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Original poster

WFH - What are your employer's plans going forward?

101 replies

Burntbiscotti · 07/08/2020 21:10

Was on yet another empty train at rush hour this evening which has inspired my question. Apologies if this has been posted before, but I thought it would be good to have a thread specifically to see what everyone's employers are doing about "going back" to the office.

I should be returning in September and personally I'm really excited, although I totally get why some people aren't. I WFH part of the week anyway (before Covid), so I see the variety as a good thing. It seems that September seems to be the general goal for many of my friends' companies too.

I wonder how many out there will end up going half and half, or straight back to the office full time. It will be interesting to know!

OP posts:
CloudsCanLookLikeSheep · 07/08/2020 21:55

I was mainly WFH before but travelling to regional offices so field based really and best of both worlds - got to see people but travel was part of working day/fully paid so not like a commute, and then some days WFH. Now its mainly all WFH and think it will stay that way. We do a lot of meetings on teams

Babyroobs · 07/08/2020 21:58

We have just been told this week that we will not be returning to the office this side of Christmas. We normally work part of the time in hospitals but cannot do this either so just trying to run an advice service by phone.

LockdownLump · 07/08/2020 22:01

I'm a secretary so was office based every day.

Luckily it was only a 5/10 minute drive to get there.

Had a teams meeting with the boss today who said no idea when we will be going back. I live in the NW, so lots of local lockdowns, so that has set some of our offices reopening back for a while.

My DD is also starting high school and we have been told for the foreseeable future, year 7 will be finishing at 2pm.

I have fed this back to my employers who are happy to work around this.

I think it will be a flexible working situation as working from home has proven so successful within our company and saved so much money with no travel expenses, hotel stays, conferences etc., I don't see how we can ever go back to 'normal'

It's changed the whole world forever.

It's absolutely FUCKING crazy.

Never in my life did I expect something like this to happen.

It certainly will go down in history and will be studied in years to come.

FattyBoom · 07/08/2020 22:04

@VerbenaGirl

We will never return to pre-Covid - which was pretty much office based with occasional WfH for some, only a tiny number will return this calendar year and going forward things will be much more home based.
Same for us. Basically WFH this year, will be expected to do about 2 days in office from Jan
Serenity45 · 07/08/2020 22:08

National charity, used to have the option to WFH 1 day a week anyway so well set up for it. Unlikely to return to office this year as it's quite small so social distancing v tricky.

Charity income has plummeted though we're in good shape compared to most. We've had a survey to fill out about wfh going forward and I'd be happy to do it most of the time. My office won't close but some of our others definitely will.

Original poster
Burntbiscotti · 07/08/2020 22:09

Really interesting - thanks everyone! I feel sorry for the companies who have spent loads of money on office renovations only to find them completely unsuitable post-covid.

Just to add a humorous note - Anyone else happy to WFH so that they can go to their own toilet without worrying someone will walk in right after you? Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
Burntbiscotti · 07/08/2020 22:11

*It's changed the whole world forever.

It's absolutely FUCKING crazy.

Never in my life did I expect something like this to happen.

It certainly will go down in history and will be studied in years to come.*

You've summed it up perfectly. Totally wild!

OP posts:
Passthecake30 · 07/08/2020 22:15

I work In a large team for local government, I can’t see us going back to the way we were, ever. They’ll be able to downsize offices and make huge savings. In the future we’ll have to justify why we need a desk in an office in a specific date, and wfh will be the norm. Before Covid, there was a huge sense presenteeism, we had to go in even if we had no meetings, and got quizzed if we wanted to wfh more than one day per week.

Ginfordinner · 07/08/2020 22:17

Most of us have had our contracts changed to mostly WFH, and turn up to the office occasionally. As the office will be in a different location due to the lease ending on the current premises, we will get paid mileage for the odd day we go to the office. Work are in no hurry to get us back to the office as WFH for my department is working very well.

trilbydoll · 07/08/2020 22:18

We've got a new layout so we are sitting diagonally from each other on a pod of 4 desks. In theory we can all go in at the same time but whether we will or not I'm not sure. We've all got children under 8 so no-one is doing anything different until Sept at the earliest anyway.

notdaddycool · 07/08/2020 22:18

Started a new job in lockdown - appointed in Jan and had notice to do. In new place our lease in a serviced office was up and we needed more space for me so went in for a day and boxed up files and put it in storage. Miss office life, did 1
Day WFH, but would like 2 or 3 and some office time. Breakfast club starts in W 3 of term, will make things easier but can’t see us getting an office this year.

Rainbow12e · 07/08/2020 22:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ZoeTurtle · 07/08/2020 22:21

They aren't concerned at all about getting office workers back. No official direction yet but my head of department thinks it'll be WFH unless you want to come in or have a reason to be in.

For me, it's the only nice thing to come out of the pandemic. The company had a totally dinosaur attitude to working from home before all this, and now they've seen that it works fine and saves thm £££.

Taswama · 07/08/2020 22:23

My company have said you can go into the office if you want to from the beginning of this month. My boss said she’s not fussed, completely up to individuals. I went in today and shared a large office with two other colleagues from different teams. One has been told that everyone is expected in 2 days per week from September. The other had received a similar message to me - up to you. So even within one organisation there are different approaches.

TheMobileSiteMadeMeSignup · 07/08/2020 22:25

Having previously been adamant that we couldn't do our jobs at home, within a week of lockdown we were all set up and running better than normal.

We won't be back permanently in the office at all, too many of us are extremely keen to have wfh as the main part of our home/office split when we do go back (probably not before Christmas), and it works really well for us as we're now going to adopt a dog and DD doesn't need wraparound school clubs.

initfortheginwin · 07/08/2020 22:29

My office is doing everything to get everyone back in the office working by September, besides the lucky few who could do as they pleased before covid and can after as well. I've been back in this week everyday in the office and I could of done everything from home. Just seems ridiculous

Oysterbabe · 07/08/2020 22:33

From January we'll start to split our time between office and WFH, likely no more than 1 or 2 days a week in the office. This is a permanent change. We'll WFH until then. We are moving to a new smaller office as we don't all need a desk any more.

CaffiSaliMali · 07/08/2020 22:34

I haven't been in the office since 11 March - have been WFH since then. Pretty much all of my colleagues have been working from home since 17 March. A small number whose roles can't be done from home have been in the various offices. Anyone in the vulnerable group - over 70, pregnant women, and adults entitled to a flu jab - and anyone shielding whose role can't be done from home has been on paid special leave.

I think my employer will bring people back slowly, with the clinically vulnerable coming back later, and finally those who had to shield last of all. Also those with their own transport in those offices with parking. Everyone in my London office uses public transport, and generally people have at least an hour's commute each way. So hard to socially distance en route!

I don't expect to be back in the office until 2021, unless there's a dramatic improvement in Covid-19 cases.

ZoeTurtle · 07/08/2020 22:38

It will be really interesting to see the wider ramifications if a significant number of companies embrace home working, which seems likely. Will house prices equalise more across the country? Will wages? Will retail and restaurant trade move from city centres and be more localised?

Some industries are going to suffer - I can see from my job that office-building is already going down the pan. But there will be opportunities as well, like home deliveries of coffee/lunch and software designed for remote working.

It's going to be interesting for sure.

DrManhattan · 07/08/2020 22:46

The best bit for me is not having to hand over £100 a month to Northern Fail, with their shitty, unreliable trains.

LioneIRichTea · 07/08/2020 22:48

Not returning yet until January. People WFH a lot before COVID but think more people will as a norm. I think the majority will go in as is needed so on average a couple days a week.

Lockdownlooks · 07/08/2020 22:52

I’ll be home working for a while yet as things have gone well. I miss meeting people that are not close family members, but know in reality it wouldn’t be the same.

I been away from my normal home so not sure whether the WiFi in my place will cover more people in the flats all WFH. I rent and haven’t looked at my tenancy agreement about wfh or insurance.

RubyWow · 07/08/2020 22:54

Tentatively moving to going back to half the week in the office from October. I’m looking forward to it - wfh has been difficult for me, I used to love the odd day here and there but never wanted to do it full time.

TokyoSushi · 07/08/2020 22:54

We've closed our office so will be WFH forever, I'm delighted!

FunnysInLaJardin · 07/08/2020 23:08

We are all now back at work. Small law office of around 20 staff, all with own offices as we have a large building.

I like it, none of us has a long commute, 25 mins at most, and its lovely being back and seeing my bosses and colleagues.

I found WFH very isolating- from a work perspective- even though I have 2 DC and a DH