My sister go an email today pencilling in a return to work

[Emma2021]

On of my siblings works in central London and has been working from home since March due to Covid. She has to catch the bus, train, tube and another bus to get to her office. She has severe asthma and waiting for the jab which may be several weeks off then another 4 weeks wait for a half decent effectiveness.

Been told to possibly return end of March. She is very worried and does not want to kick up a stink but have worried about packed buses, trains and tubes.

We have the South African variants and now the Brazilian.

Why does this government always make the wrong decisions why not wait another few months.

hoping that summer normally sees a reduction in flue and Covd as we did last year, why not wait until July by which time most of the adult population will have had the jab those that want it. Billions spent already and we the workers will be paying for it but if we open up too soon, the cost to us the taxpayers will be greater as this local areas lockdowns etc will carry on for longer and more importantly many more will die unnecessarily. Has the fools in nuber 10 not learnt their lessong? :(

I read an news article earlier today that said that it was expected that pretty much everyone at Canary Wharf would be back to their offices this summer which did surprise me as the impresssion I'd had previously was that London offices would never re-open.

I didn't think it was anything to do with the government though, won't individual businesses make their own decisions, I've only ever heard the govt message that you should WFH whereever possible, has there been an announcement that WFH is to stop?

Your sibling should get back to their manager. The government work from home advice runs until 21st June, so the company have not read it properly. My employer has already stated wfh continues at least until 21 June.

The Canary Wharf manager wants people back in an office because he wants the pre-Covid occupancy, rents and income to continue. Many firms are considering and some have announced long term working from home at least part of the week.

Does she work for the government? If not, what has it got to do with them?

Sure needs to outline her concerns to her work and ask to continue to work from home until she's had the vaccine plus two or three weeks, if she hasn't already.

I heard on the news eaier this week that during random testing of surfaces, there had been NO coronavirus detected on various London public transport since October. I can't remember the exact details but worth looking up for reassurance.

Well they probably sent the same letter to all their staff and it’s not based on her individual circumstances. They will presumably do a risk assessment in certain cases.

I am praying my boss gets a similar letter this week, I’m a nanny and I’ve worked throughout commuting daily and I’m fed up to the absolute back teeth of her being at home for the past year. She makes it impossible for me to do my job properly.

She has a lovely big private office at her work. Would hardly come within spitting distance of a single soul. I think it’s madness she’s still here cramped in her study while I’m trying to home-school her children.

If she has severe asthma she would have had the jab with all the ECV people weeks ago, if she is CV she should have it very soon.

@FlyingBurrito - I read that as well. It seems like wishful thinking to me. “People want to get back to the office and have had enough of WFH”. No evidence to back up his story. He sounds like a Canary Wharf landlord desperate to get his rent to me.

@peak2021

Your sibling should get back to their manager. The government work from home advice runs until 21st June, so the company have not read it properly. My employer has already stated wfh continues at least until 21 June.

The Canary Wharf manager wants people back in an office because he wants the pre-Covid occupancy, rents and income to continue. Many firms are considering and some have announced long term working from home at least part of the week.

My friend works at Canary Wharf and he’s been told they’re not going back full time, he’ll be in the office two or three days a month (major bank).

If she’s shielding, she should be WFH till the shielding letter runs out. If not, presumably she’s ok to be in work judging by government guidance. All my asthmatic colleagues are back at work next week-no vaccines, and working with loads of kids not wearing masks!

@JosephineDeBeauharnais a lot of articles aren’t distinguishing correctly between the company Canary Wharf Group, who have been discussing return to work widely reported today, and offices based in Canary Wharf - such as CitiBank, HSBC etc. who although they have office space in CW will have their own return to office plans.

I've noticed an increase in the number of office based commuters travelling in the morning over the last few weeks.

A good 50% of my friends who work in London are planning to go back to the office in mid april so although I think wfh will become more the norm I suspect many will split their week.

My friend's husband works as a building manager and he's starting to get offices ready for workers to return too.

@SmidgenofaPigeon

Well they probably sent the same letter to all their staff and it’s not based on her individual circumstances. They will presumably do a risk assessment in certain cases.

I am praying my boss gets a similar letter this week, I’m a nanny and I’ve worked throughout commuting daily and I’m fed up to the absolute back teeth of her being at home for the past year. She makes it impossible for me to do my job properly.

She has a lovely big private office at her work. Would hardly come within spitting distance of a single soul. I think it’s madness she’s still here cramped in her study while I’m trying to home-school her children.

Why would you want her to have to go on public transport, spending more time away from her family and bringing more risk to you as well as them, when she does have an office at home? And is there a father here who is possibly also WFH and should also be stepping up.with homeschooling? Unless she's a horrible boss, or vastly underappreciative of the work involved in homeschooling (and I do realise there are some terrible nanny employers out there), then I think that it's understandable to be fed up but not to.blame.it on her.

@ImFree2doasiwant

I heard on the news eaier this week that during random testing of surfaces, there had been NO coronavirus detected on various London public transport since October. I can't remember the exact details but worth looking up for reassurance.

That's surfaces though - I'm assuming the majority of people aren't worried about what they might catch from licking the doors, but rather from all the other people also on the train breathing!

@OverTheRubicon because I was always a sole charge nanny and she airways worked full time outside the home.

She could walk to work. I have to commute, although there’s not a huge risk because the tube is very quiet.

I have no issue with being responsible for home-schooling at all, I do however find it incredibly difficult to manage three sets of children’s lessons with different age ranges while loud business conference calls are conducted right above our heads.

If she has had a letter to say she is vulnerable then tell her to book a vaccination via this link: //www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
Where I live there are even walk in vaccination centres, where all you need is evidence of your condition. If she has athsma she needs to take her prescription.

For clarification. They are not not initially returning 5 days a weeks. Days to be in the office to be determined but it still means packed buses, etc, etc

FYI. My sis does not work at Canary Wharf but central London

Thanks to the few that posted helpful posts

Having read the posts here again, several very good ones and they have also challenged those that are flippant about this dangerous scenario.