Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you can work from home?

183 replies

5zeds · 03/03/2020 15:16

Given the spread of COVID 19, are you able to work from home and will you? Are your employers encouraging you to work from home or playing it down?

OP posts:
PhoneLock · 03/03/2020 16:28

I couldn't because I have to teach Chinese students face to face.

Northernsoullover · 03/03/2020 16:30

I'm a cleaner. It is not possible Confused. This thread is a bit blinkered..

mrscatmad31 · 03/03/2020 16:30

I'm on mat leave so it doesn't matter, I probably could work from home as I have an office job but I don't think my work have the infrastructure in place to have my department work from home (I work in customer service)

leiaskye · 03/03/2020 16:31

Yes, I can WFH & have done for half of the week for a few years now.

I’ve just found out that some divisions of my work have been told to divide their people into two teams & each work at home for 3 weeks, office for 3 weeks. On a rota.

They’ve not told my area this. We mustn’t be as important 😉

ChrissieKeller61 · 03/03/2020 16:31

Yes, our industry needs to do it more so if this is the catalyst for change then brilliant aside of people being unwell and dying obviously

WorraLiberty · 03/03/2020 16:32

Oh ok.

I just thought 'not going to', implied we had a choice Blush

WeeNippy · 03/03/2020 16:34

Nope, not possible, work in veterinary surgery. On the plus side we've just been told we'll be paid if advised to self isolate by nhs 111. Downside is all operations and procedures would have to be cancelled or sent elsewhere as we're already very scarce on staff.

gamerwidow · 03/03/2020 16:34

I voted YABU because I can work from home but I won't be unless government guidelines say I need to self isolate.
I work in the NHS but on the data side and I have remote access to all the servers and apps I need. I manage staff who can't work remotely though so I try to be on site as much as possible to be fair and spot any problems that might be emerging.

Original poster
5zeds · 03/03/2020 16:35

I’ve just found out that some divisions of my work have been told to divide their people into two teams & each work at home for 3 weeks, office for 3 weeks. On a rota.
That’s an interesting idea

OP posts:
MaggieFS · 03/03/2020 16:36

I can, but I get cabin fever after a couple of days. Also DS has to be at nursery, so I couldn't isolate and keep working.

babybythesea · 03/03/2020 16:38

No. I’m a TA. Even if I was allowed to bring the children home with me, I wouldn’t want to. The kids are brilliant, don’t get me wrong, but the two I brought into the world make more than enough mess for me to be going on with.

GrolliffetheDragon · 03/03/2020 16:38

I could do a fair bit of my job at home, though if DS was off as well it would be difficult to get much done.

I have been thinking about this a bit, and planning what I could do.I suppose part of what I'd be doing would be disseminating official advice given that the organisation I work for is health related...

Original poster
5zeds · 03/03/2020 16:40

We can in theory both work from home, but I prefer dh to go in three days a week because we tend to get more done that way. I assumed we were quite unusual but it seems there are lots of people who could. Interesting.

OP posts:
PineappleDanish · 03/03/2020 16:46

I'm my own employer and always work from home. Nothing changes for me.

DH can work from home if needed. He has been told in no uncertain terms that if his employer tells him to work from home, he better not get under my feet.

MinnieMountain · 03/03/2020 16:46

I couldn't do everything I needed to do in a file from home, so no.

DH could (and has when he was recovering from surgery).

Findumdum1 · 03/03/2020 16:48

I can as am based from home anyway, would just cut out the face to face customer and team meetings, which could be done over zoom or teams anyway.

w00dlander · 03/03/2020 16:49

I'm an adult social worker and due to cost savings and lack of office space I wfh most of the time except meeting days and whatnot.

However I still have to go out and see clients so I can't do that but from home but also I'm worried I could infect a vulnerable person and vice versa due to all the home visits I do.

I plan to avoid visiting people in care homes for the time being as they often get outbreaks of stuff. This is something that's easier to avoid as once they're in the home, unless there's an issue, they're safe there and a visit can wait.

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 03/03/2020 16:53

I work from home 100% of the time .... what scares me is if the schools close ! I'm not allowed to look after my child during working hours as this will break my contract ....however I feel my employer will need to relax these rules if they close the school .

MaccaPacca81 · 03/03/2020 16:59

I can WFH but hate it. Much prefer being in the office.

speakout · 03/03/2020 17:01

I only ever work from home.

Livebythecoast · 03/03/2020 17:01

I can't. I work in a doctor's surgery so we're answering people's worries about Corona although most are being directed to 111 for assessment if they have symptoms/been abroad etc.

TheMemoryLingers · 03/03/2020 17:02

I could WFH but my company's guidance at the moment is carry on as normal unless you've been to one of the affected countries recently.

AGoodPodcastAndANiceCupOfTea · 03/03/2020 17:04

Imma teacher and we are going to go to online teaching of er have to close. It's not ideal but the technology is there now so that we can do this and we have all practised using it so that we can if we have to.

StealthPolarBear · 03/03/2020 17:08

I can and do frequently but I suspect such jobs are in the minority.

ColourMyDreams · 03/03/2020 17:08

No.