AIBU to not want to go back to the office?

[shhhFFS]

I have worked from home solidly through lockdown. Due to the nature of my job I have managed to do this and well. I have kept up with my workload, not fallen behind etc although it has been challenging at times for the normal reasons due to lockdown like having to cope with kids, homeschooling etc whilst working 9-5. Even so I have kept on top of things pretty well work wise (home is another matter, the house is a tip, but I have learnt to position myself well in video meetings so no one can see the mess!)

My boss has now asked me to start going back into the office in shifts with other workers, one at a time but we share this out so there is a presence in the office so that it looks open as we are on a street where we get passers by and that looking closed could be damaging business. This I understand.

However, my job, whilst client based it isn’t imperative and as I said has barely been affected by working from home as I communicate on email. Others in the office have more administration based roles that also require more client contact or getting documents from them which mine doesn’t. We have a small office space which at full capacity would make it difficult if not impossible to social distance and only one toilet. We are only a small team of 9, 4 being in administrative roles, myself and others being in researchers roles and then manager/owner.

My issue with going back at the moment is that to do so I would need to use public transport. I can’t drive and whilst we have a car my partner uses it for his work, where he works alone. We live in a rural county and I live about 15 miles away in a different town, I usually car pool with others thst work at the local council, but they are really cutting back and aren’t expected back for another month or so if ever. Everyone else who works there lives within the town and is in walking distance of the office.

If I go into the office I will be doing exactly the same as I would at home. So am I unreasonable to tell my boss no I don’t want to accept the undue risk of using public transport? For the record I am not scared or paranoid about contracting the virus my main concern is our older parents being vulnerable, and having to quarantine for 14 days if exposed due to my partner being self employed and resulting loss of income when we aren’t well enough to take that blow right now after the initial one at the start. Also we are a blended family with 50/50 care, quarantining would result in the kids being held with one family, missing parents, both parties rely on this arrangement to maintain work etc. So these are my concerns.

Should I go back? If my job depended on it of course I will. But as I can do my job and others can get to the office to be a ‘presence’ should I risk public transport? Or am I being over dramatic?

Sorry was longer than intended

Just to clarify I will be by no means refusing to go back if my boss says I must then I will and I will use public transport.

Also the only reason boss wants to reopen the office is so that we look open with one member of staff in on a rota basis to basically work reception. If my job was the receptionist then I would go back without question but it isn’t. We have 3 members of staff who usually cover this position and/or admin duties. It is not part of my job however I have in the past occasionally helped out with this when we have had a lack of staff due to illness or holidays. So I guess I don’t really want to return to the office when I don’t have to to cover work that isn’t my job just so the office looks open when there are other members of staff that can do this all of which live 10 minute walk away from the office.

It’s not a childcare issue my DD is secondary school age so is normally left at home in holidays now. So I have had to supervise learning and help her with some subjects but by no means as intensely as I would with small children. My DP has small children but their childcare and home learning is his responsibility although I help when I can. To make sure I carry out my work I get the hours in I often start earlier and finish later than my usual 9-5.

With regards to learning to drive, I am. I had my DD young and I wasn’t able to prioritise it when she was younger for time or cost. But I am getting there now, even so we can only afford 1 car which DP needs for his work so the fact I can’t drive is irrelevant. I said rural county, we live in a small town/village, I can access a doctor and all amenities by walking. I work in the largest town, we have good public transport links and it is usually quicker and cheaper to use public transport to get to town. So I’ve always managed I usually happily use public transport I haven’t since about end of Feb due to the pandemic.

I would hope I can go back by September time, when hopefully people I share a lift with (will point out they are family) are back to working in town. I do want to go back, I’m sick of working at the dining room table. Other members of staff that are at my job level are not being asked to go in and rota this role in reception. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because ive helped out with it before but also, I hate to say this, they are all male so I don’t think it’s been considered that they would. It is only the females that have been asked.

I posted recently about two young friends who work for the same organisation. They have worked successfully at home for some years. Unfortunately, their company has now decided to outsource the work I suppose because it is cheaper. The trouble is if you don't need to go into work it could be done by anyone anywhere (including overseas). In the short term working from home is great. In the long term it has repercussions that you may not have considered.

There’s no harm in asking. But the other 8 people all might have equally (to them) compelling reasons why they should be WFH full time. I don’t think it is unreasonable for an employer to ask for some office time, as long as they are keeping the office space safe (which, if they’re talking about shifts) it sounds like it will be.

I would say you're willing as part of a full rota of staff (get the men involved) but would request that the admin staff are consulted about doing it more frequently as that's their core role. Perhaps some would like to be in, find it easier. Also presumably while you're covering reception you can't do your proper job.

'My boss has now asked me to start going back into the office in shifts with other workers, one at a time but we share this out"
It sounds like you will be able to be Covid-secure in the office so, I think you should do it. If you don't, it won't go down well with others who will have to go in more often and could cause resentment.

Put yourself in the position of your colleagues. Would you like to have to go in more often because one of them doesn't want to? They may worry about their parents too.

Just make sure you wear your mask properly on public transport, sit away from others who don't, and wash your hands properly and more regularly when you have your work shift. If there aren't any, ask for cleaning products to clean surfaces (door handle, flush mechanism, seat etc) down in the toilet before and after you use it.

Other things to think about:
1). You say you don't want to go back because of using public transport. If you lost this job then realistically, would you be able to get another where you didn't have to use public transport (where you have to go in every day)?
2). Virtually no-one is irreplaceable in the workplace. Plenty of people don't have jobs and it would be easy for your employer to find someone who could do your job and go into the office to do so.

Except my job doesn't require me to be in the office. I would be going in to cover a job role that isn't mine.

YANBU. The problem with a lot of employers is that they feel that if the space is there, it should be filled.

I'm in a similar position. I have been working from home since March. Productivity is up, stress is down. It's so much easier and more effective for me to work from home. But my employer has decided from this week half of us have to be in the office at any one time. (Despite the current government guidance is work from home if you can.) I don't fancy taking the tube but I guess I will have to.

The irritating thing is that, for me at least, returning to the office will lower my productivity. It's a much noisier and disruptive environment which isn't helpful in the sort of job I do.

The emphasis has changed now and the message isn’t work from home if possible but for employers to start to return employees to the workplace.

The boss might not have said this but if you just worked 9 to 5 but also homeschooled you did not work all of the hours between 9 and 5 that you normally would. If you are in the office you will.

You should have included about the men not being expected to go in, in your OP. I’d ask why they aren’t expected to ‘show face’ but you are if you’re in the same job role. Otherwise I was ready to say YABU.

Why get people into the office if they can do their jobs as well from home?
And what's with all the posters saying everyone has to get into back into work now?
Do you not read the OP? She has been doing her job from home.She will be doing exactly the same in the office, but with greater risk of either catching or spreading Covid19.
Actually presumably if she is doing more reception type work she will be doing less of her own job?
Ok,maybe all her colleagues would also rather continue to WFH,but maybe some of them are desperate to be out of the house and would be perfectly happy to do the 10minute walk in and work in the office more of the time.Its certainly a conversation worth having.

OP, when I posted I could not see your update at 7.43 a.m. (don't know why). I thought you were going to perform your usual role but in the office to show the office is open for business.

Mmm, difficult one, as there is usually a clause in your job description requiring any other duties necessary to fulfill the purposes of the company. Is there anything like this in yours?

It does seem likely it is because you have sometimes covered the receptionist's position in the past, that you are now being asked to do this. Why did you not previously question why the males at your level weren't asked to do it too?

Would you be able to ask your boss this now? Would you consider doing the receptionist's shift if everyone was required to cover a shift so you all do it but less regularly?

I love wfh, and would prefer to continue to do so, but obviously we have to follow the rules of our employers, and if they demand we go back and safety is in place then we have to do so. Not a lot you can do as if you refuse to, as a lot of people on social media are threatening atm, then you may lose your job, and there will be hundreds queuing up to replace you from the thousands who have lost their jobs during this virus.

won’t be doing exactly the same as at home , I’m managing a large team remotely and the knowledge / best practice sharing and development has not been anywhere near as good during this period and in addition a huge part of my role has had to be dedicated to calling for chats etc to check staff wellbeing.
This
A lot of people think work just means getting through their allotted tasks in isolation
Perhaps it is for some
But for a lot of jobs it's about a lot more than that
We are seeing a bit of resistance to returning on this basis
We need people back to kick start things and if we have to lose staff these people will be at the top of the list

The man thing only really occurred to me when I was writing the post. Because I was considering why others at my job level aren't being asked to start going back and honestly the only reason I can think of is that they are asking the people that are to go in to do the admin/receptionist job role which is a lower level job role than mine, a stereotypically female role. My boss is male and I just think it would be an alien concept to them to ask the blokes to do it. Not in like an actively discriminating way, but a low level deep rooted sexism way that it would be bizarre to them for a man to do that job.

I have covered it before to be helpful, but not a lot, I'm talking 3 times in 3 years.

Our set up is, 3 female staff that fall into the category of admin/reception, they are all being asked to go back in on the rota basis thing.

Then there is 4 people at my job level, it is a higher job level due to it requiring qualifications, exams etc. There is me and 3 males, its a stereotypical male industry. All males in 40s and 50s, so I am younger than them but equally qualified, same job title and role. I am the only one being asked to go back as part of this rota.

Then there are 2 bosses/managers/owners of business and they are both male.

At this stage I have not been told to go back. It's just been put to me that I could, and my initial reaction was to say no. I will say again, if my job depended on it, or if I was told I had to then I would.

The bit about all the men in the same role not being asked to go back into the office is a massive drip feed and also the most relevant point here. Just ask why that is.

Isn’t it funny that back in March / April there were loads of posts saying people were NEVER going back to offices? And now loads of people are saying they are going back?

My workplace is still WFH if you can, the office can hold 25% of staff. I’m going in one day every other week at the moment to do stuff I can’t do at home.

The organisation has realised how much money they can save. We are never going back full time. They are ripping out fixed desks to create hot desking hubs and breakout areas. You will be able to book a desk by the hour. That’s the future.

Say you are willing to be part of a full staff rota, which presumably would require you to go in once every 7-8 days.

We’re going in, one week on, one week off. Shielding is over so that means everyone for our company...
I’m 27 weeks pregnant but I’ve been in and felt safe. I don’t have to use public transport though.

I’d kick off if it’s just certain people, should be same rules for all, have a rota like ours!

The danger is @FluffyKittensinabasket in a basket that if you really don't need to go into the office, your job can be done remotely by anyone, anywhere in the world who may well be cheaper and not require the rights that workers in the uk have. I support working from home but I can see that it will mean a lot of outsourcing in the future. It is already happening hence the desire from many to go back and reclaim their jobs.

It's not an intentional drip feed about the male/female job roles. My main AIBU is still that I am the only one who would have to use public transport and to cover a role that is not mine. It is only after that I have considered why I am being asked and not others. If my job was the reception role I would go back without question and use public transport.

I think there are too many bosses/managers who want people back just for the sake of it, because somehow their ego can't cope with the idea of not having their employees right under their nose...

Unless there is a valid reasons as to why an employee needs to be in the office, if their job can be done from home it should continue to be.

I would make your case to your employer.

Mine has been trying to push me back in the office once a week a month ago but had no justification for it. My response was that I did not mind as long as he was aware that as my partner is a healthcare worker in a big London hospital, and therefore in contact with patients everyday there was a higher risk of us being exposed to the virus in my household and bringing it into the office.

Strangely he soon changed his mind about me coming back...

mrsmuddlepies - Well, my organisation cannot outsource abroad as they only recruit British nationals with security clearance. But I see your point.

I know of companies who outsourced and it was such a disaster that they brought the jobs back in-house.

I don’t know how easy it would be outsource millions of jobs or if there is legislation. I used to work in banking and there were many offices all around the world. Before being offered jobs in financial services companies, they wanted 5 years of employment history, a DBS check and credit check. I’m not sure how that would work outsourcing abroad.

Apparently loads of companies have permanently closed their offices and everyone working from home forever. Or at least Mumsnet says that, I’m not sure if that’s true in real life but I do have family and friends working in banking / financial services and they are still WFH until January at least.

Are universities still doing learning online until September 2021?

why others at my job level aren't being asked to start going back

THAT you can query, or just ask how the planning for the ENTIRE TEAM will work as you should not be treated differently.

I am the only one who would have to use public transport
completely irrelevant and not your boss' problem. You accepted a certain role, it's up to you to make your way there. It would be different if you have been recruited to WFH exclusively and THEN they tried to change your contract terms.

A company cannot and musn't allow some people to stay home whilst others have to go to the office because it's more inconvenient for some It doesn't work like that.

(I am the only one who) would have to cover a role that is not mine.
now that you can argue about.