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.

@TheSmallAssassin

Hmm, *@Justanotherlurker*, I work for a public sector organisation and we've just been told that no-one is allowed to work from abroad any more due to the complications that arise, so I don't think your prediction of swathes of middle management being offshored is likely.

I think it's really short sighted of your employer OP :-/ We've been told we will be able to work from home up to 3 days a week if we fancy, but we've been making big strides on the diversity front and have good technology. I wish other employers were more progressive, I think they will lose competitive advantage (even the public sector has to compete for staff)

A company stating that employees cannot go and work abroad is because they are mindful of tax complications. Living overseas means that random employee may (probably will) become tax resident in that other country. This will lead to employer obligations to be met in that other country not least running that countries equivalent to our PAYE. Rules around employees and employee related taxation are based upon where the employer is geographically located, not the employer.

An organisation not wanting to get into that in what would be an employee driven ad hoc manner, is totally different to a strategic decision to offshore roles. Not wanting to get into the corner in no way means the latter would not be considered.

(I have no idea why the previous OP picked out “middle management” as being particularly at risk of offshoring.)

If the wfh brigade get their way it won't be long before offices are scrapped . In that situation bosses will soon realise they can outsource workers and pay them much less . Be careful what you wish for .

Beyond ridiculous that so many people are forced to carry on wrecking the planet and their and everyone else’s health with expensive and difficult commuting to work. A massive amount of stuff could be done as wfh. Those organisations who have provided shit service haven’t done so due to wfh they have done it because of shit management and arrogance (eg HMRC)

@Dontforgetyourbrolly

If the wfh brigade get their way it won't be long before offices are scrapped . In that situation bosses will soon realise they can outsource workers and pay them much less . Be careful what you wish for .

If that’s going to happen, it’s going to happen anyway.

OP, your team/employer may be going back to the old way, but others are not. YANBU to be annoyed.

I expect the number of home 'emergencies' will increase, and some will be stretching the definition. There is the assumption behind this that all restrictions will have ended in a month's time, which will not be the case, especially self-isolation of close contacts.

Just get your arse back to the office.

I couldn't stand working from home personally, even temporarily, it drove me mad staring at the same four walls morning noon and night. Hated all my work stuff constantly present.

As for consultation, none of us were consulted about having to do all that. It was forced on us.

I quit my job and found another one and was (am) much happier.

If you don't like working at the office, find a new job! Make your life work for you but don't expect everyone else to bend around you.

I agree with you OP and I would hate to go back to full time office working (although my job never quite was full time in the office anyway, but it's certainly less now, which I love).

I guess the thing is the employers can make these decisions about the business based on what they feel works for them. If productivity has gone down working from home, or they feel there are other reasons why people need to be in the office, then it's their perogative to ask people to come in. They are paying your salary.

My partner is a manager and would love people to carry on working from home if they want to, but it does present a lot of challenges. Meetings will never be the same and if you have some people in the room and some people dialling in from home, it is awkward. Another challenge is that he can't just go and talk to someone when he spots that they are free or that there is a private space they can use - he would have to arrange a call and ask them to go to a private space, which may or may not be available.

There are lots of challenges which people who aren't managers might not even think about, and I think it is difficult for managers to make these decisions.

If you feel it would work to stay working from home, why not ask your manager if you can have a conversation about it? They are people too and feeling their way and trying to work all this out.

If we are going back to normal then surely people expected to go back.

If schools are to return to normal with no isolations etc and the majority of people unvaccinated then offices with vaccinated adults are surely far far less riskier.

I'm really pleased that we are developing a policy which allows me to work flexibly in both location and hours. I get the job done. Always have and always will. I'll now do so when and where it works best.

Reduction in commuting and much better for my stress levels

You're not wrong OP.

I'm fortunate in that my company did consult people about how they feel the WFH went and have now changed many teams to be 100% WFH on a permanent basis, based on staff feedback.

Unfortunately those employers who are behind the times and refusing to do any WFH may lose employees (but may gain employees who don't like WFH). It's swings and roundabouts.

Can you look for a new home based job? The luxury is you can now search for home based roles from anywhere in the country.

There's no reason to do a consultation as it was your original place of work so they're not changing that.
However I think there may be some work place mitigation in place eg lesser capacity in offices if possible.

@GreyhoundG1rl

Your employer will lose employees, and find it hard to recruit from a wide pool of talent, as they will only find people who want full time office work. Everybody knew this was just a temporary thing, and that one day full time office work as you call it, would revert to normal.

Not really.

My company recruits over 7000 people and has now changed most people contracts to be home based.

I know a lot of people in other companies who are not going back to full time office base either

I guess the thing is the employers can make these decisions about the business based on what they feel works for them. If productivity has gone down working from home, or they feel there are other reasons why people need to be in the office, then it's their perogative to ask people to come in. They are paying your salary.

Basically this. It was a temporary measure. If it isn’t working for management, there is no reason to keep it going.

If wfh is very important to you, start looking for jobs that allow you to do that.

@CrappyBirthday2Me

The genie is well and truly out of the bottle and it won't be going back.

I agree.

It was already halfway out any, tbh - at least in my experience. I haven't worked anywhere where wfh for at leass a couple of days a week hasn't already been the norm. In both the company I work for and all customer and supplier companies.

I don't understand how it works with social distancing? We can't go back full time as we're only allowed to use every other desk.

@Tealightsandd - that’s not a good reason! That’s just bonkers capitalism. Everyone has to commute and go to the office not because it’s more efficient/effective but to generate income. This should prompt a serious review of what work means but of course it won’t. I’m a teacher and that really doesn’t work remotely but there are huge opportunities to rethink our assessments but already I came see we’re going to carry on as before.

I work in local government and in my room, out of 7, 5 are in the office (because we cannot work from home) and one is WFH as she can. She is laptop based. Then there is the one who has the cheek to refuse to come in. Said no to our lovely line manager, no to his manager too. She says she is scared and feels uncomfortable being there with us. We are 2 meters apart, hand sanitizers all around, wear masks to visit the loo and kitchen. All very safe. Yet she is happy to visit shopping centres, restaurants and even have a few weekends away! She is older (no kids, no dependants, wont be long until she retires so no need to be at home.) she is taking the absolute piss.

If you can WFH i have no issues. Is great for those with young kids etc. But this person cannot WFH. With the nature of the work, we have to produce work for her to enable her to stay home which is again the grain.

There are many who are taking the piss, but how can you really force someone back in?

Does anyone else think there will be a gradual pay shift and jobs that require a return to the office will pay more than those where you can WFH? If people are advised to 'vote with their feet' if they don't want to return then companies who are happy to have staff work remotely will have a wide pool or people to pick from so won't need to offer the same package while also cutting their office costs so it will be a big win for their shareholders/tax payers.

I also wonder if there will be a growing number of companies that specialise in visiting workers at home to do checks to fulfil employer health and safety at work requirements. PAT testing, risk assessments, posture assessments etc.

OH's work (large international company) are going back to half the week in work over the next few months. Several people including OH have already said they don't want to, and he has negotiated to WFH unless he's needed in. Some don't want the vaccine and don't want to travel and I think will probably resign if not allowed to WFH full time.

Unfortunately as soon as it's all over the news that a few of the biggest companies are telling their workers they're all expected in other companies think there must be something in it and that they should do the same.

I find on here that people whose jobs are not possible from home seem to be very unhappy that some people could easily get to work from home hence all the 'get back to the office it was only temporary' type replies. I think there's probably a lot of jealousy and the opportunity to WFH will make companies very popular if they offer it.

Making you come in to answer emails and input data is ridiculous, they're basically saying they don't trust you. I would try to negotiate, put forward all the positives and tell them you're happy to have your work monitored to ensure it is meeting the standards expected ie in the number of emails answered per day or whatever. If people don't make it clear how important WFH is to them then things will never change.

@Tealightsandd

From a customer and client perspective WFH has been terrible. Standards of service have significantly dropped.

But also the office based industries bring in billions and billions to the national economy. It's the same in other countries, and it's why the Bank of America has recommended people return to the office.

As a customer I agree, slow and frequently they can't access what they need to. I can't see how it is working well in many instances.

It's such a mixed bag of opinions. I am WFH and will stay that way, I would genuinely find it so hard to go back the office now I am used to being home more - hope you find a compromise

@Dontforgetyourbrolly

If the wfh brigade get their way it won't be long before offices are scrapped . In that situation bosses will soon realise they can outsource workers and pay them much less . Be careful what you wish for .

I don't know.

In IT this has always been a possibility and ever present threat. Yet has never actually materialised into a reduction in UK based jobs. Some businesses move some roles one way, others move them the other. But the UK jobs available just grows.

It is a growing sector, anyway, which obviously helps. Plus, gobally, the expectations from the sector are high so those 'cheaper', talented workers are not so cheap (nor should they be) because the local expectation re things like benefits and salary growth, training etc are all higher than the UK.

I appreciate this may not be the same in all sectors but is my experience of working and recruiting/growing teams in the UK and several other countries.

@Billandben444

I'd like all customer service employees to go back to their offices/call centres please. I'm fed up to the back teeth of having to listen to a pre-recorded jingle that apologises for possible dog/children noises in the background cos 'their employees are wfh' only to have the phone ring out and another disembodied voice telling me to fuck off cos they're busy. I'm fed up to the back teeth of having to join the long queue outside Barclays cos 'only one counter is open as our staff are wfh' and I'm fed up with friends posting pictures on FB of their garden/kitchen transformations when they're supposedly wfh. Oh, and please get Enfield's library employees out of the front door and back into their workplace so my local branch can reopen.

You sound an absolute delight - bitter much?

I’m also public sector but we already had the ability to wfh 1 day a week (in fact it was actively encouraged so they could reduce number of desks). My team aren’t more productive wfh full time. We’re going back (eventually) with a split of roughly 2 days wfh and 3 days office.

If it was a choice between wfh full time and office full time I would choose office full time in a heartbeat, and I’d hope my organisation would do the same because many people just haven’t been working as effectively. Generally through no fault of their own, some things are just more difficult to do remotely.