Coronavirus

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

I did mine just now - I do wonder just how big an impact good customer service is going to have throughout this crisis? Fair play to Sky for this.

Having dealt with both Sky & Virgin, I have nothing but good things to say about Sky's customer service. It is far better than my experience with Virgin.

How's your daughter btw? She was self isolating wasn't she?

 

[Dublin Drummer Wolf]

Day 5 of WFH and a creeping anxiety has set in.

Not sure if it's cabin fever, but I feel like I'm not doing my job properly and I'm going to end up in trouble because I've dropped the ball somewhere.

From someone who doesn't usually suffer from anxiety, this is horrible. Can't explain it.

 

[Langers]

Having dealt with both Sky & Virgin, I have nothing but good things to say about Sky's customer service. It is far better than my experience with Virgin.

How's your daughter btw? She was self isolating wasn't she?

She was absolutely fine two days later :icon_lol: But thank you for asking - all is okay.

But they're still only 5 days into their 14 day isolation period. Kids are having the time of their lives, ex-wife slightly less so.

 

[Kenny]

ex-wife slightly less so.

Every cloud...

 

[Sniffer]

She was absolutely fine two days later :icon_lol: But thank you for asking - all is okay.

But they're still only 5 days into their 14 day isolation period. Kids are having the time of their lives, ex-wife slightly less so.

Good news all round then.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Every cloud...

Lol

 

[PuntsWolf]

From what I’m told, China certainly doesn’t have it under control. People are still locked in their houses, have been for several weeks now, only one designated person allowed out the house to collect supplies and that’s at their own risk. Apparently can see dead people literally just left on street.

The police also come round every couple of days, a check temperatures. Anyone with a fever gets whipped out and put in quarantine.

So unsurprisingly, the figures put out from China for new cases are slightly misleading. Which doesn’t help people over here understand the gravitas as they think it’s just gone away in China in a couple of months. It hasn’t.

 

[Paul]

Panic buying occurs as a few go mad - then others who wouldn't think they need more but should before it all goes start getting supplies and within hours everyone is at it.

Was in Shaftesbury this morning - Tesco's had no milk, no paper items etc. & limited supply of tinned goods

Didn't really need anything much just wanted to see what it was like as have enough to feed myself for a couple of weeks (even if I get bored of the menu towards th end)

And whats worse is how much will be chucked away ??

 

[Keef]

So schools are shut,vulnerable people with ongoing health conditions told to avoid large gatherings, so next week I carry on taking SEN kids to school,because they're classed as vulnerable and need to be in school with lots of other kids.
How's that work,and why does someone somewhere think that makes sense?

 

[AndyWolves]

Day 5 of WFH and a creeping anxiety has set in.

Not sure if it's cabin fever, but I feel like I'm not doing my job properly and I'm going to end up in trouble because I've dropped the ball somewhere.

From someone who doesn't usually suffer from anxiety, this is horrible. Can't explain it.

Yep, totally get this.

There's a massive uncontrolled thing happening at the moment and we can't do anything about it

My advice would be regular check-ins with all your stakeholders and just talk through what's happening. If nothing else a bit of social interaction will make you feel better

 

[lemonjelly]

Day 5 of WFH and a creeping anxiety has set in.

Not sure if it's cabin fever, but I feel like I'm not doing my job properly and I'm going to end up in trouble because I've dropped the ball somewhere.

From someone who doesn't usually suffer from anxiety, this is horrible. Can't explain it.

I work in a team of 2. I was sent home monday. My colleague is brand new to the job. I've been sending various snippets in emails through the week to her about things I am learning about working from home. Below is a cut and paste of various things I have found help me a lot. If they're useful to you, brilliant, as for me, prevention is better than a cure. Apologies for the fact it will read in a disjointed way:

Not only is setting up your IT necessary, but your whole work area is important. A few tips I would add to the bits and bobs I’ve sent to H**** that will follow:
• Get dressed every day, and keep with the same structure for work. Start at your usual time, and end at the usual time.
• Be actively turning your laptop off and putting it away at the end of the working day. Leaving it out results in temptation to have a quick look.
• Have one dedicated place for all your work items, and keep them all in the same place. I have limited myself to one table to use only. This keeps everything together.
• Ensure all wires and cables are out of the way, and you’ve no trip hazards.
• Think about setting up where you work. I have no office furniture at home. My chairs would be too low. I’ve actually set my laptop up on a high stand, and am standing up all the time I am working. I attended a wellbeing conference a year ago where research promoted this as an exceptionally healthy way to work. I also have everything in a single room, and the door to it is shut from 5pm to 9am.
• I can’t say it enough, but do move around. Consistently.
• I aim to schedule 30-60 minutes most days where I am not working at a screen. I’ll be sat in a chair by the laptop, but drafting ideas/documents on paper the good old fashioned way!
• I also intend to have a 15 minute period each morning reviewing my “to do” list, which I have split into short, medium, and long term projects/things to do. Today, my short term (ie by the end of this week) list had 7 things on. It now has 2!
The other stuff:
Working from home is fine. You have to stop yourself going at it full pelt all the time. Very important to take regular breaks, and especially to move around.
Keep taking breaks. Do things that make you happy. Listen to good music. Thing about loved ones and how much positivity they bring to your life. Thing in good ways about all the stuff that gives our lives meaning. Every evening, write down 3 things that have made you happy that day.

I'm going to rearrange my working space this afternoon, or monday morning. I started this morning, just making everything tidier. I am also restricting all work stuff to a single room, and one table in that room. What I set up initially was just to work for that day. For longer term working it isn't suitable.

If anyone else has tips, I'd be keen to learn!

 

[Johnny75]

From what I’m told, China certainly doesn’t have it under control. People are still locked in their houses, have been for several weeks now, only one designated person allowed out the house to collect supplies and that’s at their own risk. Apparently can see dead people literally just left on street.

The police also come round every couple of days, a check temperatures. Anyone with a fever gets whipped out and put in quarantine.

So unsurprisingly, the figures put out from China for new cases are slightly misleading. Which doesn’t help people over here understand the gravitas as they think it’s just gone away in China in a couple of months. It hasn’t.

Where have you had this from Punts?

I think we have to be careful what we put out to each other. An update from my supplier living in Guangdong province is nowhere near as bad as your post and there aren't dead people in the streets. In fact the populous are back in work (and actively touting for it) and whilst shopping is controlled they are getting back to some sort of normality, albeit highly controlled.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Where have you had this from Punts?

I think we have to be careful what we put out to each other. An update from my supplier living in Guangdong province is nowhere near as bad as your post and there aren't dead people in the streets. In fact the populous are back in work (and actively touting for it) and whilst shopping is controlled they are getting back to some sort of normality, albeit highly controlled.

A colleagues cousin lives in Wuhan (I know for a fact that is true). I wouldn’t post it if doubted the veracity of the info, but of course like any story you haven’t seen for yourself there’s an element of Chinese whispers (sorry) and hyperbole.

But the idea that China have it under control and no new cases etc. Doesn’t stack up from a scientific level and from what I’m Im seeing/being told in this country.

Edit - in my original statement I probably should have specified “Wuhan” rather than China, as the place is fucking massive.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I can’t work from home. It’s a physical impossibility as I can’t move my testing lab to my house. The main machinery is just too big. So at the moment I am still coming in every day. Yesterday and today the reduction in traffic on the trip in is really noticeable. Barely anyone apart from the MD is in the offices as they can do their work at home, but the factory and warehouse are still open. I reckon we are probably twenty men down but we are plodding on. Feels a bit surreal.

 

[Wombat del combate]

Same as Paddy. All our work is off site, so it's not possible for us to work remotely as there are always questions etc coming in.

 

[playtheace]

The hospital I work at has had deaths every day. The list of hospitals with deaths is only like 10 deep each day atm. Just can't stop thinking that it's in the hospital and will be throughout the whole thing, slowly getting worse. Staff coming back to work after having symptoms aren't even tested ffs. Doctors off the bank/agency are turning up and refusing to work on the corona wards. Hear the woman sorting it arguing with them every day that she can't give them more than 60 an hour etc.

I thank God, that the papers aren't embellishing the death totals, with what we know seasonal flu does this time of the year.
If we are being generous, there would be around 60 folks a day in the country passing away due to it..
Thankfully amongst the sensationalist headlines they are sticking to whats being put out officially.

 

[Tredman]

I work in a team of 2. I was sent home monday. My colleague is brand new to the job. I've been sending various snippets in emails through the week to her about things I am learning about working from home. Below is a cut and paste of various things I have found help me a lot. If they're useful to you, brilliant, as for me, prevention is better than a cure. Apologies for the fact it will read in a disjointed way:



I'm going to rearrange my working space this afternoon, or monday morning. I started this morning, just making everything tidier. I am also restricting all work stuff to a single room, and one table in that room. What I set up initially was just to work for that day. For longer term working it isn't suitable.

If anyone else has tips, I'd be keen to learn!

Good list that LJ. I've worked from home most of my career - my only advice is don't beat yourself up about it, don't be too regimented and strict.

At times you will be way more productive than you could ever be in an office, at other times you will waste far too much time chatting shite on pointless football forums. Make a list each day and get it done if possible. If you don't do then do it the next day. Prioritise.

Keeping in touch with people is important - our team is great, we are having morning standups on Teams video and we are having a Teams beer this afternoon. Its actually quite good in some ways as people are actually understanding why I get frustrated at times.

@DDW - just try to take it as it comes, I'm sure you are working - don't worry if you can't get instant validation, get validation from yourself for a job well done.

And wear suncreen, or some shit like that.

 

[Del Woppio]

I'm absolutely shattered. I can't see Alfie at the moment, he's got a history of being hospitalised with pneumonia, infections and the like, so we've agreed to lock him down with his mom, especially as my daughter's mom is front line ITU in a hospital with confirmed covid-19, so I'm ultra exposed. It's devastating. We're on short time WFH at work, and I'm also in a long distance relationship where we only see each other at weekends but I'm braced for a lock down making that really difficult. I can't turn the news off and have just watched the sky news report from an Italian hospital in tears. We're not doing enough. The country is going to be decimated

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

It does feel that both the states and ourselves are somewhat sleepwalking to a disaster.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

We have a new house rule at paddy towers. All four of us must sit down for dinner together. During the meal there will be no discussion of the outbreak. Each of us has to state every day one thing that has made us happy during the day, and we then build the dinner conversation about those happy things. Really simple way to try and keep spirits up in what seem bad times.