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Original poster

Are architects critical workers?

28 replies

Molly357 · 05/01/2021 19:59

I’ve been arguing this with my brother who thinks they are part of construction and therefore are critical workers. I don’t think they are. Any ideas?

OP posts:
LadyPenelope68 · 05/01/2021 20:02

Not at our school they wouldn’t be!

Original poster
Molly357 · 05/01/2021 20:06

It’s not for a school place. It’s about whether they should be working from home

OP posts:
AlwaysCheddar · 05/01/2021 20:07

No!

Corcory · 05/01/2021 20:09

Our Architect may also be project manager so he is critical. The architect also needs to provide the certificates to prove what the builder has done and needs to be paid for, he also inspects the work and it's quality. So that makes them critical too.

Original poster
Molly357 · 05/01/2021 20:10

But should they be working from home?

OP posts:
Justforphoto · 05/01/2021 20:10

It’s not for a school place. It’s about whether they should be working from home

You don't need to be a critical worker to work outside the home you just have to be unable to work from home for what ever reason.

irregularegular · 05/01/2021 20:11

Construction workers are not "critical workers" www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

Whether or not they can work from home is an entirely different question. Actual physical construction workers clearly cannot work from home. I would have thought an architect mostly can. In fact many do. But may need to make some site visits in person.

Original poster
Molly357 · 05/01/2021 20:11

They have said they are critical workers and therefore can’t work from home . I appreciate the two aren’t always linked . I suppose it should say ‘Should architects work from home?’

OP posts:
TheCatsWhisker · 05/01/2021 20:13

I work in construction, sectors are education. Infrastructure, healthcare etc.

Who is going to carry out design on these buildings if not an architect/civil and structural engineers?

irregularegular · 05/01/2021 20:13

Does he think they are unable to work from home? It seems unlikely to me. At least for much of architect's role.

Justforphoto · 05/01/2021 20:13

Some critical workers can work from home, some non critical need to work outside the home. I think someone is getting confused about the rules around working from home or not.

Original poster
Molly357 · 05/01/2021 20:15

Thanks

OP posts:
PatchworkElmer · 05/01/2021 20:16

They aren’t critical workers.

DH is an architect. He’s been working from home very happily since March, on some fairly sizeable jobs. He has had to go to the office twice, and also a couple of client meetings outside as he needed to make alterations to drawings by hand as people talked, and it was impossible to do via Teams (despite attempts). So for the most part- yes, I’d say they can. I suppose if a project was very large and the architectural design team comprised lots of people there might be a need to be together? I can’t see why it couldn’t be done remotely though.

irregularegular · 05/01/2021 20:16

I work in construction, sectors are education. Infrastructure, healthcare etc.

Where is construction on the government list? I don't see infrastructure either. At least not as a general category. Only in the context of data, financial, and border infrastructures. I don't know whether it should be there, but I don't see it!

RaspberryCoulis · 05/01/2021 20:20

@Molly357

But should they be working from home?
Where is the rule what says only key or critical workers should be in the office?

The guidance was that you should stay at home UNLESS you are in an occupation which can't be done at home. If you need access to specific equipment, printers, software, whatever only available in the office, in you go.

(didn't take long for people to start making up their own roolz again, did it?)

Mrbob · 05/01/2021 20:21

Surely if they CAN work from home they should. I think that is the one part of the guidance which is clear

hashbrownsandwich · 05/01/2021 20:22

My husband is an architect. He has been working from home since last March. Reality is he can't work from home all the time because he has to do site visits. It would be impossible not to.

hashbrownsandwich · 05/01/2021 20:23

@PatchworkElmer your DH doesn't work for a company that begins with an S does he?

Holyrivolli · 05/01/2021 20:23

Depends what project they’re working on and whether they can do it from home. If they’re needed on site then no they can’t work from home.

rosie1959 · 05/01/2021 20:26

Not sure about critical but why do they have to be
My sons an architect and has been working throughout most work is from home apart from site visits

PatchworkElmer · 05/01/2021 20:28

@hashbrownsandwich nope! Sounds like a similar setup to yours though!

Kazzyhoward · 05/01/2021 20:30

@Molly357

But should they be working from home?
Do they have all their equipment at home, such as those huge printers/scanners and tablets/drawing boards, etc that they need for their work, document files/libraries, etc?
VenusTiger · 05/01/2021 20:30

@Molly357 My DH is an architect but also a director - has been working from home since March but will visit sites regularly. He told me the new lockdown doesn't effect him - but his business gives ppl the choice - with limited no. of people in the office on planned days.

Original poster
Molly357 · 05/01/2021 20:33

My question is now answered. Thanks

OP posts:
Scotinoz · 05/01/2021 21:16

No construction person is ‘critical’ - other than the actual trades and site staff, we can all work from home. Massive developments - hospitals, prisons, residential etc have all been run via Teams from home.

It’s fucking hard though, and not enjoyable, especially with kids at home again 🙄