I got a message recently from the (public sector) union I belong to, talking about response and precautions due to the epidemic, and there was not one word about trying to get permission for employees who can work from home to do so. They only talked about those who are required to deal with the public.

While it certainly seems reasonable to prioritize those at the most risk, on the other hand, in my brief experience with a union, it almost seems like they tend to prioritize problems they can't solve and ignore what can actually be done.

Laptops are standard-issue in my agency, so it seems like if the person at the top ordered it, essentially everybody could work remotely for the next month or two.