Rarely, if ever, do those waiting out for a better deal get it unless there are strong secular trends in their wake (M&A 101). The reality: the business would go into a self-destructive spiral if they didn't take it.

I think the more appropriate question will be not "is it OK to profit?" but "what should companies do with those profits?" There has been a trend over the last three decades of the majority of profits going to either execs or shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. With the amount of collaborative effort globally to stop the negative consequences of mass unemployment, I would hope those making those profits return them through greater investment and better pay to those who have helped them achieve these profits.

The situation here reminds me of back in 2008. It's a time of panic and great uncertainty. People are looking for reassurance and hope, but they are also looking for leadership; "what should I do?" is a phrase I'm hearing a lot. The best e-mails I am getting right now are those that A) Give me pragmatic and practice advice I need away from the noise (e.g. how to look at government support), B) sharing with me what others in similar positions are doing so I can get a sense of what is happening from isolation C) making me smile ... a little good humour is going a long way right now