Coronavirus: Please use this thread for all COVID19 talk!

Small p politics. I know, it’s virtually impossible to draw the line between commenting on government policy or what Daniel Levy says or Tim Martin’s psychotic world view, and politics, but as a moderator I have to point out that there is a line, somewhere. Do your best.

 

I was going to say something along these lines last night after Question Time, when all the panellists, including Matt Hancock, were urging garment factories to go into 24/7 production of PPE, and for just about every engineering firm to produce other equipment. At the same time people are being furloughed or simply laid off and we have 10 times the normal number of new applications for Universal Credit, and everyone except “key workers” are told to stay at home. Then we have people like @St Badger who are primary carers for high-risk people but at the same time classed as key workers, and therefore caught right in the middle of the problem.

Could the public be forgiven for being a little confused as to who, exactly, key workers are? Surely the time is approaching when, in the interests of the nation, something like a war economy has to be created, along with a government of National Unity comprising all political parties, trade unions, the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses, and so on?

 

I was only kidding Chilcs...

 

#vvd
Read through the link below, it may help.
The rules were changed yesterday, so people who changed jobs after the 28th Feb, who now find themselves with no work, because of covid-19, can go back to their previous boss and ask to be re-employed for purpose of being furloughed.
All legitimate, however it is down to the employer. Hopefully you left on good terms.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/n...feb-and-new-job-fell-through--you-can-be-reh/

 

I contacted 3 MPs yesterday, about this. Two won’t step in, because I am not living in their constituency (MP policy apparently).
My MP (Royston Smith) has only just replied, with the same guff as is written in the government guidance.
I have referred him to the change in policy, yesterday, that is aimed at closing a gap in the rules and to make the scheme more inclusive.
I have asked him to take up the cause for people in my situation and see if this is another gap that can be closed, or if he won’t, give me the contact details of the person I need to contact direct.

 

Wow 684 today.

 

Thanks St B. I will try, but there is nothing for my previous employer to gain from this, plus the cost of them putting me back on the books so I don’t see why they would.

 

Just got my letter from work stating Ihave permission to travel to my workplace as key IT support (ha ha). I am sure you all want your weather forecasts to be done. My major issues at the moment are performance issues from people working from home!
Doing IT changes to the systems in the Falklands is challenging enough, but add working from home over a VPN and several Remote Desktop Connections just adds to the fun
First world problem.

 

It’s perfectly possible to build up a big company without being unprincipled and driven only by greed. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both seemed to manage it (though I’m sure they both had their faults).

The Hoovers were Quakers I believe? And model employers by all accounts, so a good example actually

Not saying everyone should be like the Quakers. I think we can learn from them though (cue a barrage of assault from assorted hardcore atheists).

 

Ouch. Sorry to hear that.

My son is in a similar position, having been self employed as a sub contractor since January, which gives him no chance of anything except Universal Credit. A lot of people are going to fall into categories like these. Good luck.

 

Just volunteered to switch from working on MRI to installing ventilators at the Nightingale hospital from next week.

Hoping I can play a small part in fighting this thing!

 

There're lessons to be learnt from historical philanthropists. Below a quote from https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/...ivic-philanthropy-in-the-uk-what-can-we-learn

"George Cadbury, Joseph Rowntree and William Hesketh Lever became famous for their progressive attitudes towards employee welfare, and introduced many innovations that are still with us even today. (Such as the employee suggestion box pictured below).

Each of these men went so far as to construct purpose-built communities for their workers. These initiatives were obviously motivated by the desire of the individuals involved to improve their own businesses, and a sense of responsibility for the welfare of their employees, but they were also philanthropic in the sense that they were clearly intended to provide a template for others to follow.

We're probably on the wrong thread oh dear!

 

Good for you.

 

Hats off to you Osvaldorama. You my son, are a bloody star, and a true Saint. It's people like you who make me feel so proud and grateful of the decent and good side of humanity. I owe you one humongous big hug (from 6ft away) and as many pints as you can put away in an evening.

Take very good care of yourself. We need guys like you.

Proud, very proud, of you fella

 

If its a toss up between death and listening to this guy run his slide show again, I'm torn.

 

Why does the signing guy always have to stand in front of the graphs though?

 

That is a good point. They are on screen for a reason.

 

Which? The graphs, or the signing guy?

From several days of watching BBC News channel, the signing guy is always superimposed in the same relative place on the screen. The graphs are put up/put on screen because whoever is talking needs to illustrate a point. What needs to happen, from a completely non-technical viewpoint, is for the person at the (virtual) picture controlling desk to shrink one or other, in order to maximise the information available, for everyone.