To ask you to use this thread to collaborate to create a UK Gov Petition re: homeworking

[DCIHoops]

I’m talking about those roles in industries where working from home was previously an option that has now turned into full time due to Cocid-19.

I work for a large financial institution and we’ve been informed that their policy on homeworking has been unaffected by Covid-19 - I.e once the uk government lifts current employer restrictions, we’ll be back in the office with working from home only granted for those with a flexible working agreement or on a ad-hoc basis.

In my opinion, this is very unfair, because we’ve proved over the past 11 weeks that we can be just as effective at home and that our technology infrastructure can support 100% homeworking.

So the only thing I can think of to force this homeworking change permanently is to petition the uk government.

Can you help me? (As you can tell I don’t have a gift with words)

Here’s my very basic draft

“As UK employees who have worked full-time from home over the past 11 weeks due to Covid-19, we want homeworking to be a permanent UK employer policy change for those that would like it as a working option.

Madness!

For many reasons.

Not the idea of working from home but the idea that a government would pass a law forcing employers to change their work practices in that way.

That's something for you employer not the government.

The Government cant help you here.

How about;

“The effectiveness and efficiency of homeworking has been established during the COVID crisis. We would like to see a change in UK employment law obliging employers to allow homeworking as an option wherever practicable.” ?

You could start with your employer? You have the right to ask for this currently, and they will have to prove that its unsupportable for the business. I imagine, if you genuinely have done everything that would normally be done, and there's been no reduction in standards or delivery, then they'll have a tough time.

If you do want to lobby for an Employment Law change, then what you want is an extension to the existing rules - which is probably an easier 'get' than a whole new rule - to impose a requirement on companies to actively offer home-working solutions wherever possible, rather than waiting for staff to ask and then considering it.

I agree its the future - from an environmental perspective if nothing else. Don't expect long-term tolerance for kids at home as well, though, and do expect a degree of drop off in salary averages if it does happen, as employers won't have to price to entice people in with the commuting costs as a factor.

There are already lots of similar things, have a look at mother Pukka on insta. You've missed the boat somewhat.

You are wasting your time. The company already has the power to decide this, so whether they decide it or not is a business decision. The government are not going to tell businesses what they must decide.

To persuade a business, you must first prove your premise. The fact that you personally may have easily worked from home and that toy personally may have been as productive does not mean that that is the perspective of the company, nor the experience of every single employee. Nor does it mean that everyone has been complying with health and safety policies for which the employer is legally responsible. What is a one off circumstance for an emergency doesn't mean that it is desirable or practicable all the time. You need to address such concerns on a wider basis, and you can't do that if you don't understand the companies position.

I agree with what you'd like to see but I think you'll find the petition will be rejected because it's not within the government's remit to enforce this.

Thanks everyone. To be clear, we’ve been trying to change the employers policy for 2 years to no avail, and they’ve already said that Covid is not going to make any difference to their existing policy.

I guess I was in a mad moment clutching at straws .

Have they given you a reason for sticking to the policy? What benefits do they see to you being in the office?

Obviously they are under no obligation to justify their stance but a decent employer might want to do so for engagement purposes.

Could you petition for a day a week or two days ? I would be careful to ask for full time home working as you will find that many companies will offshore work to cheaper countries when workforce is not as expensive .

Pelleas - no, they can’t or won’t expand on their reasons - just repeat the ‘top line’ (it’s very hierarchical) but I imagine the reason is financial - as other pp’s have posted.

I was hopeful that Covid might encourage a policy change but no dice.

It wasn’t just self-interest, lots of employees would benefit if this was an option.

I’ll let it go and will make my own decision on whether I want to keep working for a company who won’t even explain why a policy won’t change.

I don't think it's the same situation though. While everyone is working from home it works because everyone is dialling into calls etc. If some people are in the office and some people dialling in it doesn't really work. So it needs to be all or nothing really. It won't work as well with some at home and some at the office.

That would be quite ridiculous. It’s not a matter for the government.