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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The drumbeat is starting again...

69 replies

DadAManger · 10/05/2021 18:08

Our fantastic NHS have done a great job at getting the vaccines out and on convincing people to take them (many other countries seem to have greater vaccination hesitation). Every day we get back to "normal" a little more, and now the media pieces telling us to get back to the office start again. Remember September when Alan Sugar told us we might lose our jobs if we didn't get back to his buildings and that he didn't know anyone with Covid? Then his brother and sister died from it and he stepped back. And then the various business leaders started telling us that we had to spend 8 pounds at Pret, 10 pounds at the dry cleaner and 20 pounds on travel fares each day or we weren't "backing Britain"? Then the cases rose...and then Christmas (and the less said on that the better). Are you really ready to go back to the office or do you want blended hours if you can get them?

OP posts:
flowerycurtain · 10/05/2021 19:10

Commercial property’s fucked

I think some office space is fucked.

Large warehouses on the other hand are almost commanding their own price around here. They can't be built and let fast enough.

Moondust001 · 10/05/2021 19:11

@vodkaredbullgirl

I'm sure they mean't drum roll, well i think the did.
Damn. I thought it was going to be a Dr Who thread....
Sparklingbrook · 10/05/2021 19:13

@DadAManger what did you mean by 'drumbeat is starting again'?

SpnBaby1967 · 10/05/2021 19:14

If it wasnt such a benefit for me financially to work from home, I'd be back in my office.

But, since I am alone in my office and being around for school pickups saves me £300 a month, I'm happy to stay wfh and my boss is happy for me to do so.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 10/05/2021 19:14

@GoldenOmber

I would climb over a pile of rusty nails to get back into my office. I hate working from home.
Me too. I've been on the office today and loved it. I did nothing I couldn't have done at home but a saw different people and a different four walls.

I'm sick of the 'everyone must love working from home' brigade.

PatriciaHolm · 10/05/2021 19:17

Is that the drumbeat of your article deadline, OP? ;-)

Sparklingbrook · 10/05/2021 19:18

My friend has been told they're all WFH forever now. She has mixed feelings. She won't miss the commute and the battle for parking spaces but she's a bit like me in that she loves the buzz of working with others/teamwork etc. Having lunch together and going for a drink after work.

WFH must be like living at work really, but some people seem to absolutely love it and it does bring them some advantages.

Iheartmysmart · 10/05/2021 19:20

Can’t wait to get back into an office of some description as soon as possible. Sick to death of sitting in the same room day in day out for over a year. My desk is like some malevolent being reminding me 24/7 about work. Unfortunately the company have closed my office permanently but a few of us have decided to try and get a space a few days a week at a local “rent an office” style place.

MintyMabel · 10/05/2021 19:24

The small local businesses round our way have never been busier for lunch trade. I’m hoping that will continue rather than more money being poured into the likes of pret and Starbucks.

MajesticWhine · 10/05/2021 19:36

I'm ready to go back. We are going to a 50/50 arrangement. It will be better for me, drums or not.

BonnieDundee · 10/05/2021 19:42

I never had the chance to WFH. Have had to be in the office all through (NHS) so I don't really see the issue

lazylinguist · 10/05/2021 19:47

I'm in and out of smallish rooms with over 30 kids crowded in with no masks on, so I think I'd be fine going into an office, yes.

Original poster
DadAManger · 10/05/2021 19:59

I apologise for the drumbeat heading which caused confusion. I should have used "growing drumbeat" or perhaps not used it all! What I was getting at is that I have started seeing pieces appear in the broadsheets telling us to go back to the office - the Daily Telegraph a few days ago and the FT over the weekend, for example. I think the next step will be the CBI and similar telling us that those that prefer some blended WFH are going to put themselves at risk. As pointed out, SAGE is looking for a staggered return.

I agree that there is no one size fits all - personally I agree with the comment that we can try to find a more enlightened balance of presentism and WFH, where the person wants that. It's just my opinion of course.

@BonnieDundee - well I, for one, am very grateful to everyone in the NHS especially since ending up in hospital for a week during the early stages of the pandemic last year. Thank you!

OP posts:
ShirleyPhallus · 10/05/2021 20:08

Growing drumbeat still makes no sense to me! What does the phrase generally describe? I’ve never heard this before

BonnieDundee · 10/05/2021 20:09

@dadamanger I'm not sure I actually deserve that as I was just answering calls, filing etc but thank you anyway. It just wasn't an option to work from home and tbh though i was scared at first I got over it.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 10/05/2021 20:17

@ShirleyPhallus

Growing drumbeat still makes no sense to me! What does the phrase generally describe? I’ve never heard this before
Me neither. And I don't really know what @DadAManger is getting at or trying to warn us all about?
Arbadacarba · 10/05/2021 20:17

I thought this was going to be a noisy neighbour thread.

Theluggage15 · 10/05/2021 20:19

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ShirleyPhallus · 10/05/2021 20:19

[quote DadAManger]@ShirleyPhallus

www.alumni.hbs.edu/stories/Pages/story-bulletin.aspx?num=998

www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/chf/91781[/quote]
Hmmm. One of these links is because the group refers to themselves as a “tribe” and the other to do with cardiology and heartbeats. I don’t think it means anything else in the context you’re using it, but happy to disagree and sorry to derail!

Sparklingbrook · 10/05/2021 20:19

[quote DadAManger]@ShirleyPhallus

www.alumni.hbs.edu/stories/Pages/story-bulletin.aspx?num=998

www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/chf/91781[/quote]
So it's an American term? Confused

Sparklingbrook · 10/05/2021 20:21

@Arbadacarba

I thought this was going to be a noisy neighbour thread.
Yes I thought maybe the Dairy Milk gorilla lived next door to the OP. Grin
BonnieDundee · 10/05/2021 20:25

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ for repeating a deleted post.

user143677433 · 10/05/2021 20:26

Some pretty nasty responses on here.

I noticed the same as OP last summer. A growing media “get back to the office” theme - particularly all the nonsense about how we needed to be good and go buy our Pret sandwiches.

I don’t particularly want to go back to the office again full time, and I resent the media manipulation.

Original poster
DadAManger · 10/05/2021 20:35

@user143677433 - this is what I was getting at, though did not express well. I give it a fortnight until the CBI, IOD and others will explicitly start telling us to get back to the desks alongside more media pieces on the dangers of WFH or blending WFH. And reminding us to buy a 10 pounds Starbucks coffee and toasted sandwich set while we are at it...

OP posts: