This won't work

There are also those enjoying 100% of their wages for doing nothing at all. Why on earth would they want it to change ?

gillybob, the vast majority of those furloughed at present realise that situation cannot continue indefinitely. Therefore almost all wish to return to their employment as soon as possible, for the alternative is loss of employment followed by a life on benefits which will in all probability be much lower than what they receive in their employment.

It is only the right-wing press and a few on this forum who perceive things as anything different to the above.

I’m not so sure . I’ve only got 3 employees these days . 2 on 80% and 1 on 80% plus the additional 20% that I am making up (he will leave otherwise) . My husband and I are getting nothing at all even though I am working longer hours than I ever did sorting all this crap out. I have tried to talk to them about a staged return but none are happy or willing to go out onsite. I have managed to get a supply of extra PPE (masks, gloves, hand gel etc) but they are still reluctant . I suspect there is a ring leader who is more than happy for this to last as long as possible .

Actually, according to Personnel Today and other press reports, HMRC have apparently to date received 795 reports of fraudulent behaviour by employers who are claiming their staff have been furoughed but who are allegedly forcing their staff to come in to work.

So let's acknowledge that there are always people who take liberties but they are not always the supposedly greedy, workshy employees. In fact, most employees are probably scared stiff that they won't have a job to go back to - and I expect they are well aware that if they contribute, through their unwillingness to work, to their workplace being closed for any length of time they probably won't have a job to go back to.

It appears that some employers have a very jaundiced view of their employees - it must be disheartening and demotivating to work for people who habitually view those who work for them in such a negative light.

As for accountants, they are not always the salt of the earth either - and I doubt they are at great risk of a Covid-related death.

Gabriella Your comments re bus drivers smoking is, in my opinion, distasteful. If you said the same thing about doctors and nurses (who, despite all their knowledge of health risks are fairly significantly represented in the numbers of people smoking) it would be deemed out of order. I think your remark is insensitive and snobbish.

It was, in any event, recently reported that the workers at highest risk are taxi drivers, chauffeurs (who, as with bus drivers, work in an enclosed space and who are often in contact with many people throughout their working day) and security guards - security guards being 45.7% more likely than the average employee to die from contracting the virus. The underlying theme is that low paid workers who cannot work from home are at significantly higher risk, as the death statistics demonstrate.

I am making it difficult for my employer. I’m refusing to return to work because it isn’t safe for me to do so.

I am however working more hours from home than I would be at work. 8am - 9.30pm today.

I’m not putting my life on the line for a job. Some people on here criticising ‘lazy’ workers are isolating yet expect others to take a risk they won’t.

In regard to employers who are requesting employees furloughed at present to return to work and also employees being requested as such the procedure should be joint between both parties.

The employer must comply with all that is laid down under the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) especially at present in regard to Covid-19. The above act states that an employer must carry out "ALL THAT IS REASONABLY AND PRACTICALLY POSSIBLE" to provide a safe working environment for employees throughout all their working duties.

What constitutes an employer carrying out "all that is reasonably practical" has been the subject of very many disputes and court hearings since 1974 when HASAWA came into force. However, risk assessment is at the core of workplace safety under the foregoing act and that is especially prevalent in regard to Covid-19.

Therefore employers should add an assessment for Covid-19 to the existing risk assessments and risk reduction measures that should be in place for all other regular operations that are carried out by employees in any workplace. Those Covid-19 infection prevention measures should then be sent out to all employees being recalled to work duties following being furloughed.

Employers should then under their duty of care ensure that the infection reduction measures are complied with by all employees, while employees have an equal responsibility to comply with the safety measures under employees duty of care within HASAWA.

However, should it be that any or all of the employees in any workplace feel that an employer has not carried out "all that is reasonably practical" to best maintain their safety, they have legal right to resort to action under Section 44 Employment Rights Act 1996.

The basics of that employment rights act I placed in a post I made on this thread @21:12 on the 14/05/20.

Hope the above helps anyone caught up in the problems of businesses safely reopening in the present crisis.

Eloethan
It's not a crime to report facts.

...and to say it's snobbish...well, that's laughable. What has class got to do with smoking? Don't so called 'snobs' smoke?
The word 'snob' is so passé nowadays.
Enjoy your weekend. ?

Let's hope that the press (and Boris) don't get castigated for saying the 'fat' word or that 1/3 of Britons are obese, a fact I was roundly told off for saying last year.

I used to believe that newspapers reported facts but then I’ve been involved in several incidents that were reported in the press and was astounded to read reports that had got virtually everything wrong, even the simplest of things were totally wrong. They covered themselves by reporting what other people said or used the phrases like ‘sources state that’. Even people who were interviewed and named in the reports got everything wrong, either deliberately or by accident. After these instances I try to be very careful what I believe, tabloid style newspapers are the worst but no newspaper is without biased or factually incorrect reporting at times. They all have an agenda and will be pushing the view of their editors or owners.
I now stick to the ONS for figures as they are independent of government and Reuter’s for news as they do not include opinion, they merely report but I do still take their articles with a healthy dose of cynicism.

Fascinating isn't it that the idea that employees are lazy idiots who have no concept of economics and don't want to work, and employers are overworked philanthropists still persists into the 21st century. Most employees realise that their jobs depend upon the economic success of the business they work for and at present are trying to balance that against the risks of them returning to work and how that impacts upon their family. I hope most employers realise as well that there may be other reasons including family members with ill health which impact on employees and discuss things properly rather than just condemning.
I just wish these 19th century values could be abandoned.

This is the information I take issue with:

it's transpired that many workers who can now return to work, have declined, preferring the idle life this summer and content to live on 80% handouts. Many have picked up cash in hand jobs to boost their income.

How do you know this is true other than the one article quoted?
It really seems unbelievable as it stands. Who are these workers who are able to choose whether they work or not
GabriellaG54?

And how is, say, a CC router operator going to pick up cash-in-hand for that matter? Are you assuming he/she is doing some other work from his home?

@grandad1948:

Thanks for that post. I hope that people read and take note.

Figures have been confirmed today for London buses. 43 deaths, 10 ancillary staff for the bus section of TFL, 33 bus drivers.
No one has said that they are the only people who will suffer - but they are front line essential workers whose safety should be considered before filling buses unnecessarily early.

trisher, in regard to your post @10:33 today, I have to agree one hundred percent with your statement in condemnation of the idea that the United Kingdoms workforce employees are lazy idiots who have no concept of economics and don't want to work.

Certainly within our companies services to other organisations wishing to restart their operations there would seem to be much cooperation between employers and employees in wishing to overcome the safety concerns there may be in that restart and "get back to work" as soon as practically possible.

There will be, as with any situation, a very small minority who do not wish to comply with the majority in wishing to return to everyday employment. However, for any person to state that such people views and actions are widespread in Britains workforce at the present time demonstrates, I feel, a lack of intelligence and grasp of the realities of the present situation in those making such assumptions.

However, when we have on this forum a member who states that she never reads all the contributions to a thread, and then fifty minutes later states in a direct contradiction that she always reads all contributions to a thread, I believe we have to make allowances. ?

trisher well said. There is a line of spite and superiority in this thread which is the worst of us.

I would like to know how many shop workers have died due to Covid-19 as they are encountering the general public continuously, Perspex screens only appeared recently at some till points/checkouts.

How do you know they haven't got a mortgage?

???
Some people ask for heart attacks by getting too wound up about posts to which they have opposing and inflexible views.
It's like an echo chamber.
Hang loose.
Relax
Take a break
You'll feel all the better for it. ??

GabriellaG54 No one disagreeing with you is getting wound up. Disappointed maybe but we are all aware that there are people with extreme views.

GabriellaG54 Some people just can't admit they are wrong and resort to accusing others of imagined emotions. It's called deflection.

Hola ?
Don't be disappointed, it's a very negative emotion.
The world is a wonderful place and there is plenty of room for all of our views.
Mine certainly aren't extreme, just different from yours.
I don't always tread the well worn and sometimes boring paths in life along with the same crowd, preferring to look at the world from a different angle.
It harms no-one and refreshes the way I think.
Extreme is (metaphorically speaking) hard left or hard right and I am neither.
I'm a pacifist and quite willing and able to walk away and let the other person have the last word even if I hold a totally opposing view.
Anyone can say anything to me and I will think no more and no less of them than I did before, nor will words ever upset me.
So you see,

...so you see, I hear what you say and if you were correct I would amend my view.
Sorry, is only a word and often an empty one.
I stand by the views I posted here but enjoy reading 99.999% of others, often taking on board what has been said and shaping my views if I think other points warrant it.

Anyone can say anything to me and I will think no more and no less of them than I did before, nor will words ever upset me
Well that’s good GabbyG because I have read such a load of ? ? this morning, presumably designed to rile as many people as possible and provoke dissent. Bored perhaps?
It is entirely disingenuous to write the equivalent of “I speak as I find” and then go on to express unfounded prejudices, self- righteous pontification, name dropping and boasting, not to mention “authoritative” fake news (the heads-up that the lockdown was to be extended to 50+- remember?)
As for the anti-Scottish sentiments - they say more about their author than anybody north of the border.
But what a good thing that it is all water off a duck’s back and words will never upset you. That’s all right then.

???