WFH, suddenly taken away, are we really just going back to the old way?

[80caloriesofbiscuitplease]

Today my (public sector) employer announced we were all expected to be back in the office, full time from a months time, with home working only to be used in emergencies.
I know that response to WFH has been mixed from other professionals and some employees have frankly been less productive from home. I would have been happy with one day per week from home as a compromise.
My argument is that there should be a consultation period where we could put forward our rationale for being able to maintain an aspect of home working. Also are we really going to go back to the old way, packed buses, packed trains, traffic, pollution, all for presentism?
I feel that we've seen another way, with happier employees, healthier employees and an improvement in the environment. I work in a grey concrete wasteland where I regularly sit at my desk all day without a break. At home I can open my doors, hear the birds, stroke my cat. My mental health has improved so much and that makes me a better employee. Today two of us were in the office and four were working from home. They really want to go back to six of us coming to work all day, every day to answer emails and input data which we could do from home?
I know I could look for another role but I like my job and I'm quite good at it. I don't want a role which is completely home based, but I feel saddened by the whole world going back to the way we lived before.
And yes I know some have worked out the house the whole way through. It's not a 'my life is harder' competition.

@threatmatrix

I employ love, I can do what I like.

Except your staff could never work from home.

And Your staff can go to bed if they want when they are isolating. If they can't wfh why would you think its your business what they do, on their own home, when isolating?

Wfh has acquired an ethical dimension it never had pre-pandemic, but I believe a lot of this boils down to resistance to change and envy

Absolutely & it's ridiculous.

Do you seriously think that you were remotely delivering to the expected standard during this time?

I’m on the fence but if employers are evaluating productivity of WFH, then environments such as this are inevitably going to have resulted in a loss of productivity.

That was to the OP

@Womencanlift

I’m jealous of those that can get out during the day to walk the dog, have lunch in a local cafe or go and get their kids from school.

My wfh experience has been 10+ hours a day of calls which was certainly not the case before all this. Previously it would be a quick chat over the desk to get advice or get something resolved, now it needs to be a scheduled call.

We have had loads of messages about putting your out of office on to get out during the day but in reality the amount of calls getting put in the diary just to ensure things keep moving, means that can’t happen or you don’t have enough time between calls to get outside for a decent amount of time

One good thing is we don’t have Zoom or Teams so no need to have cameras on (unless we want to, which after a year nobody does). Will actually be grateful for my commute when I go back to the office next month

This is exactly my experience. I also cannot wait to get back into the office.

@Scaredycatmoo76

Do you seriously think that you were remotely delivering to the expected standard during this time?

I’m on the fence but if employers are evaluating productivity of WFH, then environments such as this are inevitably going to have resulted in a loss of productivity.

Yes, because my position is one that compiles all that data. Many did work flexibly, before. I did.

Many didn't. When we all had to go home, on the day of the first lockdown, the prep work paid off. It was obvious it was coming, so we already ordered on extra laptops (weeks before) and had them allocated and each team prepared.

So we were set up and going at our normal performance rate by the Tuesday morning. And we prepared to furlough for a short while, to ensure our field teams were covid safe. And then we brought them and support staff back.

And last year, we had a record year. Despite the break of having no revenue for 4 weeks and then another 4 weeks at reduced revenue.

Some companies won't have performed and adapted. Sometimes because ots not possible. Sometimes because the business didn't take the right steps. Butvit won't work for everyone.

But, some businesses will have seen an in frame on productivity.

*"So some of us are expected to waste 5-10 hours a week to keep transport workers in a job and polluting our air?

and this is the crux of the selfishness apparent on this thread.
You're all right jack - so not concerned about anybody else.
If transport services are cut - what about those who cannot afford to drive*…

I would rather continue to pay for my commute and leave the seat empty and have the 10 hours back. Would that be acceptable?

In reality demand for products and services changes, economy has to adapt.

@SaltyAF

So some of us are expected to waste 5-10 hours a week to keep transport workers in a job and polluting our air?

As others have said, the money will still be spent but on different things - more lunches on local high streets, more home cleaners, for example.

This is so dreadfully self centred.

Agreed. Breathtaking arrogance

If your employer has given a months notice then that’s not ‘sudden’.

I am laughing my ass clean off right now!

The post the other day regarding a members husband who had commandeered the living room as his work space and was making excuses about going back to work. The post was rife with contrite Mumsnetters claiming workers would simply leave their jobs and head to more ‘forward thinking’ employers and employers like myself would be left with no decent employees.

I’m all for WFH for employees and roles it suits. However, the brutal truth is, they are both less prevalent than people think.

I haven't read the full thread yet so apologies if this has already been mentioned. There is a campaign to bring in flexible working for everyone, the bill was read in Parliament today. Mother Pukka aka Anna Whitehouse is one of the main driving forces behind it
www.instagram.com/p/CQvuFytjOD5/?utm_medium=copy_link

there shouldn't be any family noises in the background - no one is advocating trying to work with kids in the house. They will be at school/ nursery/ other childcare on working days).

What about teenage children? What do you do with them after school and in the holidays?

Again, casper, I ask: if you personally preferred wfh, could avoid spending a good chunk of money - maybe a few hundred pounds a month - and 5-10 hours a week of your time, would you take that opportunity or would you keep on doing what you’ve always done to selflessly benefit others?

Or is it just easy to denounce those of us who are in favour of increased wfh because you personally don’t have that option or have no skin in the game?

Flexible working should be a choice for the employee with a minimum 2/3 days office based requirement - if you don’t like wfh feel free to go in 7 days of the week. If you want to wfh 2/3 days, it should be a personal choice. Not sure why people who want to go back feel entitled to drag everyone else in too - this way nobody is jealous of not being able to wfh or on the other cussing the hell out of work creeping into their beds.
Live and let live!

Totally agree with you OP, if we are able to work from home, computer work that can be done at home then I think it should be reasonable to look at working from home a few days a week, especially if this has improved mental health. For those of you that are saying it's not fair as you've been working out the house the whole time and if OP wants it to continue she should get a new job, well maybe if you want to work from home too, then maybe you should find another job and not OP.

My hubby and I have both been back in work as soon as lockdown let us open, so my instant reaction is yabu. It was always temporary and if you want to keep working there you have to do what they think is best for the business.

However I totally sympathise. When you’ve got something that really works for you it’s rubbish when it’s taken away. Perhaps have a chat with your boss and say how you feel and make a point of saying how your efficiency etc has improved if that’s the case. Good luck - I hope you find something that works for you xx

and this is the crux of the selfishness apparent on this thread.
You're all right jack - so not concerned about anybody else

Office workers do not exist to keep other people in jobs.

I don't like shopping in Next or Asda - by your logic I should do, just to ensure that they don't go bust and the people working there don't lose their jobs too?

What about teenage children? What do you do with them after school and in the holidays?

The same thing you do when you’re busy making a coffee away from your desk in an office building, watching the clock.

My worry is that some employers might be measuring productivity based on skewed data that includes children and babies being at home, either due to childcare and school closures, or self-isolation periods.

I have been way more productive than normal most of the time, but probably was only 40% of peak performance whilst the children were home.

The same thing you do when you’re busy making a coffee away from your desk in an office building, watching the clock.

Huh? I don't understand. What has that to do with working, or not working, with kids in the house?

@Tealightsandd

as they will only find people who want full time office work.

Lots and lots and lots of people might not want full time office work, but only a minority can afford not to. Homes suitable for WFH are the preserve of a privileged few.

Also, with the country in massive debt, our battered economy really could do without losing the billions that it gets from the office based industries.

And I really can't state enough how shit WFH has been for customers and clients.

I recently had a long telephone call with someone who was wfh and it was a nightmare. Dogs barking, kiddies chatting then arguing in the background. Disrespectful to me and I couldn't concentrate on what was being said. Get another job if you need to.

Huh? I don't understand. What has that to do with working, or not working, with kids in the house?

What would you do with the teenagers if you were in an office building? If at home, surely they are old enough to understand they need to let you work. Otherwise, feel free to go back to your routine of 5 days a week - the whole idea of being flexible - do what works for you…just doesn’t mean everyone in the same situation has to.

@LightasaBreeze

When DH wfh he had food and tea that we got on the Tesco delivery, he didn't go to our local high street shops for coffee and lunch, don't most people just eat food they buy at the supermarket, surely they don't all rush to the local cafe at lunchtime, it's not like on Eastenders.

Agree most of my “work food” comes from Asda but it always did. I make a point of getting out for lunch from a local sandwich shop or a take-away from a local place once a week and for a coffee and a walk once a week, in the office I used to bring coffee in from home every day as the only option near work was Costa or Starbucks, and I used to limit myself to lunch out on Friday because I was paying City Centre prices and a sandwich drink bag of crisps was about £8.

@SaltyAF - even if we accept it is purely selfish, how many people would willingly give up hours and hours of their week and large sums of money altruistically? Possibly even optimal MH. Because that is what is being asked of commuters who can work at home and want to work at home.

This is ludicrous. Do you give a fuck about my commuting time and costs? Of course not. I don't care about yours either. I just want to be able to access the services I pay for fully, without being told I'll have to wait indefinitely due to bloody Covid.

@SaltyAF why do you think it's self centred & arrogant for people to not want to commute if they don't have to?