To think colleague shouldn’t be on permanent WFH due to his DW’s Covid risk?

[oober6]

As in the title really.

The world has opened up, social distancing requirements have gone, vaccines have given us all plenty of protection.

We are key workers who have worked throughout, coming into work every day. I would love to be able to WFH! It would be a lot less pressurised, and of course, no commute etc.

AIBU to think management should now be telling our colleague that he has to start coming back into work? He is healthy and fit.

One of the possibilities here is that the colleague also has an agreed reduced workload because of his circumstances. Only he and his managers know.

The problem is that the management haven’t made sensible plans to ensure the work gets done without overloading the OP. It doesn’t really matter why she’s got the extra work. They need to do something to ensure her workload is reasonable. How they achieve this, is for them to decide.

Keep your beak out.

If his working from home is causing an increase in workload to the rest of you, that's something to raise with your manager to find a solution.

@DrSbaitso

If his working from home is causing an increase in workload to the rest of you, that's something to raise with your manager to find a solution.

There might be a lot less discrimination in the workplace if people in general decided to lose the ‘if his WFH’ bit of that sentence. There’s so much of this crap whenever someone has an adjustment.

It’s absolutely reasonable to raise a too heavy workload with managers and ask them to do something about it. That’s part of management and they should be making sure that no one is overloaded.

But let’s a just leave out the blaming people because they have an adjustment.

It’s also a different issue if the problem is that a colleague just isn’t doing work they’re supposed to do. That would be the case with it without an adjustment or wherever they are working. It’s totally reasonable to say to a manager that you are regularly having to pick up work and cover for someone else, and that you cannot continue to do so as you already have a full workload. It’s then up to them to manage the situation - whatever that involves.

In any case, the key thing is for the OP to concentrate on her role and her workload and not get all resentful about her colleagues. She shouldn’t be feeling stressed and overworked whatever the reasons for that.

@PiglingBlonde that’s really sad for all involved and a cautionary tale. I should think that now the risks associated with Covid are so well known that employers could be sued for putting staff under unnecessary risk if they haven’t put any preventative procedures in place.

@oober6 Because we are picking up the slack, and because we have more work to do as a result.

This is a management issue. Not a colleague issue. Don't blame him because your managers then put the extra on you instead of having a contingency in place.

Everything @DifferentHair said.

Especially

‘Your additional workload = your business
Your desire to WFH = your business

What your colleague has in place with his employer = not your business, don't mention it
Your colleague's health = not your business
Your colleague's wife's health = not your business
Your colleague's childrens social lives = not your business‘

Not fair if other folks workload is increased.

Because we are picking up the slack, and because we have more work to do as a result.

If you think that then you need a discussion with management. Working from Home in itself doesn't mean someone is slacking, that's a different issue.

(And no I am not working from home).

Where he works is none of your business.

If his workload is impacting your own, speak to your manager about that.

[quote Ghoulette]**@oober6* Because we are picking up the slack, and because we have more work to do as a result.*

This is a management issue. Not a colleague issue. Don't blame him because your managers then put the extra on you instead of having a contingency in place.[/quote]
This. It IS shit that you're picking up the slack, I don't disagree. But it's not your colleague's fault or responsibility.
If you have assessments or one-to-ones or whatever, raise the workload in one of those (but without laying into your colleague). And keep your nose out of his health/work arrangements. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes and all that.

@nether

It depends what that risk is, doesn't it?

If she is one of the 500,000 who get a third primary jab (highly immune suppressed, eg transplant recipient, living with blood cancer, on active treatment for other cancers, on heavy-duty immune suppressant drugs) then its entirely reasonable

My mum is in this category.

My dad is still going to work.

OP, if your colleague were self-employed, he wouldn't still be WFH. He's only doing it because he can get away with it while everyone else has to crack on.

YADNBU.

The only reason you have for being disgruntled about this is what affects your work. If his working from home has a negative impact on your specific job role and makes extra work for you, then I see no reason at all why you can't bring this up with your employer.

Don't make it about him working from home because your employer will just think it is sour grapes. Concentrate on how it makes more work for you (and others in your team if you are in a supervisory role).

I think those saying ' What's it got to do with you' and ' you're just jealous' have a point to some degree , but it's not as simple as that.

Many industries are now suffering with an unequal seemingly random WFH policy that is causing resentment.

If this colleague is not being as productive as their colleagues because they are WFH, then it's an issue and it is the posters business.

I work at a university and it has transpired that colleagues who are fighting tooth and nail to WFH are doing the bare minimum , so effectively doing their jobs, but at this time of year colleagues in work are putting in a huge effort to get students registered and started on courses , which is what is needed for whole process to function.

Put it this way their are two scenarios playing out in work places across the country.

1. People working from home, doing what needs to be done as bare minimum, then doing childcare, house stuff, taking the dog for a walk etc.

1. People in work, doing what needs to be done, then helping colleagues, being proactive and basically doing what most people did before lockdowns and WFH for roles previously not done in that way.

OP, I agree with other posters that your workload is the responsibility of management and not your coworker.

If you can't work things out with management and you are unhappy, start applying for other jobs. Every company is clamoring for new personnel. That would be reasonable.

Demanding your coworker comes back to the office is not.

I understand the frustration.
I've gone in to work throughout and have children going to school, but no-one has been remotely interested in whether I have an underlying condition ( I have)

I get you OP. We have 2 very "concerned" about covid in our team. They have to come in 1 day per week and are in a different building. The other 2 have to come min. of 4 days and ensure someone is on site so there is "team" presence!
Manager is doing nothing about the unfairness but pilling on more work on the 2 that come in. People on site think the team only have the 2 that are coming in!
The double standards and unfairness is pissing me off enough that I'm job hunting.

Working from home is a skivers charter for some folk. They are having it easy whilst others are spending time and money commuting. If you do the same job it should be equal opportunity to wfh.

@Overthehillandfartaway

I think those saying ' What's it got to do with you' and ' you're just jealous' have a point to some degree , but it's not as simple as that.

Many industries are now suffering with an unequal seemingly random WFH policy that is causing resentment.

If this colleague is not being as productive as their colleagues because they are WFH, then it's an issue and it is the posters business.

I work at a university and it has transpired that colleagues who are fighting tooth and nail to WFH are doing the bare minimum , so effectively doing their jobs, but at this time of year colleagues in work are putting in a huge effort to get students registered and started on courses , which is what is needed for whole process to function.

Put it this way their are two scenarios playing out in work places across the country.

1. People working from home, doing what needs to be done as bare minimum, then doing childcare, house stuff, taking the dog for a walk etc.

1. People in work, doing what needs to be done, then helping colleagues, being proactive and basically doing what most people did before lockdowns and WFH for roles previously not done in that way.

Again, this is a different issue.

You need your employers to recognise the full scope of the roles and to take that into account in designing their policies around WFH and hybrid working.

The colleagues at home are doing what is being asked of them. Your problem is that management haven’t considered all the work they (purposefully) haven’t put in their workload models. So all the unofficial stuff is falling to those of you who cannot avoid it.

Rather than whinging about what colleagues are and aren’t doing, it may be best to focus on the real issue: the crappy workload model your employers are using.

celan, 'He's only doing it because he can get away with it'.
I'm interested to hear how you know this.

The double standards and unfairness is pissing me off enough that I'm job hunting.

People are being very naive if they think this isn't causing resentment. Good luck with the job hunting.

@Overthehillandfartaway

I think those saying ' What's it got to do with you' and ' you're just jealous' have a point to some degree , but it's not as simple as that.

Many industries are now suffering with an unequal seemingly random WFH policy that is causing resentment.

If this colleague is not being as productive as their colleagues because they are WFH, then it's an issue and it is the posters business.

I work at a university and it has transpired that colleagues who are fighting tooth and nail to WFH are doing the bare minimum , so effectively doing their jobs, but at this time of year colleagues in work are putting in a huge effort to get students registered and started on courses , which is what is needed for whole process to function.

Put it this way their are two scenarios playing out in work places across the country.

1. People working from home, doing what needs to be done as bare minimum, then doing childcare, house stuff, taking the dog for a walk etc.

1. People in work, doing what needs to be done, then helping colleagues, being proactive and basically doing what most people did before lockdowns and WFH for roles previously not done in that way.

Posters including myself saying things like 'What's it got to do with you' are generally also saying that yes there IS an issue of workload etc; we're just saying it's not the colleague's fault or responsibility. Employers have to manage WFH very carefully, no one is denying that. There's just no point blaming a colleague for it. Even if you aren't jealous, doing that makes you look as though you are.

@Practicebeingpatient

It's fine for him to do his job from home permanently if that works for the company/institution/business. If him doing that doesn't work and involves you and other people 'picking up the slack' then that's a management issue. Talk to them and ask what can be done to ensure his workload doesn't become your responsibility.

Also don't assume you know every detail of his health or that of his wife. He may tell you a lot, he may be very open about some things but that doesn't mean he tells you everything.

Exactly this

It may be that he's taking the piss and management just find it easier to load the work onto you than deal with it, or there could be a lot you don't know, but if the load's become untenable it's their job to sort it out and that's where you start

If you're being asked to take on extra work solely because of this person wfh then it's absolutely reasonable to speak to your manager and raise your concerns - complaining on MN about it isn't going to solve anything.

OTOH, if you just don't think it's fair that they're getting to wfh and you're not then you'll need to come up with a better reason for raising it.

WFH - if done properly and if it suits the role - can result in higher productivity and happier staff.

Working in the office - if done properly and if it suits the role - can result in higher productivity and happier staff.

We all know people who wfh who take the p, and we all know people who work in offices who take the p - location is not the major factor in this.

do what @BadlyFormedQuestion has said