Coronavirus

[Sugar Ape]

1 hour ago, Barrington Womble said:

I know Goldman's pretty well. And I think they're right, it doesn't suit them. I think there is a mixture across capital markets, lots have just continued to go almost as normal through this (hedgefunds), the tier 1 banks have had a smallish number of people and the tier 2 type banks have barely had anyone in. That last group is shooting towards WFH going forward (and tons more offshoring, I reckon 20% has already gone as a direct consequence of this pandemic). The group's like Goldman's though have realised they're losing their edge and are desperate to get back. As for the rest of the economy.... Well it all remains to be seen. I know the data centre business has done massively well from medium sized companies who had the majority of their compute on site in the office and has moved to co-lo in order to vacate their office. 

It’s so varied, people talk about ‘offices’ like they’re all the same, there are so many different sectors and professions that use offices and all have different needs. For some they might be desperate for staff to be back in, for others staff working from home 60-80% of the time and them saving on office rents will make more sense. 
 

Like I said previously, the current talk about offices is very London-centric, understandable I suppose considering what it adds to the economy, but outside of London and the South East I think things are different. 
 

In Liverpool for example who would you say are the biggest office based employers? I’d imagine the top two would be local and National government and their needs will be very different to places like investment banks. 
 

I think the best employers going forward, and the ones capable of attracting the best talent, will be the ones who let their employees have a say in how much they want to work at home. Me and SD work for the same government agency for example, he doesn’t want to work from home and wants to go in the office, I don’t want to work from home full time but would like to maybe three or four days a week.
 

Providing my job can be done with no problems from home (and I haven’t been in the office once since this all began and have worked from home without any issues) then I don’t see why we both can’t work the patterns we want. 

 

I’ll save two hours a day commuting and I have issues both physical and mental which are aggravated commuting and working in an office environment. Not to mention I’ll save over £100 a month on train fares. I’m also lucky I’ve got loads of space in my home to place an office setup so it makes sense for me to work from home if I can but for people who can’t do this they’ll have the option of going into the office. 
 

At the minute I think about 50% of our staff can work from home and the others have to go in because the system they use isn’t accessible remotely. Work is ongoing to change this and from late summer/August everyone in our place should be able to work from home and the expectation is most will wfh at least part of the time. 
 

Talk about offshoring is also specific to certain sectors as well. My job can’t be offshored for security reasons. My brother-in-law is a solicitor for LCC and he will also be working from home permanently at least part of the time, his job can’t be offshored either. My sister is a liaison for the council and the police and she’s in the same boat with a job that can’t be offshored. As I think most office jobs will neither be fully office based or fully home based, but a hybrid model, then those jobs won’t be offshored as they’ll need to be physically present at times. 

[Bruce Spanner]

In the real world we have a virus we’re struggling to contain, deaths which would make any other country wince and call for heads and an economic catastrophe about to unravel...

 

...Over on the Hail. People emerge from lockdown to celebrate the sun and the end of lockdown being in sight. People flock to beauty spots to enjoy the first sun of the year, not long now! Deaths are down by a FIFTH and we can ease restrictions earlier says some daft cunt with a BTEC in media studies. 
 

Expect another spike in the next few weeks, but they can’t go back now, we’ll just have to ride it out, bellends.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

[Bjornebye]

4 hours ago, Nelly-Torres said:

Fucking maniacs. Seriously warped cunts and allowing twats like that to have a column saying that in the middle of a vaccine drive is truly sick. If that influences just 1 person not to get it then its attempted murder as far as I'm concerned. The biggest cunt in the virus apart from the virus has been people who don't know how deadly this fucking virus is. Absolute bastards they should all be shot dead. 

[Denny Crane]

Not sure if posted, free tests no strings and sounds like from the school.

 

So in theory parents of primary school kids can test them and their bubble - should make a huge difference for transmission and peace of mind for those worried. 

 

Free Covid tests will be offered to the families of all pupils in England under plans to reopen schools from 8 March.

Rapid test kits will be provided twice a week to pupils and anyone in their household or support bubble regardless of whether they have symptoms.

They will also be available to adults who work with schools, such as bus drivers and after-school club leaders.

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56226020

[Rushies tash]

4 minutes ago, Denny Crane said:

Not sure if posted, free tests no strings and sounds like from the school.

 

So in theory parents of primary school kids can test them and their bubble - should make a huge difference for transmission and peace of mind for those worried. 

 

Free Covid tests will be offered to the families of all pupils in England under plans to reopen schools from 8 March.

Rapid test kits will be provided twice a week to pupils and anyone in their household or support bubble regardless of whether they have symptoms.

They will also be available to adults who work with schools, such as bus drivers and after-school club leaders.

 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56226020

I think it’s only for secondary schools mate.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/education-56153751

 

[Denny Crane]

14 minutes ago, Rushies tash said:

I think it’s only for secondary schools mate.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/education-56153751

 

Hmm says all pupils. It actually made a lot of sense so hope it's accurate. 

[Rushies tash]

13 minutes ago, Denny Crane said:

Hmm says all pupils. It actually made a lot of sense so hope it's accurate. 

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff

 

Seems that households of primary kids can have access to testing, but not the kids themselves.

[Denny Crane]

46 minutes ago, Rushies tash said:

 

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-for-households-and-bubbles-of-school-pupils-and-staff

 

Seems that households of primary kids can have access to testing, but not the kids themselves.

Still that is excellent news as it includes the bubble. So my missus sister, who cares for her aunt and has kids 10 and 9 can make sure her and her partner and aunt get tested regularly. If any of them test positive they isolate including the primary age pupils.

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, Denny Crane said:

Still that is excellent news as it includes the bubble. So my missus sister, who cares for her aunt and has kids 10 and 9 can make sure her and her partner and aunt get tested regularly. If any of them test positive they isolate including the primary age pupils.

I'm not so sure, the rapid test kits are not as reliable as the ones sent to labs. 

[Denny Crane]

27 minutes ago, Shooter in the Motor said:

I'm not so sure, the rapid test kits are not as reliable as the ones sent to labs. 

I see where you are coming from as we know rapid tests produce false negatives. I would qualify that with as long as you are testing two or more people the reliability gets increased. Let's say there are 3 people in a bubble they all take a rapid test - the likelihood of 3 false negatives and no symptoms is minute. If I was worried and I was testing one person and there is wide availability of tests I would test the same person twice.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Denny Crane said:

I see where you are coming from as we know rapid tests produce false negatives. I would qualify that with as long as you are testing two or more people the reliability gets increased. Let's say there are 3 people in a bubble they all take a rapid test - the likelihood of 3 false negatives and no symptoms is minute. If I was worried and I was testing one person and there is wide availability of tests I would test the same person twice.

It's definitely a step forward from no testing and that strategy could be an advantage. My sister works in a primary school and she had one of those rapid tests come back negative, next day she sent a test off and within 24 hours she tested positive. 

 

You'd like to think not all rapid tests would report negative in every case. 

[Vincent Vega]

20 hours ago, Sugar Ape said:

It’s so varied, people talk about ‘offices’ like they’re all the same, there are so many different sectors and professions that use offices and all have different needs. For some they might be desperate for staff to be back in, for others staff working from home 60-80% of the time and them saving on office rents will make more sense. 
 

Like I said previously, the current talk about offices is very London-centric, understandable I suppose considering what it adds to the economy, but outside of London and the South East I think things are different. 
 

In Liverpool for example who would you say are the biggest office based employers? I’d imagine the top two would be local and National government and their needs will be very different to places like investment banks. 
 

I think the best employers going forward, and the ones capable of attracting the best talent, will be the ones who let their employees have a say in how much they want to work at home. Me and SD work for the same government agency for example, he doesn’t want to work from home and wants to go in the office, I don’t want to work from home full time but would like to maybe three or four days a week.
 

Providing my job can be done with no problems from home (and I haven’t been in the office once since this all began and have worked from home without any issues) then I don’t see why we both can’t work the patterns we want. 

 

I’ll save two hours a day commuting and I have issues both physical and mental which are aggravated commuting and working in an office environment. Not to mention I’ll save over £100 a month on train fares. I’m also lucky I’ve got loads of space in my home to place an office setup so it makes sense for me to work from home if I can but for people who can’t do this they’ll have the option of going into the office. 
 

At the minute I think about 50% of our staff can work from home and the others have to go in because the system they use isn’t accessible remotely. Work is ongoing to change this and from late summer/August everyone in our place should be able to work from home and the expectation is most will wfh at least part of the time. 
 

Talk about offshoring is also specific to certain sectors as well. My job can’t be offshored for security reasons. My brother-in-law is a solicitor for LCC and he will also be working from home permanently at least part of the time, his job can’t be offshored either. My sister is a liaison for the council and the police and she’s in the same boat with a job that can’t be offshored. As I think most office jobs will neither be fully office based or fully home based, but a hybrid model, then those jobs won’t be offshored as they’ll need to be physically present at times. 

Backs up your post SA. My employer is a large company with offices all over the country that’s looking to do similar to BT.

 

[mattyq]

My mate works in one of the largest law firms

They've just sold their London offices and are looing to offload their Manc offices. They'll be saving a fortune. He says their competitors are all doing similar

Johnson is spouting shit 

Obviously, this will be different in every sector of the economy but pretty sure hybrid working will become the norm ie 2 or 3 days in the office the rest wfh

What this does to cities is going to be really interesting. I think Liverpool could do well out of it

[TheHowieLama]

19 minutes ago, mattyq said:

 

What this does to cities is going to be really interesting.

There goes the neighborhood @neko

[Colonel Bumcunt]

The big plus for companies is they now have the choice of employees being extended via remote working.  Got to be careful with employment law, will be some people employed on the strength of their internet connection. A shit connection during the interview will kill you. 

[Chairman Meow]

22 hours ago, Sugar Ape said:

My job can’t be offshored for security reasons.  

It probably shouldn't be possible, but with these fuckers in charge I wouldn't put anything past them.

 

The potential to work from home has actually got me considering going back to the revenue. Basic data processing/correcting records type job on a part time basis working from home would be mint for me alongside still being self employed as I know whatever workload they give me that I can exceed KPI without too much effort. 

[VladimirIlyich]

While I am in no way holding up Belarus as some kind of great example of government,however you describe it,I was astounded to see this sentence in a medical report 'With 11 hospital beds per 1000 people,

Belarus outnumbers nations like Germany (8) or the UK (2.5).' 

 

My point here are the figures,8 beds per 100 in Germany and 2.5 in the UK. If ever there is evidence of how fucked the NHS is then this shows exactly why. No wonder this country is struggling with Coronavirus and its a massive credit to the NHS staff that they have coped as well as they have during it. Such a shame their wage packets and job security will no doubt mean little once the pandemic has quietened down.

[Bjornebye]

Is anyone else noticing people who appear to have completely fucked lockdown off? I saw loads of pictures on instagram this week of people round others houses pissing it up and I'm talking big groups not just a few. Lady up the road had loads over yesterday I could hear them in her garden when I took the bins out. They haven't got the instructions out properly at all. Now people can see an 'end' they are acting like its gone and come whatever date it is that pubs open thats it lets do the fucking hula.

 

Maybe the government want people breaking laws though eh. Of course they do so they can blame people not their own failings the corrupt shitbags. Sick bastards in Thailand pay to throw live chickens into a crocodile pit. Throw the Tory party in it and Cummings the fucking brain in a jar lying twat. 

[VladimirIlyich]

8 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Is anyone else noticing people who appear to have completely fucked lockdown off? I saw loads of pictures on instagram this week of people round others houses pissing it up and I'm talking big groups not just a few. Lady up the road had loads over yesterday I could hear them in her garden when I took the bins out. They haven't got the instructions out properly at all. Now people can see an 'end' they are acting like its gone and come whatever date it is that pubs open thats it lets do the fucking hula.

 

Maybe the government want people breaking laws though eh. Of course they do so they can blame people not their own failings the corrupt shitbags. Sick bastards in Thailand pay to throw live chickens into a crocodile pit. Throw the Tory party in it and Cummings the fucking brain in a jar lying twat. 

Ran out of rep for the thought of throwing Tories in a Crocodile pit, but will be back once I am charged up again.

[Mudface]

30 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Is anyone else noticing people who appear to have completely fucked lockdown off? I saw loads of pictures on instagram this week of people round others houses pissing it up and I'm talking big groups not just a few. Lady up the road had loads over yesterday I could hear them in her garden when I took the bins out. They haven't got the instructions out properly at all. Now people can see an 'end' they are acting like its gone and come whatever date it is that pubs open thats it lets do the fucking hula.

 

Maybe the government want people breaking laws though eh. Of course they do so they can blame people not their own failings the corrupt shitbags. Sick bastards in Thailand pay to throw live chickens into a crocodile pit. Throw the Tory party in it and Cummings the fucking brain in a jar lying twat. 

It's the Johnson boosterism yet again. Sticking dates on lockdown easing measures when we don't know if they can be safely met is moronic. We'll be getting another lockdown shortly after Easter no doubt.

[Bobby Hundreds]

If companies want staff to work from home surely they will contribute to the increased energy and broadband costs on top of peoples bills otherwise fuck off, my heating bill has gone through the roof since she's been working from home.

[Bjornebye]

5 minutes ago, Mudface said:

It's the Johnson boosterism yet again. Sticking dates on lockdown easing measures when we don't know if they can be safely met is moronic. We'll be getting another lockdown shortly after Easter no doubt.

I think it would kick off if they put us in another lockdown. It's such a shame people can't be trusted. 

[Chip Butty]

1 minute ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

If companies want staff to work from home surely they will contribute to the increased energy and broadband costs on top of peoples bills otherwise fuck off, my heating bill has gone through the roof since she's been working from home.

You need better loft insulation Bobby. 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

37 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Is anyone else noticing people who appear to have completely fucked lockdown off? I saw loads of pictures on instagram this week of people round others houses pissing it up and I'm talking big groups not just a few. Lady up the road had loads over yesterday I could hear them in her garden when I took the bins out. They haven't got the instructions out properly at all. Now people can see an 'end' they are acting like its gone and come whatever date it is that pubs open thats it lets do the fucking hula.

 

Maybe the government want people breaking laws though eh. Of course they do so they can blame people not their own failings the corrupt shitbags. Sick bastards in Thailand pay to throw live chickens into a crocodile pit. Throw the Tory party in it and Cummings the fucking brain in a jar lying twat. 

Definitely. 

 

The pictures in the Echo of people in the park (as well as some pics from Liverpool photographers on Instagram) seem to suggest the same too. 

 

And, these will be the dickheads who'll moan if the numbers go up again and the "roadmap" dates get pushed back.