AN employee at Virgin Media has spoken out about some workers being asked to go into the Reading office during the UK lockdown.

The concerned employee said that certain teams had been asked to go into stores from Monday to Friday.

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He said: "People were told that this is because as a communications business we are all key workers and therefore they can make us go in.

"The government guidelines of key workers state: 'telecommunications - including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services' - it does not specify sales staff are included."

He added: "As well as this, all day we have heard how public transport is prioritised for key workers and essential travel only for work that cannot be done by home.

"We understand the business has an issue currently as call centres in India are closed by their lockdown.

"This is putting a strain on the teams taking calls in the UK.

"We are more than willing to work from home when they provide us with laptops and phones.

"Other communications networks have sorted this and their staff are working from home to assist customers.

"We do not believe it is acceptable to go against the PM instruction and instruct all our store teams to travel in, often on long public transport journeys just to help make the business generate more sales."

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A spokesman from Vigin Media said: "The vast majority of people who would normally work at Virgin Media's Head Office in Reading are working from home.

"There is a minimum number of people in the building ensuring technical and other support is available for the large group of their colleagues now home working.

"Safe distancing is being practised by those people still in the building."

The Head Office in Reading usually accommodates 1,400 people.

The spokesman added that there are now 21 people in the building, the majority of which are maintaining the basic infrastructures needed in support of the other people who are now working from home, while the remainder are securing the building and facilities.

He said government has been clear that, as a critical service provider, Virgin Media should continue to fix, install and maintain its network.