Page 3 | Has anyone refused to go back into the office?

GreenPepperRed · 2022-02-27T00:12:28+00:00

Just that really. Have a job that can easily be done working from home. Company is now saying compulsory 3 days in the office. Has anyone just not gone in and carried on working from home? How did that turn out? The majority of my department is insisting they are not going in. Can confirm they are serious because I went in to the office a couple days back and there was probably 10% of the people in. Intrigued what my company will do. Fire us all?

Jane1727 · 27/02/2022 08:20

@QuirkyTurtle then surely you need to look for another job. It isn't unreasonable to not want to go back in but also not unreasonable for an employer to make the decision that they want people back in (although may be quite short sighted in the battle for talent)

Roselilly36 · 27/02/2022 08:21

Check your contract. I don’t think employers are being unreasonable to expect staff to return to their contracted place of work. Assuming you work ft, 3 days a week, sounds a good and fair gradual return to the office. If you prefer working from home, consider changing employer.

GrandPrismatic · 27/02/2022 08:21

2 years of working from home has made my function soft. We’ve been asked to come back 3 days and all hell has broken loose. Lots of “I’m just as effective working from home as I was in the office” is frankly not true. Our functional output has dropped to about 60% of what it was pre-covid…adjustments were made given the difficult circumstances but it is not sustainable. The lower output has become the new norm and they all got used to it and people don’t understand that expectations will return to pre-covid levels. I’m foreseeing a lot of challenging performance management discussions looming.

LittleWins · 27/02/2022 08:22

We went to hybrid working for 2 weeks and four people in the team (of 20) got covid. We’re back WFH until April at least.

QuirkyTurtle · 27/02/2022 08:23

[quote Jane1727]@QuirkyTurtle then surely you need to look for another job. It isn't unreasonable to not want to go back in but also not unreasonable for an employer to make the decision that they want people back in (although may be quite short sighted in the battle for talent) [/quote]
I don't, no. I'm in a profession that's difficult to hire for, they know that. I could get another job if I wanted to, sure, but they need me and my team more than I need them.

If you work for managers that actually respect your opinion you can get what you want.

gogohm · 27/02/2022 08:24

Dp had one member of staff who resisted, they were actually key workers and some staff worked on site throughout with a rota for ensuring there were key holders, first aider etc present, she handed in her notice and left a couple of weeks ago

MissTrip82 · 27/02/2022 08:26

If you’re more productive it should be easy to make a business case for ongoing WFH.

I don’t know why your colleagues aren’t doing that and instead just refusing and risking their employment. That seems extremely stupid.

Libertybear80 · 27/02/2022 08:27

We all WFH during the last lockdowns and despite some colleagues going back in I stayed WFH. We were given a choice. It's new policy that we can choose and the employer has adjusted car parking and office space to accommodate that.

Pandai · 27/02/2022 08:27

Hopefully lots of customer service jobs are back in the office, nothing quite like phoning to sort something important out and hearing a shrieking toddler in the background or oh sorry will have to get back to you as we don't have that software at home.

marieantoinehairnet · 27/02/2022 08:27

@GrandPrismatic

2 years of working from home has made my function soft. We’ve been asked to come back 3 days and all hell has broken loose. Lots of “I’m just as effective working from home as I was in the office” is frankly not true. Our functional output has dropped to about 60% of what it was pre-covid…adjustments were made given the difficult circumstances but it is not sustainable. The lower output has become the new norm and they all got used to it and people don’t understand that expectations will return to pre-covid levels. I’m foreseeing a lot of challenging performance management discussions looming.

In my world we have had the opposite, working from home we can take on more work as it's all invisible away from the office. Most have had burn out at some point, and we have lost team members who haven't been replaced.

So yes, I'd rather be at home on those stupidly manic days where a pointless 3 hour combined commute to sit in an empty office (as all seniors are out travelling anyway), makes no sense!

gogohm · 27/02/2022 08:28

@catgirl1976

It's not sex discrimination at all. You should have childcare in place during working hours, some companies are asking to see proof. This was one of the reasons at Dp's company they all went back in person, people, well one person was not working because she was looking after her sisters child

Youonlyhaveonelife · 27/02/2022 08:28

We are back 2 days a week. Know 2 people who have put in flexible working requests to do less, both turned down. One left, one had approved to do 40% averaged over 3 months. Rumour is we’re going to be told 60% soon. Prior to covid flexible working and working from home requests were considered based on role and individual, which I think is how it should be.
Also now have issue that everyone is working at home 3 days when some don’t work effectively at home.

Bringonsummer19 · 27/02/2022 08:29

We are in the same point, but we do need to work collaboratively/be innovative and that it’s easier for the team to be together. We are also a big graduate hire organisation and you can’t train as effectively working from home.

Being able to work from home 2 days a week is a huge change and I am happy with that

user1487194234 · 27/02/2022 08:29

We have asked staff to come back 3 days a week
The staff who are protesting could have been 100% predicted
All this more efficient WFH (not true) and child care responsibilities (not my concern)
Essentially they will be managed out if they don't get back
We need to be really focused on building the business back up or no one will have a job

EmbarrassedAllOver · 27/02/2022 08:31

Most people I know who are working from home openly admit (to friends, not employer) that they work a fraction of the hours they used to. They regularly do the school run and take a few hours off for childcare. They regularly leave at lunch and just access emails for the afternoon.

I don't blame them if they can get away with it. But equally I don't blame employers for wanting more for the money they're paying.

Meanwhile many public sector (low paid, highly skilled and needed) workers have never been allowed to work from home. They haven't saved commuting costs. They haven't been able to cut childcare costs.

Homeworkers who refuse to go back are entitled. And need to realise the employer holds the cards because they have created the job and pay for it. If you don't want the job, leave.

Figgygal · 27/02/2022 08:32

Im still at home
Im kicking any return down the road as long as i can
I have no team in local office, my stakeholders arent there, makes no difference to anyone if im there or not
Ive gone in a few times and literally spoke to noone i didnt seek out
There is zero value me being there
I travel to other offices when i need to
My role changed during lockdown though

rubbishatballet · 27/02/2022 08:33

@GrandPrismatic

2 years of working from home has made my function soft. We’ve been asked to come back 3 days and all hell has broken loose. Lots of “I’m just as effective working from home as I was in the office” is frankly not true. Our functional output has dropped to about 60% of what it was pre-covid…adjustments were made given the difficult circumstances but it is not sustainable. The lower output has become the new norm and they all got used to it and people don’t understand that expectations will return to pre-covid levels. I’m foreseeing a lot of challenging performance management discussions looming.

This is very much my experience. I'm NHS and have been working on site the whole way through, but various corporate functions are still predominantly at home. Payroll, recruitment, various elements of finance, are all an unresponsive treacle-paced nightmare and this impacts across the whole organisation.

saleorbouy · 27/02/2022 08:34

My company has adopted a hybrid approach to the future work arrangements. 2-3 days onsite at the agreement of line manager.
They are very flexible work/life balance oriented as long a core hours are covered.

balalake · 27/02/2022 08:34

No refusal I know of, though until recently always questions about working from home.

I think it seems to be something where the senior managers like or dislike of working from home has been pivotal to the company decision.

galacticpixels · 27/02/2022 08:35

My company tried this at first and the feedback was so bad across the board that they've introduced a new model, where it's decided by each individual team. For nearly everyone, this means maybe 1 day a week in the office. For me, I get to WFH full time (but can go in if I want to see people, which I plan on doing about once a week).

IKnowYouDontTurnTheLightOn · 27/02/2022 08:36

Totally agree @EmbarrassedAllOver - my friends who are WFH are doing the school run twice a day, going out for long lunches. walking the pandemic puppy, they’re definitely less effective.

I’m not surprised employers have had enough .

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 27/02/2022 08:36

My employer pays me my salary. I dont get to decide where I work. I work wherever I'm sent.

Darbs76 · 27/02/2022 08:36

If your company wants you back, go back or find another job that allows you to work at home. We return in 2 wks for 2 days per week. If someone refused it would eventually end in a disciplinary.

MrsDThomas · 27/02/2022 08:36

The job i (and another 3 colleagues) do require us to be in the office. We tried WFH but it was too much, printing, photocopies etc. not possible to do it online. The work is a 3 step process (we individually do, finance and require 3-4 checks by different people) and it has to stay like that. So we went back apart from one.

She says she wouldn’t feel safe being there. Lame excuse. Most still WFH (im talking about approx 650 people) and there is less than 10% in the office.

Still happy to go on evenings to a restaurant, coach trips etc.

HR have asked her but she says no. IMO she has no right to say no. She was employed back in the dinosaur era to work in the office. We have to drip feed her with work, shes having the time if her life at home doing less than the rest of us, whilst we are snowed under with months of filing and clearing to do. She doesn’t even come in to the office to collect her work. We’ve refused to take it down to her and the boss has to do it, he says his hands are tied.

Zero reason for her to be home. Shes in her 60s and its time for her to stop working as she isn’t productive. And we can get someone younger with work ethic in.

marieantoinehairnet · 27/02/2022 08:38

Also to add, there are layers in my firm.

Firm stance is 3 days.

All travelling staff never go in (fee earners).

Back office staff never come in, or do a token 1/2 days a week. Their line managers don't force the issue.

Support staff (lowest paid), get to go into an empty office, put their nose to the grindstone, and have a line manager who mandates it!