll trial a few more events in between the Cup Final (if successful) and June 21, increasing the capacity gradually each time? 

Possibly. I think it would have made sense to have 1/3 capacity for the league cup final in April,  2/3’s for the FA cup final in May  and then full capacity in June. 

 

[efcfanwirral]

10 minutes ago, BobWillis2 said:

I agree with what you say. I just feel like the next logical step from roughly a quarter full is maybe 50% and then 75% before going for full capacity. The Final is on the 15th May, the idea that 37 days after the 25% test we’ll be at full capacity seems highly unlikely. 
We can all argue about the speed of the roadmap until we’re blue in the face, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make here. 
The only way to find out how safe or unsafe it will be to have large non socially distanced events is to actually trial large non socially distanced events. Either we’re heading into 21st June blind and hoping for the best, or they’re overselling how much normality there will be on the 21st June. 

And we're also back into the argument of, if we're worried about cases even after people have been vaccinated at least once when do we stop worrying about them? Do we ever? 

[stuartbert two hats]

13 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

I see the kids going back as the real acid test. As I say, if we can keep the numbers stable over the next few weeks, I really think the roadmap is realistic. Fingers crossed.

Remember that the roadmap assumes cases will rise, but not enough to increase hospitalisations.

I'm hopeful that cases will stay stable or drop with the schools back, given how much vaccination appears to cut transmission.

[Jack The Stripper]

On 3/11/2021 at 9:31 PM, Gilgamesh69 said:

Please dont delete this thread Mr Efestivals 😞

I agree. This is a great time capsule documenting an incredibly odd period of history. 

[steviewevie]

On guardian live feed...

• Three health workers in Norway who recently received the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19 are being treated in hospital for blood clots. According to Steinar Madsen, medical director at the Norwegian medicines agency, their symptoms included “bleeding, blood clots and a low count of blood platelets.” He told the broadcaster NRK: “They are quite sick ... We take this very seriously.”
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the latest country to suspend use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, postponing its vaccination programme until results of investigations into suspected links to blood clots are available. DRC was due to begin distribution of the vaccine on 15 March, after receiving 1.7m doses of the vaccine. A new start date has not been announced.

[Mr.Tease]

6 hours ago, Ozanne said:

It’s not the commute for me, as I have a 20 minute walk to work. I don’t like the office environment with bickering over temperature, climate control systems that circulate bugs round the floor and seeing people that I don’t really want to see for 8 hours a day. WFH or more importantly the option to still do it gives me that freedom to flexibly. 

Does not sound great! Has work told you yet what they will be doing over the coming months? Will you get the choice?

Same question to other posters on this thread, what seems to be the consensus among employers and offices?

[Ozanne]

1 minute ago, Mr.Tease said:

Does not sound great! Has work told you yet what they will be doing over the coming months? Will you get the choice?

Same question to other posters on this thread, what seems to be the consensus among employers and offices?

They are getting rid of a fairly decent amount of their office buildings and they have said what will happen over the next few months which means for the majority we'll stay WFH till at least 21st June. They have said that after the pandemic is over that we won't go back to working Mon - Fri in the offices but that's about it. Personally I would like them to come out and say that staff have the choice if they want to stay remote working or not. 

 

I suspect it'll go down to individual departments and what they are happy with as some will want more direct control over where their staff work than others. My department to be fair to them are pretty laid back with it and we said in the summer we'll move to a predominantly remote working team going into the office for monthly team meetings etc. 

[steviewevie]

1 minute ago, Mr.Tease said:

Does not sound great! Has work told you yet what they will be doing over the coming months? Will you get the choice?

Same question to other posters on this thread, what seems to be the consensus among employers and offices?

I don't know...I was in a weird situation last year. Pre pandemic I was probably working home a third to half the time. My office is about 7 miles away and I cycle if I can be arsed, drive if I can't, so commute isn't really that bad. In office there are only about 10 of us, but I'd rather be at home unless I've fallen out with the family which is quite often! But...last summer our ceo (I work for a silicon valley tech company) ordered all workers back into the office, first of all at 25% capacity, then at 50%. Then in late August our office in UK got nearly shut down as he saw us on a spreadsheet and said he wasn't paying for a half capacity shitty little office in some shithold called Manchester, UK...but he got persuaded not to close us because we're so wonderful or something, but we all had to go full time. So, last autumn, despite govt guidance otherwise, I had to go into the office or we'd be closed down. After new year though this all changed, and all UK offices were closed (actually a couple of people still going in to ours). Not sure when we'll be told to go back, I'm guessing mid April, but I just want to go back to how it was pre-pandemic, but I might be told I have to be in office full time, have to see.

[Mr.Tease]

6 hours ago, Zoo Music Girl said:

Yeah I'm not looking forward to the commute. I used to do two days in, two days out at my main employer, with the fifth day being a mix depending who I was working for. While that is the right fit for me in terms of office time, the tube journey used to fill me with dread. It's a pretty short journey but I hate being packed in like sardines. Already used to give me anxiety some mornings, no idea what it will be like now. Will likely start back in with just one day a week and see how it goes.

Also not looking forward to getting up a whole hour earlier again on those days! 

In my case, though, if I wanted to work from home forever I could (I'm freelance so can set my own terms to a degree) but I do miss the office chat and social side now. I'm torn between anxiety at going back to the way things were and wanting to get the fuck out of the house!

I used to hate getting the Tube when I lived in London, my heart went out to people who still had to get it when the virus was kicking off and they were still squashed like sardines while knowing they were at high risk of catching it.

In Manchester they had these big cafe things where you pay per hour for infinite cake/coffee but the idea is you can use it as a work space and socialise at the same time. I feel such a yokel saying this in case it's well known in cities these days! What are these places called?! Think these will see a possible big expansion going forward with so many more people working from home, but wanting some human connections once or twice a week with others (though not an option for telesales or confidential data), unless maybe they had spill out private rooms you could use.

Your talk of the prospect of having to get up earlier has made me realise I've had to get up and start work earlier while working at home than I used to before the pandemic as nearly all my clients have wanted moving appointments during the pandemic! I've ended up working more hours, starting earlier and finishing later than ever before, and I haven't taken any holiday days off, so it's been quite a knackering pandemic for me, definitely need a break (and a hernia operation!) before returning properly to the outside world.

[Mr.Tease]

10 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

They are getting rid of a fairly decent amount of their office buildings and they have said what will happen over the next few months which means for the majority we'll stay WFH till at least 21st June. They have said that after the pandemic is over that we won't go back to working Mon - Fri in the offices but that's about it. Personally I would like them to come out and say that staff have the choice if they want to stay remote working or not. 

 

I suspect it'll go down to individual departments and what they are happy with as some will want more direct control over where their staff work than others. My department to be fair to them are pretty laid back with it and we said in the summer we'll move to a predominantly remote working team going into the office for monthly team meetings etc. 

 

4 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

I don't know...I was in a weird situation last year. Pre pandemic I was probably working home a third to half the time. My office is about 7 miles away and I cycle if I can be arsed, drive if I can't, so commute isn't really that bad. In office there are only about 10 of us, but I'd rather be at home unless I've fallen out with the family which is quite often! But...last summer our ceo (I work for a silicon valley tech company) ordered all workers back into the office, first of all at 25% capacity, then at 50%. Then in late August our office in UK got nearly shut down as he saw us on a spreadsheet and said he wasn't paying for a half capacity shitty little office in some shithold called Manchester, UK...but he got persuaded not to close us because we're so wonderful or something, but we all had to go full time. So, last autumn, despite govt guidance otherwise, I had to go into the office or we'd be closed down. After new year though this all changed, and all UK offices were closed (actually a couple of people still going in to ours). Not sure when we'll be told to go back, I'm guessing mid April, but I just want to go back to how it was pre-pandemic, but I might be told I have to be in office full time, have to see.

So seems like quite a bit of uncertainty? I suppose it depends also on what the government decides to incentivise/ deter- from the sounds of thing Johnson seemed to be indicating they'll be wanting to get people to return to office working rather than actually find out what people working there would prefer. Fingers crossed for both of you

[zahidf]

22 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

Does not sound great! Has work told you yet what they will be doing over the coming months? Will you get the choice?

Same question to other posters on this thread, what seems to be the consensus among employers and offices?

My employers are basically saying it'll be hybrid: half in the office, half at home

[Mr.Tease]

5 minutes ago, zahidf said:

My employers are basically saying it'll be hybrid: half in the office, half at home

Certainly seems to be the sensible way forward, though, I presume that means they'll want to move premises to some smaller offices to save money? 

[august1]

People are confusing the FA cup trial is purely to show UEFA we can host the Euros properly at Wembley regardless of the virus, we can get a decent percentage in the ground safely which the rest of Europe can't. Lashing everyone in a full Wembley and it causing issues is counter productive to that.  Nothing to do with the roadmap.

[JoeyT]

1 minute ago, Mr.Tease said:

Certainly seems to be the sensible way forward, though, I presume that means they'll want to move premises to some smaller offices to save money? 

Much of the moving / closing of offices will be dependent on leases etc.

Our firm will be flexible to WFH demands however not at the expense of work quality.

[Ozanne]

5 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

Certainly seems to be the sensible way forward, though, I presume that means they'll want to move premises to some smaller offices to save money? 

I think most pragmatic businesses will realise that the move to remote working is here to stay and workers are much happier with the option of more flexible working. I feel the good bosses/businesses will recognise this and evolve to give staff this freedom. Whereas the ones that don't or are resistant to this will be left behind and will see skilled workers leave.

 

This is also where we see if businesses really care about staff well-being too.

[Ozanne]

Just now, Barry Fish said:

We still have thousands of middle managers wanting to justify their existence.  You know the ones who only purpose in life is to watch bums on seats.

From what I am seeing it is mostly this type saying people need to come back.  

The companies wise enough to sack these middle managers and move forward on a trust relationship with their employees are the ones who will succeed.

I have a feeling for some of the people that want workers back in the office it's a status thing, those people before the pandemic could WFH whilst others couldn't, so now that everyone can they don't feel as special. It's these middle management types that still want to have privileges that their workforce don't have that in the summer seemed to be pushing for it.

[Ryan1984]

14 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

I have a feeling for some of the people that want workers back in the office it's a status thing, those people before the pandemic could WFH whilst others couldn't, so now that everyone can they don't feel as special. It's these middle management types that still want to have privileges that their workforce don't have that in the summer seemed to be pushing for it.

100% this. At my last job, I asked my manager - who worked from home at least one day a week - if I could work from home when I had proofreading to do (as there were too many distractions in the office) and they said no straight away. Now everyone has had a taste of wfh and they just can’t deal with their status being ‘undermined’ by the underlings.

I’m hoping offices are considerate towards people’s mental health when it does come to returning to workplaces. The return to commuting/making small talk and loss of free time etc is going to trigger so many anxieties.

I would also agree with the people saying about how the roadmap might change significantly after local elections (which, let’s be honest, the Tories are going to smash). That’s when Starmer needs to hold them to account - although I imagine he’ll he helped by the death-hungry backbenchers.

Edited March 13, 2021 by Ryan1984

[steviewevie]

I mean....I just don't want to go back to work. Full stop.

Might do the lottery.

[Crazyfool01]

I’m just waiting for my workplace to set up my work from home online grocery picking ... can’t think why it’s taking so bloody long 😀

[steviewevie]

It could be me.

[steviewevie]

Just now, crazyfool1 said:

I’m just waiting for my workplace to set up my work from home online grocery picking ... can’t think why it’s taking so bloody long 😀

It must be a right headfuck all these office workers moaning about having to to back into the office.

[Crazyfool01]

2 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

It must be a right headfuck all these office workers moaning about having to to back into the office.

Nah it’s totally understandable... and those with massive commutes it must be even more of a nightmare , I’m fortunate in other ways 🙂 

[Crazyfool01]

Murray Walker RIP 97 ... an absolute bloody legend 😞 I’m going to have to stop because I’ve got a lump in my throat 

Edited March 13, 2021 by crazyfool1