About the level of fear over returning to the office?

[Hilyie]

We all currently WFH, our employer has said that this is the way forward, and we won't go back to working even weekly in the office - indeed we can't as our building has been partly sold off so there's only room for a limited number at any one time . The suggestion by our organisation is that within our teams and workgroups we try to attend the office 'a few times a year'. Apparently the ideal is once a month but there's no hard and fast rules.

As a department, we're currently trying to make arrangements to get people in the office a couple of times before the end of the year. But the level of anxiety is unbelievable.

Most people are vaccinated (personally I'm not, but the majority are), under 50, and with no underlying health conditions, not carers for those who are high risk etc. Very few have had Covid (that they know of)

Yet so far we've had some refusing outright to come in at all because they don't feel safe, others saying they would come to the office but refuse to use public transport as it's too dangerous, some saying they would come in if everyone had done a LFT beforehand (this is not required by our employer, though they are doing other checks) some saying they'll come in but want to sit 2m apart from anyone and if we get together for a meeting insist on everyone wearing masks or that we'll have to sit outside. Someone else wants to go home at lunch because 'its not safe to eat in the office' and so on. There are probably even more examples of what people won't do.

These people all worked side by side 18 months ago, ate lunch at their desks, chatted by the water cooler etc, all very normal. Yet now it feels like they're scared to leave the house.

Are we just unlucky or are other people this concerned? It feels like any semblance of our work environment will never return!

Leaving the house once a week is not as risky as leaving the house seven times a week. Once you leave the house, you don't get a blanket level of increased risk no matter how times you keep going out.

I might choose to increase my level of risk by going to see friends in carefully controlled circumstances because I really like them, and I know their vaccination status.

Given the choice, I don't really think it's personally worth it to see my colleagues. I'm sorry, but they're just people who happen to be employed by the same company as me. I get on fine with them, but I don't like them enough to want to do the long commute on public transport and to sit next to them all day in an office with closed windows.

@LividLaVidaLoca

Another “try being a teacher”.

I go from a whole staff meeting of 200 adults, no masks, no distancing, to the corridor (hundreds of teens, no masks or distancing), to lessons where maybe 20% of each class are off with Covid, (tbf I have one slightly ajar window) until I pop to Tesco where my mask goes on and I don’t go within ten feet of anyone and the cashier has a screen.

Same here. Whole school assembly with 400 children and 20 adults, in one room, but it’s ok because the window was cracked open a bit.

Stop at the corner shop on the way home and it’s masks on.

I’m not complaining about either. I’m happy to be back in school and I’m happy to wear masks in shops.

But I’ve got little patience for people who have been tucked up at home while other people bring them stuff and are now complaining that they have to do shit too.

Exactly @EastWestWhosBest

Wonder how many WFH would have empathy and understanding if key workers refused to go out to work because it's unsafe.

Hmm, yes. I wonder.

@marieantoinehairnet

I think you do have to remember slot of people were told for 18 months that you simply can't come to the office, as it's not safe. With no option to go in at all.

This has has caused in some people real mental health issues.

I'm going in, but I do have colleagues profoundly affected by WFH for 18 months.

And people can laugh about imprisoned, but when you've been working at break neck speed for stupidly long hours, you've experienced burnout as alot of my colleagues have, you've done nothing but eat, sleep and work, yes it does feel like imprisonments.

You do know that many people working out of the home work long hours too?

It's just making excuses at this point. Teachers have been told by the government that it's safe to go into work so why do you think it's not safe in an office?

Yes I do know, my husband was one

You're talking about people who have been literally imprisoned in their homes working really bloody hard for 18 months.

That ‘literally’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.

I'm not going to carry on telling you to step back and have empathy when it's clear you have none.

@marieantoinehairnet

I'm not going to carry on telling you to step back and have empathy when it's clear you have none.

I don't have empathy for low risk vaccinated people moaning about safety in the office, no. As I said, those of us who have to work out of the home have been told it's safe to do so, so the whole "being told it's not safe in the office" excuse doesn't wash.

It's not safe anywhere. I don't really understand the thinking that just because I have to go and work in a unsafe environment other people should also do it. If a job can be done properly from home, then it should be done from home, to reduce the number of people mixing in society.

@DoctorSnortles

It's not safe anywhere. I don't really understand the thinking that just because I have to go and work in a unsafe environment other people should also do it. If a job can be done properly from home, then it should be done from home, to reduce the number of people mixing in society.

It's as safe as it's ever going to get now. Covid isn't going away.

Also wax if you'd read my responses instead of going in for the teacher defence, you'd see I am back in the office.

@marieantoinehairnet

Also wax if you'd read my responses instead of going in for the teacher defence, you'd see I am back in the office.

I'm not a teacher.

Who cares

I imagine you're the sort of person who thinks people with mental illness need to man up

I just don't understand how someone can think it's safe in a school but not safe in an office. Because that's what the government has told us. So you either believe both, or are just cherry picking bits to believe.

tbh, if prolonged WFH is what has made some of my colleagues into nervous wrecks, I don’t think that accommodating them to keep on WFH is doing them many favours anyway.

@GoldenOmber

tbh, if prolonged WFH is what has made some of my colleagues into nervous wrecks, I don’t think that accommodating them to keep on WFH is doing them many favours anyway.

No it isn't, but they need help and a phased slow return, understanding and support. Not frogmarching.

Again, this is 10 days a YEAR. Not one day a week or even monthly.

I really don't think it's asking much especially given that many people have been working outside the home throughout this time. I have family members who work in offices 3-5 days a week, which is the norm in their companies, and they and all their colleagues just get on with it.

Sounds like the OP’s colleagues are getting all that, though? I can’t think of much else her employer could be doing. And mine doesn’t even have us back in the office yet at all and people are still shocked and scared at even discussing it.

@marieantoinehairnet

Who cares

I imagine you're the sort of person who thinks people with mental illness need to man up

Not at all. But everyone else is just expected to crack on so why do office workers need special treatment?

@Waxonwaxoff0

I just don't understand how someone can think it's safe in a school but not safe in an office. Because that's what the government has told us. So you either believe both, or are just cherry picking bits to believe.

None of us can pretend to know what goes on in the mind of others, we do have a mental health epidemic on our hands post this whole bloody episode, that's for sure.

I'm spending considerable time atm dealing with 2 people on my team who I manage who have real issues around this.

Not made up crap, real soul destroying issues. I can't pretend to understand what they're doing through but I can support them in a phased, slow manner.

They could just as easily continue to WFH, there really is no need for them to be in the office with the roles they do.

I didn't go back into the office until they abolished the mask rule. Which they have now. Happy to be in the office but I'm not wearing a mask when I could be at home and not wear one. So o can see why they'd want to stay home as that would be an issue for me.

It's the same where I work. My interpretation is that a minority are genuinely worried about covid (possibly disproportionately, but that's another thread) and the rest just really prefer WFH and "feeling anxious about covid" is a convenient excuse to allow them to do it for longer.

I would like to hear more from factory workers, food packers, security guards, supermarket staff, care home staff, kitchen staff, agricultural labourers, taxi drivers, builders, bus drivers, other "low skill" job holders... who have had a MUCH higher risk of covid harms than office workers (or teachers).

I do wonder if some people just like wfh and don't want to return to offices.

For the avoidance of any doubt, I prefer wfh and don’t want to return to the office.

I think this is a fairly widespread opinion. No commute, better work life balance, no annoying colleagues, less wasted time, nicer healthier lunch. Work done.