[OP]
Member
We have heard of the affect of COVID-19 on retail, food service and to some level, manufacturing. I have yet to hear how offices are handling the crisis, other than for those that can work at home. Big office buildings are stuffed with folks pushing paper, doing design or other office work. News on that front has been largely quiet.
NOW you tell me...
Contributor
People I know who are office workers are being asked to work from home. Most of the people I know are engineers and computer programmers. I expect the support staff are being asked to stay home, also.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
This morning Cuomo said that workers present at the workplace were being reduced to 25% from 50% in New York. Wouldn't be surprised to see other states following that model.
Moderator
We have office staff. We've done this:
Make those who can, work from home.
Essential staff works a split shift 6-12, 12-6. It's a reduction in hours in exchange for some understanding in working non-overlapping shifts.
Everyone has procedures to sanitize their workspace. This is really a futile effort, but better than nothing.
We don't allow people to use conference rooms or the kitchen except to 'take out'.
We've increased cleaning staff from 2x week to daily.
We've been successful in having about 25% staff present at any point in time.
It's been hard to keep consistent.
Faint silver lining: We have made YEARS of psychological progress in WEEKS in with respect to working-from-home in virtually every department. Any vestiges of face-time value have gone away, and people are just figuring out how to be productive. We have used Microsoft Teams to excellent effect.
Last edited by Prashun Patel; 03-19-2020 at 3:05 PM.
Contributor
My wife works at a county court house and has to deal with the public everyday. They come in to pay on their utility bills, taxes, tags, etc. Since this outbreak has hit close to home for us in SW Ga., most places are now heeding the warnings. They have eccentrically closed off the court house to non-employee, and are sanitizing everything they touch. They still have to interact with each other, but at safe distances. Fortunately there are only a dozen or so employees there.
My Dad always told me "Can't Never Could".
SWE
Contributor
That’s true for my company Mike, aside from skeleton operations staff we’re all working from home.Originally Posted by Mike Henderson
I’ve been in so many virtual meetings this week I’m tired of them.
I live in a large city and noticed that the traffic cameras are showing major highways with very little traffic.
I presume you’re doing fine?
Regards, Rod
Moderator
There's very little "pushing paper" these days, Ole, and a good percentage of businesses and government agencies are having their employees at every level work for home. Some firms are better prepared for this than others, just like some educational institutions are better prepared than others. For those that must work in a physical office for whatever reason, the concepts of social distancing still applies as does the need for proper disinfection, etc.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Ditto. My previous employer sent the whole department home till the end of April. We were all geeks and have been telecommuting since the late 90's so virtually no impact. The rest of the University followed a few days later. That's 25,000 people not crushed together . . . at least on campus. The students are probably still all crammed together somewhere. I know I was indestructible in my college years; why would that change? ;-))
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Contributor
PA ordered a large number of businesses closed today. Basically, grocery, pharmacy and medical are open along with the supply chains for them. Everyone else has been ordered closed.
Contributor
The ski resorts near me no longer serve food or drinks. Only 10 people inside the building at a time. limited lift tickets allowed to be used at a time. I think maybe only one person per chair or gondola?
I heat sterilize my firewood inside my woodstove. Last night my wife took raw lasagna and sheltered it inside the oven at 350 degrees. I then took some of it and sheltered it inside my stomach.
Bil lD
Contributor
The traffic situation is a silver lining. Roads that are notorious for congestion in the Philadelphia area are running at the posted speed limit +.
Moderator
Here's the complete list...
https://htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws....1584656193.pdf
-----
Bill, with your governor's current order for state-wide shelter-in-place, I'm guessing that the ski resorts probably are supposed to stop being open for business I would think.
-------
Curt, is your particular work curtailed with less private travel?
Last edited by Jim Becker; 03-20-2020 at 9:42 AM.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
Do you know if newspapers are prohibited from printing newspapers since printers are on the list of businesses which must close physical operations?
The list of which businesses must close makes no sense. Engine builders can still operate, but most other factories must close.
Moderator
Top of page four...newspapers are included as essential businesses.
It seems that businesses that are involved in facilitating creating things involved transportation are able to continue, although vehicle sales organizations can't operate other than for service/parts. I think this was a very difficult thing to break out. The business types appear to be based on the categories used for assigning industry designations to corporations. Many business cross over, too.
Some of the professional type firms will likely continue to "do work" as long as it's folks working at home with no physical contact. What they are trying to crack down on is people being out and about without good reason, with good reason meaning obtaining food, medicine and health care or supporting businesses that provide the same. My older daughter is still working as her job is in a food market. My younger lost all of her front-of-house hours at the restaurant she is employed by but still has back-office accounting work a few hours a week which is hopefully transitioning to work-at-home, too. (they are open for takeout/delivery so there is still accounting work to do) I'm still doing some client work in my shop for odds and ends but with zero physical contact with the client...he's paying for shipping. My online presence at ETSY is still working (mailorder/online is allowed on the list), not that anyone is buying anything. LOL So I get to enjoy my shop for "me" projects!
Last edited by Jim Becker; 03-20-2020 at 1:55 PM.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Moderator
My office is normally about 500 people on 3 floors. It's been like a ghost town the last three weeks as most of us are working from home. We do handle legal documents so some have to stay in the office, but with much less risk now. We have hand sanitizer stations all over the place and a pump bottle on every desk. I have been working from home but have to go in a few days next week to train a new person, then when she's ready I'll work from home again and continue training using Skype or Teams.
Sammamish, WA
Epilog Legend 24TT 45W, had a sign business for 17 years, now just doing laser work on the side.
"One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop." G. Weilacher
"The handyman's secret weapon - Duct Tape" R. Green
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote