Being told to continue non-essential manufacture job

Undervalued

Jeremy535897 said:

It does seem odd that you can only go out once a day to walk your dog, but can go out to a customer to lay a patio, and get supplies from a builders' merchant along the way. I think it's just in the "too complicated to do" category, as the list of manufacturing exceptions would be complex and unworkable. At least most people can understand "only leave your house for a walk once a day".

Exactly.
I would have thought is was easy to argue that most new work, like laying a patio, was not essential. However with repairs it is far more difficult.

I think a question was asked in the House of Commons this afternoon of the Health Secretary about tradesmen going to people's homes. Similar vague answer that it was OK if the work was "essential".

So if say half your electrics fail is it "essential" for an electrician to come and repair or is it only "essential" if all the electrics fail? 

And so on....

1977Chad

justwhat said:

no...but there can be instances were it can  be manufactured and shipped under the current climate. What i think is does not matter. Argos / pcworld are still delivering.

I would label pcworld as essential considering that businesses require the technology for people to work from home.

Again with Argos, white goods such as refrigerators and washing machines, are essential.

Jeremy535897

Electronics shops are shut though.

1977Chad

They can still deliver

LilElvis

Jeremy535897 said:

Electronics shops are shut though.

Amazon are delivering me a new printer and a pile of ink in the next few hours. John Lewis still appear to be taking online orders (with delivery) for white goods. 

Jeremy535897

Amazon has virtually no bricks and mortar shops as far as I am aware. John Lewis has shut its bricks and mortar shops but continues online. There are no restrictions on online sales with delivery.

LilElvis

Jeremy535897 said:

Amazon has virtually no bricks and mortar shops as far as I am aware. John Lewis has shut its bricks and mortar shops but continues online. There are no restrictions on online sales with delivery.

Simply showing that "essential" items are currently still available despite the closure of physical stores. 

Joshuaclay

onwards&upwards said:

You should be shutting really, it was very clear that you should only be going to work if it’s essential AND can’t be done from home.  Not either/or. 

Are you in a union?

Update: Employer has said that as we’re in an insulated bubble of only each other and our home group the risk is extremely small If we wash our hands when starting and finishing and clean surfaces often, though we’re yet to get any cleaning supplies. They also said that according to WHO and the NHS guidance the corona virus can only be transmitted when someone is symptomatic and if someone does get it at work maintaining hygiene standards will mean there’ll be no risk to each other and no need to self-isolate. I feel this is all a bit of a cop-out. A fellow employee asked not to come in due to living with elderly relatives and is now at home without pay.

Regarding unions I think it’s a pressing concern that we do all join as its now a choice of being exposed to an awful risk or not being able to pay the bills.

Joshuaclay

Also only a few of us are full employees, others are self-employed contractors so are happy to continue working rather than face the alternative of universal credit inadequate wages.

HornetSaver

My hope would be that in a very small number of days the 2m rule will become mandatory for anything not explicitly described as "key worker" (noting that supermarket workers fit this category), and even for key workers there must be strong justifications for why it's unavoidable not to do so (for example supermarket tills not being two metres wide, surgery not being possible with everyone involved maintaining that distance, etc), and I don't think work-provided transport for a non-essential job would be a strong enough definition of breaching the 2m rule being unavoidable.

Alas, that's my personal hope for later in the week. Right now, to the best of my knowledge we still appear to be in a grey area for situations such as the OP.