Covid-19 Megathread

[RedRooster]

EDIT: DOUBLE POST, oops.

Edited April 14, 2020 by RedRooster

[Hannibal Scorch]

1 hour ago, ReturnOfTheMack said:

Ahh man, hope hes ok Scorch. 

We have lost a family friend on my dads side, and 1 on my in laws side.

That’s awful man. I still have a friend adamant this disease isn’t killing anyone.

as a cheer me up though, this last line cracked me up

 

[Lord-Mountevans]

Has there been any word on redundancies off the back of the implications of the lockdown?

I feel like i am now vulnerable & think under the current law for employees over 40 years old, that you are entitled to a weeks pay for every years worked, times 1.5 + a weeks notice for every year, times 1.5?

Is this correct & has it been suggested that employers could avoid or have redundancy payments reduced because it is deemed to be no fault of their own?

[Ted]

I’m scared, pissed off & need to vent - apologies in advance for the ramble.

I live with my mum (moved back in last year to help her with the household after my stepdad left), we’re both key workers so were still going to work. My office has been really good with social distancing & I’ve been obsessively washing my hands thoroughly, staying home when I’m not at work & doing anything I can to try & avoid catching Covid.  

At mums work they’ve been awful with making changes to accommodate social distancing, she’s complained to managers & made suggestions to improve things but nothing much has changed so she’s told me a few times she’s going to go off with stress until it improves but never went through with it.  Her work have had at least 6 people who have gone off with symptoms, some tested & confirmed cases, some hospitalised but the company has kept the cases quiet so people only find out weeks later.  Mum has still gone out a few times for non essential shopping (garden & DIY stuff) & hasn’t changed her hand washing standards - obviously she does wash her hands but not for 20 seconds, every time she comes home etc.

Mum started with symptoms of a cold yesterday & was sent home from work this morning to self isolate so I’m now off for 14 days too.  She hasn’t actually isolated from me though - she’s still downstairs, pottering about, touching things & coughing so now I’m at home waiting to inevitably get sick.  Mum’s spent the last few hours messaging colleagues & telling me all the horror stories from the ones there who have it - weeks of being seriously ill, hospital trips, people who don’t have any risk factors suffering really badly with it.  I’m overweight so am pretty fucked when I get it & honestly, I’m petrified.

Sorry for the rant, I’m so pissed off that she carried on going to work & didn't do anything to protect herself from getting sick which has now put us both at risk.

I’m sorry to hear your news @Hannibal Scorch 

[Hannibal Scorch]

That's awful Ted. Not really sure what advice anyone can give. All I can suggest is just become a germaphobe. Before you eat, wash everything, plates, cutlery, the lot. And try and keep as much of the things you need in your room away from your mum. The only other thing is remember not everyone gets it, and not everyone gets it bad, so IF you did get it from your mum, you may not get it, or have symptoms. Try and stay safe

[Michael_3165]

Just seen the cclinicaal decision making guidance for covid and ICU. 

If you have 9 points or more then ICU won't take you on. 

Aged 80+? That's 6 points straight away. Over 50 and you start getting points. 

Frailty... If you have care needs you can start from around 4 points unless you are fully fit and able. Someone needing care needs like washing, bathing, feeding etc get higher points. 

Medical problems... Diabetes, high blood pressure, non treatable neurological problems, respiratory problems or cardiac history all carry a point each. 

Essentially old people or those w complex physical needs are fucked. They will be offered oxygen only and if that isn't effective it's palliative. Hence why most old people aren't taken to hospital and left to die in care homes. 

 

[BigJag]

Damn. Thanks for the information. It made for morbid reading, sadly. 

Do your best to stay healthy and safe. 

Get some fresh air. Watch the sunrise. Enjoy the relative peace and quiet. Stay in touch with family and friends. Have some fun on the daily. Come out the other side a stronger and better person.

Stay safe and well people. 

[Factotum]

10 hours ago, Ted said:

telling me all the horror stories from the ones there who have it

I would stay away from stuff like that. Everyone's experiences are different, and the worst case scenarios are always going to be talked about more. Switch yourself off from it and just stay at home and stay well.

[JNLister]

11 hours ago, Lord-Mountevans said:

Has there been any word on redundancies off the back of the implications of the lockdown?

I feel like i am now vulnerable & think under the current law for employees over 40 years old, that you are entitled to a weeks pay for every years worked, times 1.5 + a weeks notice for every year, times 1.5?

Is this correct & has it been suggested that employers could avoid or have redundancy payments reduced because it is deemed to be no fault of their own?

https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights/redundancy-pay

You’ll normally be entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you’re an employee and you’ve been working for your current employer for 2 years or more.

You’ll get:

• half a week’s pay for each full year you were under 22
• one week’s pay for each full year you were 22 or older, but under 41
• one and half week’s pay for each full year you were 41 or older

Length of service is capped at 20 years.

If you were made redundant on or after 6 April 2020, your weekly pay is capped at £538 and the maximum statutory redundancy pay you can get is £16,140. If you were made redundant before 6 April 2020, these amounts will be lower.

[MPDTT]

@LORD MOUNTEVANS Only other point I'd add is that many companies have enhanced redundancy terms - do you have a redundancy policy at your employer? Is there customary practice to offer more? For example, at my employer, we pay 2 weeks for every year served up to 26 weeks. It's hard to roll back to statutory minimum if a company has enhanced redundancy as a matter of customary practice. 

It has not been suggested (anywhere I have read) that the amounts will be reduced by the government. If anything, I'd say they are more likely to go the other way, but I don't see it happening. The only way a company could avoid redundancy payments is either to find a reason to dismiss - either as an under-performer who is managed out or a dismissal for cause. And of course, if the company goes bust, it would be doubtful you'd get anything beyond owed wages.  

Edited April 15, 2020 by MPDTT

[Jazzy G]

6 hours ago, Michael_3165 said:

Just seen the cclinicaal decision making guidance for covid and ICU. 

If you have 9 points or more then ICU won't take you on. 

Aged 80+? That's 6 points straight away. Over 50 and you start getting points. 

Frailty... If you have care needs you can start from around 4 points unless you are fully fit and able. Someone needing care needs like washing, bathing, feeding etc get higher points. 

Medical problems... Diabetes, high blood pressure, non treatable neurological problems, respiratory problems or cardiac history all carry a point each. 

Essentially old people or those w complex physical needs are fucked. They will be offered oxygen only and if that isn't effective it's palliative. Hence why most old people aren't taken to hospital and left to die in care homes. 

 

Presumably you also get points removed the richer you are? 

[Lord-Mountevans]

Thanks for that John.

 My main concern is that because of the financial hardships facing employers, that the government will help them wriggle out of payments.

Am i being paranoid or could people face a reduction or loss of redundancy payments (redundancies directly attributed to the lockdown) & then the law reverts back to how it was, when the economy starts to recover & lockdown can no longer be deemed a major factor in a redundancy situation?

[MPDTT]

2 minutes ago, Lord-Mountevans said:

Thanks for that John.

 My main concern is that because of the financial hardships facing employers, that the government will help them wriggle out of payments.

Am i being paranoid or could people face a reduction or loss of redundancy payments (redundancies directly attributed to the lockdown) & then the law reverts back to how it was, when the economy starts to recover & lockdown can no longer be deemed a major factor in a redundancy situation?

The government wants to avoid / deter employers making people redundant - hence the furlough scheme. It doesn't want to make it easier for employers to do so.

[waters44]

6 hours ago, Michael_3165 said:

Just seen the cclinicaal decision making guidance for covid and ICU. 

If you have 9 points or more then ICU won't take you on. 

Aged 80+? That's 6 points straight away. Over 50 and you start getting points. 

Frailty... If you have care needs you can start from around 4 points unless you are fully fit and able. Someone needing care needs like washing, bathing, feeding etc get higher points. 

Medical problems... Diabetes, high blood pressure, non treatable neurological problems, respiratory problems or cardiac history all carry a point each. 

Essentially old people or those w complex physical needs are fucked. They will be offered oxygen only and if that isn't effective it's palliative. Hence why most old people aren't taken to hospital and left to die in care homes. 

 

As hard as this seems at first glance unfortunately it is completely logical. It’s designed to keep as many people alive as possible. So 90 year old Malcolm who’s had three heart attacks and can’t wipe his own arse is given end of life care so that someone younger with more chance of survival can have the ventilator. It’s horrible, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

[Lord-Mountevans]

13 minutes ago, MPDTT said:

Only other point I'd add is that many companies have enhanced redundancy terms

Thanks for your input

We get the legal bare minimum of everything. Hopefully what you have said does not get changed. I have 13 years service & would hate to miss out, especially when it was looking dodgy at work before the virus & i feared they could use it as an excuse.