Employer says I must return to office

[Dishmatic]

I’m currently wfh. A lot of people at my company are in the office and have always been.

Last year I wrote to HR and requested to wfh due to a health condition which makes me vulnerable to Covid.
This was approved and i’ve been wfh since.

I have my Covid vaccine this week. I told my work colleague that I’d booked it and yesterday I had an email from work asking for a catch up about retuning to the office.

I spoke to them this morning and they’ve said that now I’m being vaccinated I will be expected to return to the “Covid secure” office.

I didn’t say anything on the phone but I’m really not happy to go back in.

There’s over 70 people in my office building.
14 in the room I work in!!

AIBU to not go back in due to risks?

@EarlGreywithLemon working on that premise I assume you think children shouldn’t be back in school?

@Notthemessiah

@ Totallyfedup1979

You do realise it should be possible to do all of those things and still change the way we work and balance work\life don't you?

Well surely that depends on the office?

For instance, my relative works for the tax office and personally I think working from home in this context is wrong. Surely there are security risks, especially as I’ve been over there and she’s just upped and left the screen on?

Then there’s call centre staff who you can’t get hold of. The waiting times are outrageous and when you do get through, you can’t hear a word they are saying for the background noise.

Some offices it may not make much difference, but I think there are people out there kidding themselves that their job can be successfully down from home, with no impact on colleagues or the customer.

@TheKeatingFive long term wfh every working day may not be good for many people. BP have decided two days per week, which I suspect for most people would work, having a combination of the better productivity that wfh brings, the work-life benefits, and those benefits there can be from face to face contact.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56319623

@SteelMack like you’re doing then 😂, to achieve the required ventilation the room would have to be huge for that many people or you’d have to be able to open lots of windows, most offices are sealed units.

You do realise that in Jan and Feb the work places with the largest numbers of outbreaks were in offices. Also there’s still a stay at home order in place!

@mygenericusername

With respect, unless you are on the shielding list, Once you’ve had your vaccine you need to return to work. I’m not going to attack you over the fairness of you WFH while the rest of the office goes on. Someone will be along to do that in a minute.

you need to return to work

She is already working!

unless you are on the shielding list

What about actually following government advice.

I’m not going to attack you over the fairness of you WFH while the rest of the office goes on

You just did.

Are you in the shielding group? If so, then you should be continuing to shield at present. If you are not, but classed as “higher risk” then you have no official guidance to support your refusal to return to working from the office- but you could try to negotiate with regards to wfh until after 2nd dose on the basis of their previous allowances.

I suspect, given when you have been given your 1st vaccination, that you aren’t in the official shielding group. If so, you are in a weaker position with regards to refusing to go back to work in the office if your employer requires you to return.

Vulnerable stopped really meaning anything a few months in, there's only really any actual employment protection/significantly higher risk if you are clinically extremely vulnerable.

Even one shot gives you quite a high level of protection. You could push back but are probably not going to be given much sympathy.

[quote WhereverIlaymyhat2021]@SteelMack like you’re doing then 😂, to achieve the required ventilation the room would have to be huge for that many people or you’d have to be able to open lots of windows, most offices are sealed units.

You do realise that in Jan and Feb the work places with the largest numbers of outbreaks were in offices. Also there’s still a stay at home order in place![/quote]
Sorry, what am I doing? 🤔

@VaVaGloom

So you are 32 have a condition, but not one that requires shielding under the Gov criteria, and you haven’t been anywhere or seen anyone in a year? Crikey OP it’s a good job you are getting the vaccine so you & your DH can resume some interaction with people.

I didn’t say I haven’t seen ANYONE or been ANYWHERE....

I haven’t been to supermarkets or busy places that would put me at risk.

I’ve done lots of outdoor things, picnics coffees etc.

Nonetheless you seem excessively worried given that even for "vulnerable" people, the rates of severe illness/death for people under 40 are tiny.

[quote VaVaGloom]@EarlGreywithLemon working on that premise I assume you think children shouldn’t be back in school?[/quote]
I think there’s little choice there as children can’t always be easily educated at home. But OP can work from home. As per the government advice.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Nonetheless you seem excessively worried given that even for "vulnerable" people, the rates of severe illness/death for people under 40 are tiny.

Some people here seem excessively unworried. It’s not just about dying - being very ill, or sequelae such as long COVID are also no laughing matter. A friend recently developed a plumonary embolism following a dose of fairly mild COVID. If we can possibly avoid getting it, we all should.

I have seen this at my place of work.

Wfh was in place. Operational changes meant people brought back into the office. Some happy...some refused... most refusers came on side when they were talked to about covid safeguards

One still refused and is facing disciplinary action

One brand new team member has completed initial training and wants now to wfh or will quit even though wfh hasnt been discussed with them at all as office is primary place of work and they are so new....just took it as given they could wfh

Some employers wont be continuing with a wfh stance and want people back in for a number of reasons

wait until you get your second vaccine - I think you will feel more confident about returning - surely your employers can't be that unsympathetic to your concerns? They are telling people to work from home at the moment and that is what you are doing effectively so I see no problem to be honest.

@Dishmatic your earlier statement was misleading then Nope. We don’t go anywhere. DP wfh

Gosh, where do you live that you’re having loads of picnics. Friggen freezing up until this week where I am.

Op, people are still posting some nonsense like it’s your choice, it’s not.

You can only ask them, there’s obviously some ill feeling that you’ve been allowed to work from home so long, else it wouldn’t have got back to your employer so quickly and for them to act so quickly.

You can now of course enter mental health problems into the mix to justify staying home longer, and maybe speak to your employer about your anxiety. You’ve been vaccinated, you’re only 32 and you’re not even shielding. So logically you must know this is now about mental health issues and not Covid risk.

Alternatively it maybe you just don’t want to go back to the commute and office, which your employer may suspect.

@Bluntness100

Gosh, where do you live that you’re having loads of picnics. Friggen freezing up until this week where I am.

Op, people are still posting some nonsense like it’s your choice, it’s not.

You can only ask them, there’s obviously some ill feeling that you’ve been allowed to work from home so long, else it wouldn’t have got back to your employer so quickly and for them to act so quickly.

You can now of course enter mental health problems into the mix to justify staying home longer, and maybe speak to your employer about your anxiety. You’ve been vaccinated, you’re only 32 and you’re not even shielding. So logically you must know this is now about mental health issues and not Covid risk.

Alternatively it maybe you just don’t want to go back to the commute and office, which your employer may suspect.

Agreed. And if this is the case then maybe the OP should seek professional help for mental health rather than try and railroad her employer to give her special treatment over all the other employees.

I would show willing but ask to return 3 weeks after 2nd dose?

Could I gently suggest that some help with your mental health might be helpful?
Based on what you've said your level of anxiety seems to be much higher than most people of your age and situation are reporting.

Alternatively it maybe you just don’t want to go back to the commute and office,

Well I don’t either. What’s wrong with that?

I'm cv too. I've been going in to school all year. When I'm concerned about that on here, I'm informed that I should resign. So maybe you should resign?

@tillyandmilly

wait until you get your second vaccine - I think you will feel more confident about returning - surely your employers can't be that unsympathetic to your concerns? They are telling people to work from home at the moment and that is what you are doing effectively so I see no problem to be honest.

Yebbut...

I think you are being over cautious here.

I am also vulnerable on 2 accounts but not on the shielded list. When the pandemic began I was told to work from home as were other vulnerable colleagues but my employer wanted people back so we all went back in June or July and have worked through since. We distance as much as possible, wear masks and sanitise frequently.
We have had no problems and I think my employer would, quite rightly, be unhappy if I was still wanting to be at home

Hospitals? Classrooms?

If you're not on the shielding list then your employer has been very generous to let you wfh all this time. You've had your first dose which is meant to give you most of your immunity. You've been luckier than most in your position. Time to go back to work, you can't refuse, you have no real grounds.

Sounds like you're being a bit overly anxious about the risk. If you're not a shielder and you're only 32 the chance of your illness being worse than anyone else's isn't massive, and now you're vaccinated you're probably in a better position than most of your colleagues.