| Covid and office working 08:51 - Jan 29 with 3031 views | Herbivore |
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55843506
It looks as though, during the Autumn spike, offices were the main sources of infection and that during lockdown they have continued to be a major source of infections. Given that many office jobs can be done from home these days and many could not reasonably be called essential this adds to the sense that the scale of tragedy in the UK was avoidable. |  |
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| Covid and office working on 08:54 - Jan 29 with 2615 views | DanTheMan |
This was so bloody obviously going to be the issue that I'm surprised we've not pushed harder on people in office environments working from home, especially as a lot of people did during lockdown v1. |  |
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| Covid and office working on 08:55 - Jan 29 with 2603 views | SuperKieranMcKenna |
Apparently it was our duty to risk our health to save Pret A Manger. |  | | |
| Covid and office working on 08:57 - Jan 29 with 2598 views | StokieBlue |
Unfortunately virtually every job seems to have the leeway, if desired, to be labelled as essential. This had the double impact of meaning people were in work and kids were in school even when the schools were supposed to be closed.
I did go back in for one day a week during the summer when there was no lockdown and to be fair they had done everything to ensure it was safe - there were no cases I believe. In some ways I guess the level in safety is proportional to what the company can afford which doesn't help matters.
The companies need to take a lot of responsibility here for asking people to come in when it really wasn't required.
SB |  | | |
| Covid and office working on 09:10 - Jan 29 with 2533 views | bluelagos |
Maybe someone can send Priti the memo. |  |
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| Covid and office working on 09:12 - Jan 29 with 2524 views | Pinewoodblue |
I know people who have twice been ordered by track and trace to self isolate, contact having been in work environment. The leader of the opposition has had to self isolate three times now. |  |
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| Covid and office working on 09:14 - Jan 29 with 2515 views | Swansea_Blue |
I've found that home working is essential to limit the spread of the virus and to allow unlimited time on TWTD. I'm all for it. |  |
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| Covid and office working on 09:14 - Jan 29 with 2511 views | hype313 |
| Covid and office working on 09:12 - Jan 29 by Pinewoodblue |
I know people who have twice been ordered by track and trace to self isolate, contact having been in work environment. The leader of the opposition has had to self isolate three times now. |
I do wonder if the root cause is Air Conditioning units in offices constantly recycling old air, seems like a breeding ground for Virus's. |  |
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| Covid and office working on 09:16 - Jan 29 with 2502 views | davblue |
| Covid and office working on 08:54 - Jan 29 by DanTheMan |
This was so bloody obviously going to be the issue that I'm surprised we've not pushed harder on people in office environments working from home, especially as a lot of people did during lockdown v1. |
Companies, probably can't afford to be closed again that's what driving the people to have to go in offices.
I have heard some stories of bosses insisting people have to be in the office when they could work from home. |  | | |
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| Covid and office working on 09:20 - Jan 29 with 2476 views | Mookamoo |
Why are employers not subject to the same scrutiny the hospitality sector. There just needs to be team in each local authority who have the task on dropping by and checking Covid compliancy. |  | | |
| Covid and office working on 09:49 - Jan 29 with 2419 views | Herbivore |
| Covid and office working on 08:57 - Jan 29 by StokieBlue |
Unfortunately virtually every job seems to have the leeway, if desired, to be labelled as essential. This had the double impact of meaning people were in work and kids were in school even when the schools were supposed to be closed.
I did go back in for one day a week during the summer when there was no lockdown and to be fair they had done everything to ensure it was safe - there were no cases I believe. In some ways I guess the level in safety is proportional to what the company can afford which doesn't help matters.
The companies need to take a lot of responsibility here for asking people to come in when it really wasn't required.
SB |
It's really poor. We know that the virus can spread rapidly in indoor spaces, that's why gatherings in people's homes and in pubs and restaurants have been amongst the first things to be stopped. And yet many businesses are obviously bending the rules to make people come into indoor spaces for 8 hours a day during winter when you can't really have the windows open to offer a bit of mitigating ventilation. It's profit over people. This pandemic has highlighted that modern capitalism is not necessarily great when it comes to tackling crises, but I'm not optimistic we'll see any great change. | |
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| Covid and office working on 09:52 - Jan 29 with 2397 views | BlueNomad |
| Covid and office working on 09:49 - Jan 29 by Herbivore |
It's really poor. We know that the virus can spread rapidly in indoor spaces, that's why gatherings in people's homes and in pubs and restaurants have been amongst the first things to be stopped. And yet many businesses are obviously bending the rules to make people come into indoor spaces for 8 hours a day during winter when you can't really have the windows open to offer a bit of mitigating ventilation. It's profit over people. This pandemic has highlighted that modern capitalism is not necessarily great when it comes to tackling crises, but I'm not optimistic we'll see any great change. |
Spare a thought too for school staff |  | | |
| Covid and office working on 10:00 - Jan 29 with 2386 views | Herbivore |
| Covid and office working on 09:52 - Jan 29 by BlueNomad |
Spare a thought too for school staff |
Oh completely, they've been thrown under the bus from day 1. | |
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| Covid and office working on 10:09 - Jan 29 with 2372 views | Steve_M |
The "Get back to the office you lazy bastards" campaign was an inspired piece of political messaging, especially at the same time as schools re-opened.
Fortunately my employer - despite the desire of certain senor managers - made no move to force people back to work and there have been a small number of people in on the odd occasions I've been to the office. The maximum capacity is set pretty low too.
I see the latest Tory wheeze is to push for re-opening hoping for a bounce in the May local elections. Obviously the prospects of the Tory Party take precedence over public health. |  |
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| Covid and office working on 10:20 - Jan 29 with 2342 views | TJS |
I've been back at the office since last May.
We have our temperature checked every morning, are well spaced out and sanitise everything regularly so I'm not that worried.
Working from home is not that viable for a lot of businesses.
If your entire job involves sitting at your desk in zoom meetings all day I suppose it's OK. |  | | |
| Covid and office working on 10:28 - Jan 29 with 2320 views | Herbivore |
| Covid and office working on 10:20 - Jan 29 by TJS |
I've been back at the office since last May.
We have our temperature checked every morning, are well spaced out and sanitise everything regularly so I'm not that worried.
Working from home is not that viable for a lot of businesses.
If your entire job involves sitting at your desk in zoom meetings all day I suppose it's OK. |
Whether working from home is 'viable' should be a secondary consideration during a pandemic that's killing thousands. That offices have continued to be open and have been the biggest cause of spread when plenty of work isn't essential or can be done remotely is absurd if you look at it through anything other than a narrow capitalist lens. | |
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| Covid and office working on 10:42 - Jan 29 with 2297 views | TJS |
| Covid and office working on 10:28 - Jan 29 by Herbivore |
Whether working from home is 'viable' should be a secondary consideration during a pandemic that's killing thousands. That offices have continued to be open and have been the biggest cause of spread when plenty of work isn't essential or can be done remotely is absurd if you look at it through anything other than a narrow capitalist lens. |
Sorry but I'd rather the manufacturing/import business I work for survived rather than collapsing along with thousands of others.
Offices are open in every country in Europe.
It's not ideal but I'd hardly call it 'narrow capitalism'. [Post edited 29 Jan 2021 10:42]
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| Covid and office working on 10:56 - Jan 29 with 2258 views | eireblue |
| Covid and office working on 09:16 - Jan 29 by davblue |
Companies, probably can't afford to be closed again that's what driving the people to have to go in offices.
I have heard some stories of bosses insisting people have to be in the office when they could work from home. |
That is true.
Even to the degree of issuing letters to employees, that they are told to carry, that explains they are working in a critical sector.
My wife is one of them. She did work from home for a few weeks during the first lockdown, but the owners of the company don’t trust their employees to work from home.
So even in the first lockdown, all were called back in.
Suffice it to say, my wife that would regularly work extra hours, doesn’t now.
Her boss, had been caring for his mother after a couple of falls, she has Covid and is now in hospital.
The boss is now of course isolating.
On hearing this, the owners of the company went straight home.
The employees that also spend a lot of time with the boss, are of course expected to come back into the office. |  | | |
| Covid and office working on 11:02 - Jan 29 with 2244 views | Herbivore |
| Covid and office working on 10:56 - Jan 29 by eireblue |
That is true.
Even to the degree of issuing letters to employees, that they are told to carry, that explains they are working in a critical sector.
My wife is one of them. She did work from home for a few weeks during the first lockdown, but the owners of the company don’t trust their employees to work from home.
So even in the first lockdown, all were called back in.
Suffice it to say, my wife that would regularly work extra hours, doesn’t now.
Her boss, had been caring for his mother after a couple of falls, she has Covid and is now in hospital.
The boss is now of course isolating.
On hearing this, the owners of the company went straight home.
The employees that also spend a lot of time with the boss, are of course expected to come back into the office. |
The Victorian workhouse mentality is deeply ingrained in the psyche of British capitalists. | |
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| Covid and office working on 11:19 - Jan 29 with 2212 views | farkenhell |
| Covid and office working on 10:28 - Jan 29 by Herbivore |
Whether working from home is 'viable' should be a secondary consideration during a pandemic that's killing thousands. That offices have continued to be open and have been the biggest cause of spread when plenty of work isn't essential or can be done remotely is absurd if you look at it through anything other than a narrow capitalist lens. |
I agree wholeheartedly that working from home should (in fact, must) be a secondary consideration during the pandemic. However, he also has a point, in that working from home isn't viable for many people. Where I work, some are able to work from home and are encouraged to do so, but others choose to come into the office for a number of reasons. We are fortunate enough to be able to adopt a "one person, one room" policy when people do come into the office, but not many businesses can offer this luxury. If we were forced to close the office, then the company would cease without funding to keep it afloat in the interim (and furlough wouldn't be enough). As a result, unemployed staff and other losses to the economy. Multiplied umpteen times throughout the country. I'm not saying that this would necessarily be wrong, and I agree that the primary consideration must be to fight the spread of Covid, however to say that not doing so is "narrow capitalism" is very unfair. | | | |
| Covid and office working on 02:42 - Jan 30 with 2063 views | textbackup |
| Covid and office working on 09:16 - Jan 29 by davblue |
Companies, probably can't afford to be closed again that's what driving the people to have to go in offices.
I have heard some stories of bosses insisting people have to be in the office when they could work from home. |
I'd love to go to town a call out where I work for this. but I obviously cant.
but they took the same view, middle managers telling the workers to get back in, while middle managers worked from home.....
the line "covid fcking safe? a few bottles of hand wash and tape on the floor isn't fooling anyone" really didn't go down that well |  |
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| Covid and office working on 03:16 - Jan 30 with 2051 views | SpruceMoose |
| Covid and office working on 09:14 - Jan 29 by hype313 |
I do wonder if the root cause is Air Conditioning units in offices constantly recycling old air, seems like a breeding ground for Virus's. |
Natural to wonder that, but that's not how HVAC systems work. Assuming the building management system is set to bring in sufficient outside air and the filters on the air handling units are of a sufficiently high MERV value office HVAC systems aren't recycling virus filled air.
Modern HVAC systems don't just recirculate the same air over and over again. Having an air conditioning system in an office that's changing the total room air six to twelve times an hour and bringing in fresh outside air is actually something really positive in terms of preventing spread.
The problem with offices is people being in proximity to one another for hours at a time. The most efficient HVAC system can't help you if the bloke in the next cubicle to you is talking and breathing over you from six feet away for 8 hours a day.
Anyway, Lambert Out. [Post edited 30 Jan 2021 3:31]
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"Imagine being a heterosexual white male in Britain at this moment. How bad is that. Everything you say is racist, everything you say is homophobic. The Woke community have really f****d this country." | | Poll: | Selectamod |
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| Covid and office working on 03:19 - Jan 30 with 2050 views | SpruceMoose |
Ah yes well cruise ships are another kettle of fish! I can tell you that HVAC engineers have learnt a lot this last year, and there have been some very detailed guideline circulated around the industry regarding filtration requirements and air circulation rates in order to remove contaminated air from spaces and replace it with fresh outside air.
Put it this way. I'd rather be in a room all day with you where the air is changed six times an hour than be in a room with you where it isn't. The issue is really proximity and length of exposure time. [Post edited 30 Jan 2021 3:22]
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"Imagine being a heterosexual white male in Britain at this moment. How bad is that. Everything you say is racist, everything you say is homophobic. The Woke community have really f****d this country." | | Poll: | Selectamod |
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| Covid and office working on 06:44 - Jan 30 with 1989 views | m14_blue |
| Covid and office working on 09:52 - Jan 29 by BlueNomad |
Spare a thought too for school staff |
Yep, this ‘school closure’ is a total myth.
Mrs m14’s school has been at over 50% capacity in this ‘lockdown’. Now we both have the virus. Luckily we’re both relatively young and healthy but other staff members at her school aren’t so lucky. | | | |
| Covid and office working on 07:56 - Jan 30 with 1918 views | Lesta_Tractor |
We were told to work from the office a couple of days before Christmas because it was 'launch day', we'd managed three problem free launch days WFH from earlier in the year so completely unnecessary for us to be in...
Turns out the reason the mgmt team wanted us in was so that they could give us our xmas presents [Post edited 30 Jan 2021 7:58]
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