To finish work early due to not being allowed to work from home?

[Cookies47]

I am heavily pregnant and only have 2 weeks left in work - my employer has said I can't work from home (even though I have a job that can be done remotely) as they want everyone in the office. Very covid safe!

I am due to go on annual leave in 2 weeks for 2 weeks, then start my maternity leave.

What is the best way to go about this?

@Cookies47

UPDATE: I had asked for HR to confirm in writing that I needed to go into the office and they have just emailed back (several hours later) to say that due to my "current medical condition", they are happy for me to work from home..

Not what they said over the phone..

Funny, that!

Ahh good news @Cookies47 😀

Well done. Good luck with everything (and I don't mean that sarcastically like the first asshole who posted )

I don't think everyone quite got my sarcasm when I said "very covid safe". My office is definitely not covid safe.

Thank you, I am so relieved!

@Cookies47

I don't think everyone quite got my sarcasm when I said "very covid safe". My office is definitely not covid safe.

I got it.

But there's clearly no such thing as "Covid safe" anyway! 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣 otherwise we wouldn't be in this mess lol
Some people!!

I’m glad they’ve backed down OP, but this is actually outrageous.

Your pregnancy is a relevant risk factor of course, but the fact is that no one who can work from home should be going to work - pregnant or not. It’s just extra outrageous that they expected a heavily pregnant woman to do so.

I’ve heard so much about shitty employers lately I’m starting to think that they shoulder a significant amount of the blame for the problems we’re facing.

A lot of workplaces are doing this. Mine included. All worked from home during the last lockdown so we know it absolutely can be done. And yet this time they apparently 'need' us in...

You've said it's very covid safe so you will probably just have to do what they say

sorry to hear that OP. It is very careless of your boss, to say the least. There must be hundreds, if not thousands of companies like this. Mine is one of them. We can work from home, but expected to come in to the office one day a week. It really defeats the point of having a lockdown. If there was a website where you could report the company for a potential fine, imagine how much it would stop the spread.

Between all the companies wanting staff in, and all the children in school, is this even going to be effective?

If there is still a.problem can't you say you need to self isolate? That wouldn't activate the sickness and early maternity leave policy

I think employers should have to have permission to have staff in, with the requirement to demonstrate why the job cannot be done from home.

@FusionChefGeoff

This makes me so angry for you.

The guidance is work from home unless you can't.

Not work from home unless your dickhead boss needs an ego trip of making everyone come in.

To be fair we have no idea if the op could work from home. She may be assuming it's "because the boss wants us in" but there could be legal/technical reason.

@maddening

I think employers should have to have permission to have staff in, with the requirement to demonstrate why the job cannot be done from home.

Demonstrate to who?

By the time you got your demonstration to prove it actually could be done from home it would be 2025

I'm assuming my job can be done from home, because I usually work from home and haven't had any complaints yet!

I actually have only been in the office last year when I've wanted to see other humans for my sanity, but every lockdown have worked from home.

Anyway it's resolved now!