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Post by northlondon83 on Jan 12, 2023 21:05:16 GMT
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Post by northlondon83 on May 6, 2023 9:22:22 GMT
The WHO declares the Coronavirus health emergency to be over www.ft.com/content/a0772e5a-9a42-453f-aee0-30e7c1b61cb2It seems so long since the lockdowns in 2020, and in some ways so much has changed since then. However I feel that in the UK, 'normality' returned around the start of 2022, and I stopped wearing masks around this time apart from in hospitals. However the UK lacked preparedness for this virus and I don't trust the government will be prepared for any future viruses! |
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Post by greenboy on Jun 4, 2023 8:45:50 GMT
Contary to popular belief Covid hasn't gone away and a neighbour of mine is currently laid up with it although it's not serious enough for him to be hospitalised. He hasn't had the vaccine and so probably isn't going to get a great deal of sympathy.
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Post by northlondon83 on Jun 4, 2023 14:13:50 GMT
Contary to popular belief Covid hasn't gone away and a neighbour of mine is currently laid up with it although it's not serious enough for him to be hospitalised. He hasn't had the vaccine and so probably isn't going to get a great deal of sympathy. Ah the COVID thread has been resurrected! Yes COVID still exists however the severity isn't like it was 2-3 years ago. There's still going to be COVID deniers who think that the virus never happened and it was all a hoax. One person from my work on Friday claimed that there wasn't a virus and didn't see the point in having regular vaccines for COVID. There's also similar people who believe that the government invented this virus and used it to control us |
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Post by richard on Jun 7, 2023 7:15:18 GMT
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Post by twobellstogo on Jun 7, 2023 12:19:29 GMT
I wonder how much covid paraphernalia remains on TfL property and vehicles now?…
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Post by WH241 on Mar 23, 2024 18:34:48 GMT
Amazing to think today is 4 years since we first went into lockdown.
Everything feels a distant memory now and the world is pretty much back to normal.
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Mar 23, 2024 19:18:13 GMT
Amazing to think today is 4 years since we first went into lockdown. Everything feels a distant memory now and the world is pretty much back to normal. There have however been changes, probably for the good. The rise in working from home has allowed employees a better work life balance and also to make many jobs fully remote. That's one thing certainly here to stay. I do notice that Covid quietly killed 24h supermarkets. |
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Post by WH241 on Mar 23, 2024 20:34:25 GMT
Amazing to think today is 4 years since we first went into lockdown. Everything feels a distant memory now and the world is pretty much back to normal. There have however been changes, probably for the good. The rise in working from home has allowed employees a better work life balance and also to make many jobs fully remote. That's one thing certainly here to stay. I do notice that Covid quietly killed 24h supermarkets. There was certainly a rise in home working but the tide is turning and those who fight it the most will end up losing out in the long run. Lots of big companies are seeing the light and getting people back in the office more days per week. I can't wait as I get fed up phoning people "Working" from home who are distracted or have lots background noise. It might be here to stay but nowhere on the scale it was 4 years ago. |
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Post by Eastlondoner62 on Mar 23, 2024 21:35:51 GMT
There have however been changes, probably for the good. The rise in working from home has allowed employees a better work life balance and also to make many jobs fully remote. That's one thing certainly here to stay. I do notice that Covid quietly killed 24h supermarkets. There was certainly a rise in home working but the tide is turning and those who fight it the most will end up losing out in the long run. Lots of big companies are seeing the light and getting people back in the office more days per week. I can't wait as I get fed up phoning people "Working" from home who are distracted or have lots background noise. It might be here to stay but nowhere on the scale it was 4 years ago. Nobody is 'seeing the light' as various scientific studies have shown that working from home actually leads to more productive employees along with a higher satisfaction of employees. HSBC has already announced that it's keeping its home working practices and is instead relocating from Canary Wharf to Central London as they no longer need as much office space. If people were being less productive at home then for sure the practice would have vanished, but it hasn't and many jobs now offer it as standard as they're unlikely to attract the required candidates if they do not offer it as an option. Many people that I know from my cohort which are recent graduates won't even apply for a role if it doesn't have working from home as part of the standard. It's a necessity these days and no longer a luxury depending on your job. |
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Post by southlondon413 on Mar 23, 2024 22:00:17 GMT
There was certainly a rise in home working but the tide is turning and those who fight it the most will end up losing out in the long run. Lots of big companies are seeing the light and getting people back in the office more days per week. I can't wait as I get fed up phoning people "Working" from home who are distracted or have lots background noise. It might be here to stay but nowhere on the scale it was 4 years ago. Nobody is 'seeing the light' as various scientific studies have shown that working from home actually leads to more productive employees along with a higher satisfaction of employees. HSBC has already announced that it's keeping its home working practices and is instead relocating from Canary Wharf to Central London as they no longer need as much office space. If people were being less productive at home then for sure the practice would have vanished, but it hasn't and many jobs now offer it as standard as they're unlikely to attract the required candidates if they do not offer it as an option. Many people that I know from my cohort which are recent graduates won't even apply for a role if it doesn't have working from home as part of the standard. It's a necessity these days and no longer a luxury depending on your job. Completely agree, my company is looking for a new office and is really struggling as many building owners either want long leases or short ones with break clauses in case they sell for housing which is a growing trend. A lot of space is also being taken by companies downsizing which is ultimately leaving large unwanted spaces empty. I only do 3 days in the office and I just cannot fathom the idea of doing 5 again. The commute, being there all day, the one/off bouts of sickness caused by dirty people, it’d all be to much for 5 days. |
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Post by borneobus on Mar 24, 2024 0:46:01 GMT
Nobody is 'seeing the light' as various scientific studies have shown that working from home actually leads to more productive employees along with a higher satisfaction of employees. HSBC has already announced that it's keeping its home working practices and is instead relocating from Canary Wharf to Central London as they no longer need as much office space. If people were being less productive at home then for sure the practice would have vanished, but it hasn't and many jobs now offer it as standard as they're unlikely to attract the required candidates if they do not offer it as an option. Many people that I know from my cohort which are recent graduates won't even apply for a role if it doesn't have working from home as part of the standard. It's a necessity these days and no longer a luxury depending on your job. Completely agree, my company is looking for a new office and is really struggling as many building owners either want long leases or short ones with break clauses in case they sell for housing which is a growing trend. A lot of space is also being taken by companies downsizing which is ultimately leaving large unwanted spaces empty. I only do 3 days in the office and I just cannot fathom the idea of doing 5 again. The commute, being there all day, the one/off bouts of sickness caused by dirty people, it’d all be to much for 5 days. Interesting discussion into WFH and the current reality. I departed the corporate world the best part of a decade ago, so pre-Covid and the concept of WFH was in its infancy. My office was close to home so travel time wasn't an issue and I preferred not to work from home on the basis that there was a clear demarcation between 'work' and 'home'. Having said that I was very grateful to have this option when, for example the gas boiler needed servicing. However, for colleagues living in Hampshire, Wiltshire etc. 'Flexible Working' per se including 'WFH' was hugely beneficial and for companies, as has already been suggested opens up recruitment to a wider pool and can save significant costs re property / estate. Of course some media commentators have been for a while 'blaming' WFH for the UK's appalling productivity. I'll leave you to decide whether 'WFH' to blame or lack of investment in products, equipment, and skills & traiing over many years? It may be that these commentators are pandering to commercial property developers or some of their senior readers "I never had the opportunity to shirk from home so why should anybody else?" My retort to them would be "True, but you had a much easier opportunity to buy a property...." Whatever, the anti-WFH view is diametrically opposed to the strategy of many big corporates who are supportive of Flexible Working / WFH, and whom recruitment and retention of talented people is key to their future success. |
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Post by capitalomnibus on Mar 24, 2024 5:54:53 GMT
Amazing to think today is 4 years since we first went into lockdown. Everything feels a distant memory now and the world is pretty much back to normal. There have however been changes, probably for the good. The rise in working from home has allowed employees a better work life balance and also to make many jobs fully remote. That's one thing certainly here to stay. I do notice that Covid quietly killed 24h supermarkets. More like Tesco. I am sure Asda is still 24 hours for some of them |
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Post by greenboy on Mar 24, 2024 7:47:33 GMT
There have however been changes, probably for the good. The rise in working from home has allowed employees a better work life balance and also to make many jobs fully remote. That's one thing certainly here to stay. I do notice that Covid quietly killed 24h supermarkets. More like Tesco. I am sure Asda is still 24 hours for some of them There are certainly less 24hr Tesco's now, I'm not sure about Asda. I think working from home and online shopping were in their infancy before the pandemic but are very much the norm now. I know some people think working from home is a skivers paradise with images of business calls taking place with kids screaming and dogs barking in the background but I don't think that's the case at all, it generally benefits both parties with less office space required and no commuting, Train operators have reported a drop in commuting and business travel although leisure travel seems to generally be back to pre pandemic levels. |
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