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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Employer says I must return to office

497 replies

Dishmatic · 09/03/2021 14:18

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?

OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 09/03/2021 14:56

When do you think you should be going back in OP?

Original poster
Dishmatic · 09/03/2021 14:58

@TheKeatingFive

When do you think you should be going back in OP?
@TheKeatingFive

After my second dose!

OP posts:
Letsallscreamatthesistene · 09/03/2021 14:59

I think you're justified in negotiating going back after your second dose

Mindymomo · 09/03/2021 15:00

I would email back and say thank you for the catch up regarding my returning to the office, but due to my ......... health condition I would request that I continue working at home until I have received my second vaccine. I would be very grateful if you could reconsider my working from home until then.

You can only ask, good luck. My sons firm tried to get everybody back in office last year when people were allowed, about 3/4 carried on at home.

Brokenrecord3006 · 09/03/2021 15:01

I thought you get quite a lot of protection from one dose? We're heading back to the office soon and I'm very envious of those who have been jabbed already. Have you given them the date of your second dose and asked to go back in after you've had it? Perhaps a compromise can be made.

TheKeatingFive · 09/03/2021 15:02

After my second dose!

Ok, put that to them, see what they say.

Totallyfedup1979 · 09/03/2021 15:03

You need perspective.

For most people Covid is not serious.
I’m a teacher with asthma and a few other health issues. I’m in my forties. But, I’m likely to survive Covid.

When I go back to work this week, like you it will be to a room full of people, but we’ll be wearing masks. We’ll have ventilation and there will be regular cleaning. The environment will be fine.

If I do catch Covid, I’m 96% or more, likely to survive it. You are possibly even more so as you are fortunate enough to have had the vaccine.

We all have to go back at some point and being scared is pointless, because it’s sticking around anyway.

As I said, you are in such a fortunate position! Vaccinated and able to continue wfh until April 6th. That’s wonderful!

And when you do go back, you’ll go back to your normal hours and normal life.

I think scaring us was part of the government plan...but look at how school is now classed as safe! If school is safe, an office of 14 will be no problem.

FluffyHippo · 09/03/2021 15:03

@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.
Working from home isn't a bloody holiday, you know! You make it sound like the OP's trying to skive by WFH. This is about government guidance and health safety.
SteelMack · 09/03/2021 15:03

Does it say anything about the vaccine and going to work in the guidance? I don't recall seeing anything that says you shouldn't attend work till you've had your vaccine(s) or can attend after, so am thinking the vaccine thing is totally a red herring and isn't a basis for negotiation at all, but happy to be corrected if I've missed something.

NoSquirrels · 09/03/2021 15:03

Because I felt bad asking for more time at home.

Well - so you do think you should go back in? You do feel uneasy that you are at home when your colleagues are in, and you think they’ve got a point?

Or you’re genuinely and justifiably worried about the risk assessment of the office environment and your health issue?

TheKeatingFive · 09/03/2021 15:04

I think scaring us was part of the government plan

This is true. There will be lots of rowing back to be done now to get the low risk people back into normality.

emilyfrost · 09/03/2021 15:04

YABU. You can’t just not go back - if they want you back, you either accept it and go back or you quit.

It’s up to them whether you work from home or whether they want you in the office, not you.

TheKeatingFive · 09/03/2021 15:06

Working from home isn't a bloody holiday, you know!

No, but it’s not the OPs call whether that should continue or not. Plenty of management want people back in and once vaccines are administered, there won’t be anything to hold them back.

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 09/03/2021 15:07

I think scaring us was part of the government plan...

Totally agree with this

ThatsNotTheTeaHunty · 09/03/2021 15:07

The thing is they did you the favour if you like because you aren't on the shielding list but still allowed you to work from home.

You need to talk to them but because you're not on the shielding list they don't have to allow you to wfh.

saffire · 09/03/2021 15:08

@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.
The advice is still wfh if you can.
Original poster
Dishmatic · 09/03/2021 15:09

@NoSquirrels

Because I felt bad asking for more time at home.

Well - so you do think you should go back in? You do feel uneasy that you are at home when your colleagues are in, and you think they’ve got a point?

Or you’re genuinely and justifiably worried about the risk assessment of the office environment and your health issue?

@NoSquirrels

I’m genuinely worried 🙁

OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 09/03/2021 15:13

I’m genuinely worried

The odds of you getting very ill will be tiny, now that you’ve had one dose. By all means ask to extend until you’ve had the other, but people do need to get their heads around getting back to their workspace now.

LemonadeBudget · 09/03/2021 15:13

The advice is still wfh if you can

And if the employer says no, that means you can't.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 09/03/2021 15:14

@WhenLifeReturns

You're not covered until 3 weeks after the first vaccine and even then that's not a high percentage. You should ask them to give you another 3.5months so that you are covered with both shots.
Unless something's changed in the last day or so that's wrong, most of the effectiveness comes from the first jab.

@WhenLifeReturns do you have a link to the new data? The most recent I can find is 60% plus from dose 1

I have my first one booked and am interested if there's been a sudden change in the data

Letsallscreamatthesistene · 09/03/2021 15:17

It really depends on the brand you get tbh

Original poster
Dishmatic · 09/03/2021 15:18

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

It really depends on the brand you get tbh
@Letsallscreamatthesistene

What do you mean?

OP posts:
Bluesheep8 · 09/03/2021 15:18

*The advice is still wfh if you can

And if the employer says no, that means you can't.*

And op has said that everyone else has had to remain in the office and she's not on the shielding list.

emilyfrost · 09/03/2021 15:18

The advice is still wfh if you can.

saffire It’s only advice. If the employer says no, then she can’t work from home.

NoSquirrels · 09/03/2021 15:19

If you’re genuinely worried then you need to discuss it with your employer sensibly. Are your worries proportionate? Have you seen/do you know what’s in place in terms of procedures and the risk assessment? Or are you suffering from health anxiety (which can often be alleviated by facing your fears rather than avoidance tactics)?

Have you read the studies on the effectiveness of the first single dose of the vaccine? Is the office environment inherently high-risk in some way due to nature of the job or workforce e.g. central
London everyone commutes on public transport vs rural industrial estate?

What is your health issue? Do you have any other risk factors etc.

If I were your employer I’d want a sensible conversation around all this.