COVID-19 Return to work email

So after being furloughed since the end of March... I've just got this email from my boss.
Looks like they are intended to keep everyone on, and gradually bring people back as workload increases, which is good I guess.. @Jarkie;

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*Company name* have started plans to reopen the site as soon as possible with a slow gradual start back with the aim to be fully operational by the end of May. Obviously we want to do the same and be operational as soon as possible. However these are uncertain times and although the rate of infections appear to be declining we still need to be conscious that personal safety is a priority so any plans rely heavily on government restrictions and the supply of PPE.


Another uncertainty is the state of the new and used car market once lockdown is over and car dealerships reopen, this I presume will be a very slow start and may take a long time to recover to where we were two months ago. With this in mind, to protect the business and ensure jobs security is maintained *company name* will also need to have a slow restart. Therefore I need to ask the following bearing in mind the Furlough scheme is still running for many more weeks:


- Are you prepared to return to work as soon as possible even if full government lockdown restrictions are not lifted?
- Have you had to seek medical attention for COVID19 related symptoms and have been told to self-isolate therefore not available to work?
- Would prefer to remain on the Furlough scheme for as long as possible to protect yourself and your family and also to give your colleagues the opportunity to return to work before you?
- Have you been tested negative for COVID 19?
- Do you not intend to return to the company at all?


We have been fortunate in sourcing PPE for now and we are working on guidelines for safe operating practises. However following the lifting of lockdown restrictions, not everyone will be able to return to work straight away at the same time simply because the volume of work will not justify this. This applies to all staff, office and driver, please volunteer if you are able to remain on Furlough for as long as the scheme is running. Once we have an idea of available workforce I will be in contact to discuss when I foresee your start date being. Various factors influence when this will be, not length of employment with the company, our aim is for the first members of staff to start back on 11th May.

Please reply with your answers to the above questions ASAP or feel free to contact me to discuss further if you wish to.
In the meantime, continue to look after yourself, stay safe and take care.

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Whats your answers

I had received a few of these emails from my employer as we had to close a few of our locations because of where they're located. As we are opening up different locations, we've received emails regarding when certain groups of employees are coming back and the change of work flow.

We have to answer those questions as well. Regarding our temperature, being in contact with anyone with COVID-19, and if we are showing symptoms

Sounds like good news mate - hope it works out for the better in the end

Hopefully, I've requested to go back to work ASAP, but we'll see I guess..

Intriguing, especially considering your industry, it would be surprising if there is huge demand now!

My side we literally have no plans passed down about opening up the Museum I work for... hoping it's in time for the summer holidays (end of July) but could potentially even be after the holidays. Even if the musuem opens though I'm not sure all the staff will go back as one, especially seeing as how most of us have proved we can work very effectively from home!! Weird one...

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Originally Posted by lawrawrrr

Intriguing, especially considering your industry, it would be surprising if there is huge demand now!

My side we literally have no plans passed down about opening up the Museum I work for... hoping it's in time for the summer holidays (end of July) but could potentially even be after the holidays. Even if the musuem opens though I'm not sure all the staff will go back as one, especially seeing as how most of us have proved we can work very effectively from home!! Weird one...

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We haven't been told how many are coming back to work as of yet, but I know there are about 3-4 thousand cars to bring from one of our yards to the other, so even with a full workforce that'll take 2-3 weeks, but I imagine they'd want to only dip into work like that when it's needed rather than bash it all out in the first few weeks.

That's good news! I've been lucky in receiving full pay whilst not working however I've started working from home full time and must say I can't wait to go back to the office which is currently limited to underwriters etc at the moment and have volunteered to be one of the first back.

I'm working from home and I fully expect to see out my contract to June or August while at home given the situation in Spain.

That’s good news - a lot of people are being furloughed and some made redundant, sadly.

I am furloughed, and still can be made redundant, nothing has been set in stone yet sadly... Though got a text last night after Bojos speech saying that he will be calling us tomorrow, so I'm kinda nervous about that lol

Hopefully it's good news for you, I don't know the rules around dealerships during lock down but with people now being allowed to drive for exercise from Wednesday, there might be more demand idk?

A little update. Surprisingly the car industry is booming at the moment.. We've had to hire another 4 drivers, which obviously means we've just bought 4 new trucks too.
I was stupidly busy this week, barely got 2 hours to myself before I had to go to sleep to be up early again for the next day.. I literally did 2 weeks of work in a week, safe to say I'll be taking it slow next week as I'm shattered lmao

my brother (apprentice) is facing redundancy along with 15 other staff.

works at a joinery/workmanship place. demand just dropped through the floor.

it's going to be a grim winter.

Little update again

Since the 2nd Lockdown has happened, I'm working Monday-Wednesday next week, then I had a weeks holiday from 16th-20th anyway as I'm moving house, then because of lockdown v2.0 I've booked a further week on top of that, bringing me to 29th Nov, which is only a few days away from the end of the current lockdown, assuming we don't extend it. So fingers crossed cause can't afford to be on furlough atm as I'm buying a house I still can't afford.

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Originally Posted by Sectional

Little update again

Since the 2nd Lockdown has happened, I'm working Monday-Wednesday next week, then I had a weeks holiday from 16th-20th anyway as I'm moving house, then because of lockdown v2.0 I've booked a further week on top of that, bringing me to 29th Nov, which is only a few days away from the end of the current lockdown, assuming we don't extend it. So fingers crossed cause can't afford to be on furlough atm as I'm buying a house I still can't afford.

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Has the boom on car buying stopped again?


Personally I’m still not being furloughed so no change but the museum where I work is closed again so hopefully able to do some digital activity to support this closure. Just hope we’re able to open early in Dec as it’s usually a booming time for us. I have a bad feeling this lockdown is going to be extended though :(

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Originally Posted by lawrawrrr

Has the boom on car buying stopped again?


Personally I’m still not being furloughed so no change but the museum where I work is closed again so hopefully able to do some digital activity to support this closure. Just hope we’re able to open early in Dec as it’s usually a booming time for us. I have a bad feeling this lockdown is going to be extended though :(

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It's slowed down a little but work always dries up around this time, but I think it's still busier now than it was this time last year and that's because people want cars or want to change their cars as less people want to travel via public transport now.. most popular selling cars are smaller one such as the Hyundai i10, Seat Mii, VW Up, Toyota Aygo and Kia Picanto.. basically all the city cars, especially this first 3.. delivered 12 I10s to a single dealership last week.

It's slowed down a little now but that's because of lockdown, although dealerships are closed the public. They can still go into showroom for service and parts, and also can buy online to pick up in store.

Most of our work during lockdown will be delivering new and used cars to dealerships as normal, but obviously a lesser amount due to lockdown, but there are also cars to be taken from.dealwerships, often part exchanges to be taken places, and at the moment a lot of rental companies wanting to send a bunch of their stock back, so for us it's actually busier than normal... Normally from November till mid Jan, it's fairly quiet..

Good that you're not being furloughed though! But yeah I reckon it'll be extended too, I hope it isn't going to be, but they take of having another full on lockdown mid Jan, so perhaps they will end it at the start of Dec and go back to the tiered system, then a full lockdown in mid Jan.

What kind of noob would buy an i10 eh

I was due to start back (on reduced hours) last Wednesday but obviously the Saturday just before we got the fun announcement that everything's closing and furlough is being extended for the additional month, so still here * + * + not heard anything about the extension through to March as yet, obv the hope is that things can return over Christmas and if this Pfizer vaccine is real/useful/rolled out then who knows we might have something almost normal in the new year. More likely though they'll give us a couple of weeks over Christmas and then another lockdown while things circulate so that'll be FUN. Just hoping there's still a job to go back to when things do open

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Originally Posted by Sectional

It's slowed down a little but work always dries up around this time, but I think it's still busier now than it was this time last year and that's because people want cars or want to change their cars as less people want to travel via public transport now.. most popular selling cars are smaller one such as the Hyundai i10, Seat Mii, VW Up, Toyota Aygo and Kia Picanto.. basically all the city cars, especially this first 3.. delivered 12 I10s to a single dealership last week.

It's slowed down a little now but that's because of lockdown, although dealerships are closed the public. They can still go into showroom for service and parts, and also can buy online to pick up in store.

Most of our work during lockdown will be delivering new and used cars to dealerships as normal, but obviously a lesser amount due to lockdown, but there are also cars to be taken from.dealwerships, often part exchanges to be taken places, and at the moment a lot of rental companies wanting to send a bunch of their stock back, so for us it's actually busier than normal... Normally from November till mid Jan, it's fairly quiet..

Good that you're not being furloughed though! But yeah I reckon it'll be extended too, I hope it isn't going to be, but they take of having another full on lockdown mid Jan, so perhaps they will end it at the start of Dec and go back to the tiered system, then a full lockdown in mid Jan.

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Do you do any of the deliveries for the "online car companies" like cazoo, cinch that I've seen on TV a lot? I always wonder if anyne ACTUALLY wants to buy a car without seeing it first :S

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Originally Posted by lawrawrrr

Do you do any of the deliveries for the "online car companies" like cazoo, cinch that I've seen on TV a lot? I always wonder if anyne ACTUALLY wants to buy a car without seeing it first :S

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Yeah Cazoo is basically part of BCA and Cinch actually is BCA... (BCA being one of the biggest Car Transport companies out there in case you didn't know)

Most people who buy from them are trade sellers, they buy without seeing but all cars have a grading and they're often in better condition than the grading. So they know what sort of condition the car is going to be in before they buy it anyway, and they often get the cars fairly cheap to be able to sell on.

We get the occasional house delivery but not often as those deliveries obviously normally go to plate drivers who drive the car there themselves or 1 or 2 car transporters... As in an artic it's often impossible to get anywhere close to where they're wanting it delivered... Had to call up someone before and they had to meet me 3 miles away from their house cause that was as close as I could get due to low bridges, impossible corners and narrow roads... People forget that transporters are around 15 foot longer than normal lorries, plus our turning circle is horrendous compared to normal lorries.

So yeah not 100% sure on the statistics on who actually is buying those cars, but I'd imagine it's mostly trade sellers as opposed to regular people buying a car for themselves