To think I’ll never be going back to the office again?

[BirdieFriendReturns]

I’m in the civil service and we’ve been told we aren’t going back this year? You CAN go into the office if you can’t work from home but we are meant to be WFH.

I keep reading on here that people are being told they are never going to back to the office.

Is this the end of offices then?

[feebeecat]

Also civil service and it’s interesting to see all the various messages that are being sent out. We were told there was no way we could wfh, until half the office went home shielding. They are now wfh - who knew 🤷‍♀️
Rest of us are still office based, have been told we will remain so, that wfh is not viable, long term (despite not having the space to accommodate all of us within the building). It’s fine to use public transport and child care is not a valid reason for staying off. I think I might win the prize for shitiest dept. Yeay, go me. 🙄

[amijustparanoidorjuststoned]

@feebeecat God, that sounds so shit. I can't say I'm surprised having heard lots of feedback from friends that work for the civil service.

I'm personally desperate for DH's office to open ASAP. I run an at-home beauty salon from the spare room... which has been converted into DH's office during lockdown. Come 4th July, I will need that room back.

Also I have a question - what will happen to "call centres"? Do you think it would cost companies more money to provide WFH equipment for these employees if they wanted to? Or do you think they will just carry on as normal?

[TokyoSushi]

We're never going back, we've given notice on our office and will WFH forever! (Tiny scientific type company)

[BirdieFriendReturns]

I could work from Australia, say if I worked 4pm - midnight their time as i would go to WA. I’m imagining not telling my boss I’m in Australia and just quietly WFH! 😂

I wonder why companies are saying we aren’t going back until next year? Is social distancing going to last that long? The Daily Mail seems to be hinting that it’ll be back to normal by the end of July which I don’t think is true.

[EinsteinaGogo]

I work for a large financial services company in central London.

My office building is 38 floors high - we are on the 34th.

We've been told we won't be 'allowed' until at least mid September, and then we must only come into the office for client meetings that can not be virtual (and our clients are all WFH anyway).

The majority of my colleagues in this office (500+) commute in on trains and tube. In addition to this, the building lifts are likely to be one of the biggest issues for social distancing.


Operationally, almost all of our staff are now up and running very efficiently at home, systems-wise. Our senior leadership team won't want any further business interruption by going back into the office 100% as before, if it's not necessary.

I can see our operating model changing long term, as there is no driver for us to co-locate in expensive office space 5 days a week now we've proven it's not essential to maintain our services.

[Jeffjefftyjeff]

Wow I didn’t realise the majority love wfh. I hate it so much. Back to back zooms, No proper contact with some of my hilarious clever colleagues, awkward dealing with underperforming staff, cramped desk space (small house so no chance of changing this). Not helped by fact that management done a lot of talk about ‘looking after your mental health at this difficult time’ but in reality piled tons of covid related work on many of us. Maybe employers can market themselves on their wfh approach/ support if this becomes more common. Certainly an allowance for some screen wipes and post its (I miss post its!) would be welcome!

[feebeecat]

@amijustparanoidorjuststoned thanks, it does have its advantages I guess, loads of parking available at the moment and get to escape wfh dh and all the lovely domestic duties I seemed to inherit if at home 🤷‍♀️

@EinsteinaGogo - how would you actually get to your office - only one person per lift in our building. Thankfully only on the fourth floor

[Maranello4]

@Dk20 Yes that’s right. You’re in group A, B or C. Week 1 group A goes in, other two wfh. Week 2 group B goes in, other two groups wfh etc. - so it’s a gradual return and with social distancing when you’re in the office.

[Dk20]

Thanks @maranello
When our office was practicing social distancing before lockdown, only 1 in every 3 seats could be used, so we are probably facing something similar.
For now he have been told only those who want to go back will be - so those who are struggling at home with IT or their MH.

[ememem84]

Our office has implemented a one way system through communal areas. I’m second floor of a 4 storey building. One person in the lift at any time. And only one person to a pod of desks for the moment.

[EinsteinaGogo]

@feebeecat - the building managers are working on a plan but it will be tough, I reckon.

The building doesn't allow public access / non-emergency access to stairs either -- not that I'd be much use for work if i had to walk up!!

There's also security and bag scans to work out (same with lots of large city buildings) so there's a lot to consider.

[IsolatedIzzy]

MoD Civil servant here too. Some ways of working published at my workplace yesterday, honestly looking at the cleaning /wiping down instructions if you actually go to work you'll be spending all day cleaning!
Half the desks have been blocked out on the plans to comply with social distancing and they have introduced a desk booking system for anyone who needs to actually go in to access a different system.

[Biomedical]

We’ve been told to expect January, if it spikes again over winter I’d expect later

[IsolatedIzzy]

So the majority will be WFH for the foreseeable future!

[feebeecat]

The logistics of actually physically getting people into a building are going to be a nightmare. I’m lucky at the moment that the numbers of people off means parking is not an issue, but if I were back on the train, I couldn’t maintain a 2mm gap, let alone 2m.

We do spend quite a lot of time cleaning desks, equipment, chairs at the start of the day, but the number of cleaners has been increased and are constantly going through the building cleaning communal areas, all door handles, light switches etc. The place should be spotless, but still we have mice 🤷‍♀️
Guess if they attempt to keep most public servants at home it would free up capacity for other businesses

[Wixi]

Office work is not banned. I've been working 2 days in the office, 3 days from home since the start of the lockdown. There are something's I can only do from the office (I support key workers), but there are also somethings that I can do from home. People are going back to work in the office.

[AgentCooper]

I wonder how things may change if/when we adopt the WHO’s recommendation of 1m social distancing instead of the 2m we’ve got now. Interesting article here on that subject www.itv.com/news/2020-05-28/coronavirus-price-social-distancing-robert-peston/

[PontiacBandit]

@TARSCOUT

I work in the commercial rental sector - our tenants are desperate to know when they can get back in and can we provide additional space at a slightly lower rent, well of course we can. Sorry folks :)

I'm in commercial rental too, we have large tenants who want more space for social distancing and very small tenants who are desperate to have an office, I guess just to get out of the house.

[WhatWouldDominicDo]

DH and I are seriously bringing our relocation plans forward.

He's retired, I work full time. We've been thinking about moving back to Wales when I retire in 3-5 years time, but if I can wfh here I can wfh there. We'd be able to pay off our current mortgage (not much left to post) and get a nicer house in a nice position, according to Rightmove. The savings would more than cover b&b on the odd occasion I'd need to be in the office.

[BirdieFriendReturns]

Friend who works at HQ of huge building society has also been told “after Christmas.”

[PhoneLock]

At least in the short term, I'm actually expecting to be spending more time in the "office" rather than less. Unless guidelines change, the classes I teach will need to be "socially distanced", meaning I will need to run more of them. There are rumours of the teaching day being extended from 9-7 to 9-10 in order to fit everything in.

[WhatWouldDominicDo]

Birdie I work at the HQ of a huge building society - I wonder whether it's the same one :)

[BirdieFriendReturns]

WhatWouldDominicDo - it begins with an N

Have you been told the same regarding WFH?

[WhatWouldDominicDo]

Same one!

And yes.

[dustyfloordrobe]

I work in a university, won't be going back at all until September and then very infrequently until January. We will be trying to do some f2f teaching but it will be minimal due to social distancing issues. 90% of teaching will be delivered online and all meetings etc must be online until the end of the year.

I do miss the buzz of f2f teaching and my students a bit but actually have been quite enjoying online teaching, it's worked surprisingly well and engagement has been much better

In terms of 'working in an office' though, I don't miss it at all. I'm overjoyed not to have to do a bus-train-tube commute anymore and definitely don't miss some of my more, cough, challenging colleagues. Am very productive at home but have a much better work/life balance and I'm much, much happier, relaxed and less stressed overall. Delighted not to have to come up with an excuse to avoid the Xmas meal this year!

However I completely agree with posters who say that WFH in the long term should be a flexible thing that you do if it suits you, not mandated. WFH doesn't suit everyone, for a variety of reasons, and no one should be trying to work effectively from their sofa or bedroom as a long-term solution.