OV9

When we surface from the other side, whenever that may be, what do people think will be the long term changes to society?

I think socialising will change but I don’t know which way we’ll go, we’ll either be used to less social contact and overall less inclined to go out which will result in the total number of businesses never recovering or we’re going to appreciate what we’ve got and we’ll see an increase in socialising. I also expect a number of pubs, cafes, bars etc to recover slowly as they change hands following a number of them having gone under.

I also expect the climate discussion to change, having seen air quality improve from shut downs already I think this will bolster the argument and speed up climate change plans. We’ll probably also see businesses encouraged to reduce commuting and encourage working from home where possible to achieve that, it may even go far as a points linked system e.g, cut down emissions from reduced commuting by X, Y, Z amounts to enable certain business benefits (or meet new legislation).

I doubt we’ll see the NHS or it’s staff get a much needed injection of cash though.

Indeed, we’ll see stuff changing for one way, the other way, or not at all...

So far, I think we’ll all be better at using video conferencing systems.

I think we’ll hopefully see a lot more businesses see WFH as normal and continue to let people do it as a matter of course.

Maybe it’ll help people value the right people in society more?

I suspect it’ll change people’s priorities, too. Hopefully more people will put living ahead of working.

NotoriousREV wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:22 pm I suspect it’ll change people’s priorities, too. Hopefully more people will put living ahead of working.

This would be a great outcome. As an example they’ve stopped over time in our place to help with cash flow but the same people are still banging in meetings at 2+ hours after formal business hours have ended. This is driving up to 12 hour days most week days when they could easily schedule the same meetings to be in normal business hours where there are plenty of gaps in the calendar.

NotoriousREV wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:22 pm I think we’ll hopefully see a lot more businesses see WFH as normal and continue to let people do it as a matter of course.

Maybe it’ll help people value the right people in society more?

I suspect it’ll change people’s priorities, too. Hopefully more people will put living ahead of working.

Hopefully all of this.

Orange Cola wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:49 pm

NotoriousREV wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:22 pm I suspect it’ll change people’s priorities, too. Hopefully more people will put living ahead of working.

This would be a great outcome. As an example they’ve stopped over time in our place to help with cash flow but the same people are still banging in meetings at 2+ hours after formal business hours have ended. This is driving up to 12 hour days most week days when they could easily schedule the same meetings to be in normal business hours where there are plenty of gaps in the calendar.

You're not accepting those meeting invitations I hope?

Jobbo wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:21 pm

Orange Cola wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:49 pm

NotoriousREV wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:22 pm I suspect it’ll change people’s priorities, too. Hopefully more people will put living ahead of working.

This would be a great outcome. As an example they’ve stopped over time in our place to help with cash flow but the same people are still banging in meetings at 2+ hours after formal business hours have ended. This is driving up to 12 hour days most week days when they could easily schedule the same meetings to be in normal business hours where there are plenty of gaps in the calendar.

You're not accepting those meeting invitations I hope?

exactly!

I’d actually say that the risk of this happening increases post-Covid. I’m having to look after my little boy 2 days of the week to enable my wife to do her hours too, this has meant we’ll both end up extending our hours to suit. Therefore emails and stuff are going to be more common outside normal office hours.

Yeah, a more blended home / work life for people working from home, rather than an expectation of still working 9 to 5 ish

Rich B wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:08 pm So far, I think we’ll all be better at using video conferencing systems.

Microsoft will get a bit richer that's for sure.

China is basically back to normal already, why not here ?

Jobbo wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:21 pm

Orange Cola wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:49 pm

NotoriousREV wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:22 pm I suspect it’ll change people’s priorities, too. Hopefully more people will put living ahead of working.

This would be a great outcome. As an example they’ve stopped over time in our place to help with cash flow but the same people are still banging in meetings at 2+ hours after formal business hours have ended. This is driving up to 12 hour days most week days when they could easily schedule the same meetings to be in normal business hours where there are plenty of gaps in the calendar.

You're not accepting those meeting invitations I hope?

I’m not, I don’t mind doing the occasional one for shitastrophies to help but when they’re just regular weekly meetings for business as usual stuff it grates. There’s an expectation that people will attend and a culture of frowning on people who don’t attend. If you raise contractural rights it’s hit back as having “the wrong attitude” in end of year reviews, which then affects the performance linked pay rises.

dinny_g wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:30 pm Yeah, a more blended home / work life for people working from home, rather than an expectation of still working 9 to 5 ish

Make it up to the individual, but I maintain a strict 8.30-4.30 when WFH because it is easy to slip into being a bit late or just having to do something in the evening. Work phone automatically goes to silent at 6pm and laptop is turned off and left in the study.

Nathan wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:46 pm China is basically back to normal already, why not here ?

They’re not, they’re starting to get there. I think the difference is China are prepared to put an actual gun to people’s heads and that’s sped up the recovery period, the western world just doesn’t work like that, we stand to take a lot longer than China.

Orange Cola wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:49 pm

Nathan wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:46 pm China is basically back to normal already, why not here ?

They’re not, they’re starting to get there. I think the difference is China are prepared to put an actual gun to people’s heads and that’s sped up the recovery period, the western world just doesn’t work like that, we stand to take a lot longer than China.

on the flip side, in general we have better food hygiene and living standards.

I give it 6 months tops, life will continue as before with no major changes aside from everyone being a bit less well off. We’ll be back to Brexit Brexit Brexit...

Until next winter...

Rich B wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:54 pm

Orange Cola wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:49 pm

Nathan wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:46 pm China is basically back to normal already, why not here ?

They’re not, they’re starting to get there. I think the difference is China are prepared to put an actual gun to people’s heads and that’s sped up the recovery period, the western world just doesn’t work like that, we stand to take a lot longer than China.

on the flip side, in general we have better food hygiene and living standards.

Yeah, hopefully they’ll up their game after the hit to just their own economy. I can also see the move of business out of China and into other countries from the Trump trade war accelerating and going further.

I'd love to be optimistic about it, but having seen how people have behaved when it comes to panic buying and social distancing, go you honestly think the majority will learn anything???

A large number of my friends have children and are cross posting how hard it is to manage their kids, I wonder if kids behaviour will improve on the whole after their parents have been forced to put up with them rather than the schools for 12 weeks...

Well if parents keep up the hygiene shenanigans for too long then you’ll get a generation of children who will be immunocompromised and have a greater chance of asthma and allergies.