Risk, panic and great Coronavirus drama...

[Borchester]

If, to take one example, all restaurants will have to have only half the number of people in them from now on, they can double their prices and people will have to go out to eat half as often.  Since all restaurants are in the same boat, they will all have to increase prices so no one restaurant will benefit.  Obviously this may be simplifying things a bit, but nobody is talking about the fact that if supply capacity is cut by 50% and equally across all industries, then prices will go up.  Business owners seem to conveniently leave out this part when they are telling us they will all go bust.

Sounds like an Islingtonite's wet dream if you will pardon me from saying so Javert.



"Gosh Tristain, today's nettle soup is even more scrummy than yesterday's borage fritters."



"I know Clarrisa. One does not like to go OTT, but one does feel the need to salute the wisdom of the Supreme Leader Starmer for setting up these communal kitchens so that ordinary folk can properly feed rather than having to eat food."



The point about a restaurant, coffee house, pub etc is to huddle together and talk bollocks. If I wanted a solitary pint I would sit on a park bench with a can of Carlesberg Special Brew

[Borg Refinery]

Tbh Deppity I have very similar thoughts when reading the hilariously complacent stuff folks are posting. Once again I can't disagree with a single word of that in your posts. I know none of us are 'living' right now but there's still the choice of being in the real world or fantasizing, Christ they really don't know what's going to hit them do they?



As for comical ali, he's turned blue and gone round kneecapping accountants in the surrey commuter belt.

[papasmurf]

Unscrupulous employers!!! Surely no? My rose tinted spectacles nearly fell off!

It is said you cannot do too much for a good boss. Unfortunately during my decades of work, I never found one.

[DeppityDawg]

Unscrupulous employers!!! Surely no? My rose tinted spectacles nearly fell off!



Oversimplified? What makes you think that a) everyone will still have a job when demand for everything from cars to washing machines has plummeted? and b) that people still lucky enough to be in a job will go out to restaurants (if they are still even in business) at all when the cost is now double what it was? Who the feck is going to be stupid enough to buy a new car now? Who the hell is going to spend TWICE what they used to on something before, when all the evidence is we are heading for the worst recession/depression ever?



Because it was still there before does NOT mean it will still be there in 3 months time. Thousands of businesses will go to the wall Javert. You are living in cloud cuckoo land, and unless you wake up and soon, the fecking clock will strike midnight and we'll be fecking pumpkins

[papasmurf]

Anyway, not to worry.  After listening to Matt Hancock being interviewed this morning, you could be forgiven for thinking we've just won World War 3, the World Cup, all the Olympic medals and solved Brexit in an afternoon.  



Apparently according to Matt, we are doing better than all other countries, every rule the government has put out makes 100% sense, 100% of the UK people fully understand every rule and support the government 100%!



Also - I'm not sure it's class war to point out that working class jobs will bear the brunt of the risk upon return to work, but that's always been the case I guess.



I feel better already.

Comical Ali has been cloned.

[Javert]

You do realise that although there are a lot of reputable employers in the UK, there are quite a few unscrupulous employers who won't hesitate to put their next bonus ahead of the safety of their employees if they can get away with it?



We have to get people back to work, but employers must follow safety rules which will obviously be different in future.



I'm also seem to be missing something - the Coronavirus pandemic affects everybody and all businesses equally.  



If, to take one example, all restaurants will have to have only half the number of people in them from now on, they can double their prices and people will have to go out to eat half as often.  Since all restaurants are in the same boat, they will all have to increase prices so no one restaurant will benefit.  Obviously this may be simplifying things a bit, but nobody is talking about the fact that if supply capacity is cut by 50% and equally across all industries, then prices will go up.  Business owners seem to conveniently leave out this part when they are telling us they will all go bust.



Anyway, not to worry.  After listening to Matt Hancock being interviewed this morning, you could be forgiven for thinking we've just won World War 3, the World Cup, all the Olympic medals and solved Brexit in an afternoon.  



Apparently according to Matt, we are doing better than all other countries, every rule the government has put out makes 100% sense, 100% of the UK people fully understand every rule and support the government 100%!



Also - I'm not sure it's class war to point out that working class jobs will bear the brunt of the risk upon return to work, but that's always been the case I guess.



I feel better already.

[papasmurf]

..



So, what are your thoughts? What are real risks of going back to work for, let's say an average working age 30-55 year old?

That depends on their occupation, pre-existing conditions, and race.

(Risks by occupation ONS data link I posted elsewhere on the forum.)

[DeppityDawg]

...or, the "time to go back to work, guys" thread



So, what are the actual risks then? The government, by a series of confusing, contradictory and just plain hashed instructions, have now said "if you can't work from home, go back to work"



Predictably, trots in the Unions have spotted an opportunity to play class war, various n'er do wells in the population who probably spend half their life skiving anyway are reluctant to give up the opportunity of months on end of holiday on full pay, while employers are now stuck in a hopeless position of needing to get their businesses back into revenue but face the prospect of an "elf and safety" litigation nightmare if so many as one employee decides he or she wants to be an "I know my rights" crusader"



So, what are your thoughts? What are real risks of going back to work for, let's say an average working age 30-55 year old?