scrubbedexpat141

Any news?
We're working on the basis of a morning in, meeting, then lunching together. I'm excited by the latter but also think it's hard to justify when we're saying we don't want to go in an office.
Anyway, we'll see. HR lead yesterday said to me that the new ideal will be genuine hot-desking, working from anywhere you like sort of mentality. Office for meetings and socials. Imagine working from the UK for a few weeks in the summer, would be glorious.

Millhouse

total panic and refusal to go to the office. Travel to any other emirate also requires approval from someone out of the country.

scrubbedexpat141

Classic.

We're moving next weekend and the new place will be even easier to work from home so I'm holding out as well.

The missus has been told to go in but joined a call and there were 5 people round a table on the same call with no mask or gloves in a small room. She just laughed at the request to be in and joining those sorts of things.

Standanista

Qatar Airways are ramping flights back up. The lockdown's being eased in-country. Positive noises out of MoPH yesterday. Just got my contract extended despite being stuck on the outside.

Barring a new surge in virus cases - unlikely, given it's now been and gone through the work camps - I reckon it's being set up for an end-of-month border opening. 7 hours sat on QF in full PPE served hermetically-sealed Skytrax 5-star cuisine by a Slovenian hottie in a hazmat suite, and compulsory 14 day quarantine on arrival.

Maxima

The cabin crew donning PPE is actually overkill

Firslty, unless they wear it just before getting into the plane and take it off just before getting out, it defeats the purpose to some extent

Secondly if all passengers and crew are wearing masks, what are the odds a crew member will get infected from their clothes ?

And lastly, since passengers are not wearing PPE, the message I get is "this is a very dangerous environment, which is why we are wearing PPE", hardly something to calm one's nerves

Standanista

QF cabin crew were in masks and gloves when I last flew them mid-March. They're upping that as services start up again. This is from a press release on their website now:

"The airline has further enhanced its onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew. The airline is implementing several changes, including the introduction of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suits for cabin crew while onboard, as well as a modified service that reduces interactions between the passengers and the crew inflight. Cabin crew have already been wearing PPE during flights for a number of weeks, including gloves and face masks. Passengers will also be required to wear face coverings inflight, with the carrier recommending travellers bring their own for fit and comfort purposes."

martinbkk

The following posted on Peninsula Qatar website

https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/articl...in-four-phases

Suggests another couple of months.

Standanista

Confirmed at the press conference last night that it will be 1st August for priority pax (Phase 3), including returning residents, as you say. Presumably some business visas will be in that group as well. Got our guy on the case now on that, will let you know if he has any success. 1st September for the rest of international arrivals (Phase 4), as per your link.

Discover Qatar (owned by Qatar Airways) are the sole agent for booking of quarantine hotels and have a list. Prices from US$40 a night including transport from airport and all meals. Have to present hotel booking voucher for 14 nights at flight check-in as a condition to board.

Interesting that the presentation slides said that there will be a minimum 14 days between phases, so there's a bit of wriggle room to hurry things up if the numbers allow it. That said, a mate of mine with connections to QF has booked for August 1st, so those dates are probably pretty solid.

martinbkk

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...for-government

I guess this was inevitable, and somewhat known but ouch!
Cost reductions of 30% are going to mean a mix of wage cuts and layoffs for sure
Maybe it will see rents falling further.

Standanista

There were job cuts for some expats, and a 25% package cut for the rest, announced mid-May at the place I deal with. That fits in with the 30% cost reduction in the article. It will be interesting to see if it's a case of the press finally getting hold of that news, or whether there is another purge and haircut in the offing.

Johnnyboy11

I honestly believe you could take 30% of the staff out of Government agencies in Qatar and it would actually improve the service. Even more so if selective in the nationalities that were repatriated first...

Pongo

Looks like there was a mass approval yesterday for stranded residents to return to UAE.

csdf

I wonder how many of the stranded residents are in that position because of previous poor judgement in leaving the country in the middle of a global pandemic? Because I don't have great hopes that this portion of the population is going to apply great judgement in keeping to quarantine once they get back in.

scrubbedexpat141

Generally you're 100% correct. Friends of ours are stuck though as both had unwell parents. One made it in time to enjoy the last few weeks of her Dad and the other has been pretty much full time carer for his Mum. Both are stuck and can't get back. I know I'd have done the same in that situation but I also know work colleagues who went on holiday and got stuck. A jolly to Sri Lanka in mid-March when the company asked you not to travel was not just stupid, it was irresponsible. Unpaid leave is completely fair but doesn't make it easy to isolate for 14 days when you return and are desperate to earn again.

Millhouse

the ankle tag and signed declaration should manage that.