To refuse to go into the office

[Jalfreziqueen]

I really don’t know what to do and I am so desperately worried for my health. So my office, we are a small team of 5, have been taking it in turns to work from the office and work from home. This has worked so well since March and we have done an amazing job. We are all so worried for our health and we are all taking every precaution available. I trust the team with their actions whilst out of work as well as we have all known each other for years. I have some health conditions, won’t mention here as I don’t want to out myself. But basically it would be better all round if I were to limit who I see on a daily basis. Again the team are fine with his as they too want to protect themselves. My boss has now recruited someone new and it falls on my shoulders to be in the office each day with them training them. The other team members cannot really do this as they don’t know the role. I am fuming and worried. What can I do? My own job can be done exceptionally well from home btw and I am happy to travel for meetings etc. But every day in close contact with someone I don’t know??? WWYD

YABU I should go into the office and don’t make a fuss
YANBU I should take it further and say I won’t do it

Isn't it possible to train them remotely? Sharing screens where necessary, using Teams or similar?

If your job is essential and you can’t work from home you’re allowed to go to work.

Is it essential?

I think the remote option must be fully explored.

YANBU to refuse under these circs. Can you spend all day on What's App video call with them, talking them through things? Do you need to physically show them where things are?

@Nyx the new personal will be admin and will need access to the whole office as it is paper based. @AnxiousSM it is not essential that I work from the office at all. It is not a question of me being allowed to work in the office it is a question of me not wanting to and having to expose myself. I just this it very unfair that I am the one who has to do it and yet I am the only one with medical conditions making me vulnerable. I really want to know how others would approach it

You can't demand that you only work with people you've known for years.

Who do you think should train the new person, OP?

Your manager should do a full risk assessment and you follow the recommendations from that. Unfortunately there are many people on the front line with health conditions etc and they just have to follow the advice of occupational health and take precautions. If both in same office that would mean staying 2 meters apart and both wearing face mask all the time, plus cleaning kitchen and toilet areas each time you both use it

@ragged there really isn’t anyone else. I guess I just feel so worried about putting my own life on the line for someone I have not recruited or who will be working in my team. They are asking me to do it as I live the nearest

Unless you are on the shielding list you need to go into work and do the job you are being paid to do.

It’s incredibly unfair to your employer to try and wriggle out of it.

Do your conditions fall within the high risk or vulnerable categories? If so, ask for a risk assessment.

Assume you aren’t vulnerable enough to have been advised to shield? If not, you can be asked to go in to work.

You say you're the only one who knows the role, and also say they're asking you because you live nearest. My answer is dependent on which of those is true.

If you need to train a new employee then you cannot do it from home, so you are absolutely allowed to go to work.

I don't see how you are putting your life on the line "for" this person at all. There is no reason you can't maintain basic hygiene and social distancing around this person. Millions of people up and down the country go into work every day, in the retail stores that didn't close, childcare, construction, manufacturing, other offices...

You have already been going into the office so I don't see why it is suddenly a massive issue for you just because there is a new member of staff.

Should you be shielding? If not I think YABU. Absolutely loads of people are worried for their health right now and many of them won't have had the luxury of working from home at all through any of this. I think being asked to go in for training purposes is reasonable.

Going into an office with one other person isn’t exactly putting your life on the line, is it?

Put a mask and visor on and open the windows. Try to keep your distance where possible.

If your boss has asked you to do it-
I would do it.

@hammeringinmyhead both are true. Of the team that work in my office I know the role. Of the wider team in other offices I obviously live the nearest.

Thank you everyone for your honest replies, you have confirmed what I thought - that I am paid to do a job and that must go in. I will risk assess and take it from there. I just wasn’t sure on what the rulings were around WFH.

let’s all hope this Covid worry is not around for too much longer 🙏

Unless you are on the shielding list I think you will need to do the training. How many days/hours training are required? Are you able to keep a distance from the new person whilst training? Maybe wear a mask if you feel more comfortable with that in terms of reducing your risk.

I dont think you can refuse but you certainly need a conversation with your manager. Let them know you are concerned. Also discuss measures such as distancing and mask wearing and thr possibility of you supporting them remotely after an initial induction.

@Bigfatpicnic thank you, that is exactly what I will do. I’m afraid am just a big wuss and my anxiety is through the roof. I will man up to it and do what I am asked

You can catch viruses off people you do know, as well as those you don’t.

If you have underlying health issues, I would ask for a risk assessment.

I would speak to Occ Therapy and ask for a risk assessment.

By sharing screens on Skype/Zoom/Teams etc a huge amount of training should be possible remotely.

@AnxiousSM

If your job is essential and you can’t work from home you’re allowed to go to work.

Is it essential?

It’s not just if your job is essential you can go to work - if you can do you job from home you can go to work. What is essential is we keep the economy going as best we can in lockdown. I find it gobsmacking people don’t understand this.

OP, you can both wear masks, ventilate the room, maintain 2 metres distance, allocate your own desks and loos and wipe down the kitchen. Unless you see ECV this is pretty low risk.

Remember there is nothing in the rules about your work being essential.

Your firm could make gold toilet seats and still ask you to go in.

Instead it is whether it is essential for you to go in to do your job.

I manage a factory site so have to go in.

My welders and forklift drivers cannot work remotely.

Open the windows.
Wash your hands
Wear masks.
Use teams or team viewer even between two screens in the same office.
Do not share pens etc

You will be fine.
This pandemic has made everyone feel a little anxoius you are not alone.

.... if you Can’t do your job from home you can go to work...

Sorry - I'm a bit unclear. If there are others in your role based on other sites, who do not have health conditions like yours, who could do the training or at least share it - is that not worth bringing up? Otherwise you are in every day alongside the other 4 rotating staff.

Obviously if the other sites are 50 miles away this doesn't apply.