To Work or not to Work

[chirpychippy]

Morning,

Self employed chippy here Lockdown No.3.
The first Lockdown in March etc I didn't work as all my work was in occupied properties.

This time, I'm waiting for a contract to start was supposed be Thursday but it's now delayed to some point towards the end of January, site work. I had/have work in occupied properties but this time I am torn, firstly I cannot find Tier 5 Guidance on this subject.
Part of me thinks "yeh you'll be fine adhere to the guidance" but then I think - I'm going into properties where I don't trust the hygiene of the occupants or whether they have adhered to social distancing they could be asymptomatic, so on so forth.

To compound this the Mother in Law has Covid so my already OCD Wife is fretting and is dead against me working in occupied properties.

What's are other Trades people doing please???

 

[sxturbo]

the guidance is that tradespeople are allowed to continue working in occupied properties.

however the decision is ultimately up to you.

is there still government financial assistance available?

 

[chirpychippy]

Thank you sxturbo,

I've just looked at the guidelines and it appears you are correct.

This will probably end up in a divorce if I keep pushing it with my Wife. I don't necessarily need the income we can manage, in the 15 years I've been self employed I have never been short of work, February I have work, currently throughout Jan other than occupied properties I have Zilch...Am not at all used to sitting still....

 

[sxturbo]

Thank you sxturbo,

I've just looked at the guidelines and it appears you are correct.

This will probably end up in a divorce if I keep pushing it with my Wife. I don't necessarily need the income we can manage, in the 15 years I've been self employed I have never been short of work, February I have work, currently throughout Jan other than occupied properties I have Zilch...Am not at all used to sitting still....

if it's any consolation my wife is the same if i have to go to site, lucky for me i'm predominantly office based, and a kitchen fitter over the road to me is in the same situation as you with his wife.

 

[chirpychippy]

Time to suck it up then and be patient

 

[^woody^]

In England construction work can carry on, but I understand that in Scotland its essential repairs only. I'm not sure of the other provinces

Whoever you are contracting off should have detailed risk and methods statements detailing how trades can and should be working in other's homes and the PPE and precautions to be taken. Part of that should be requiring the residents to keep away from you and the work area, else you can leave.

But purely as a personal risk avoidance measure, you should be avoiding all contact with other people, and if you can afford to do that and not work then you should. But the cost is not always financial.

It sounds like social housing. Is there no communal works available?

 

[chirpychippy]

Woody,

So the delayed contract is simply a block of 14 flats all requiring kitchens which I have the contract for. The site is fully covid safe which is mostly the reason it's delayed due to not being able to flood it with Trades to keep the job running on time.

My other work is just enquiries from domestic new and existing customers which I had booked in for the start of January prior to the start of above contract.

None of it is social housing.

I can afford to not have an income for four weeks or longer if needs must, so on this basis it isn't a problem more an inconvenience. For me it's a Moral issue and an issue of, do I wish to remain married.

I like working I like to be busy so I am in foreign territory, sitting on my a*se doing diddly squat.