That ship has sailed

[Grooveisintheheartbaby]

My company want us back to the office 5 days a week. As far as I and colleagues are concerned that ship has sailed and we will not be coming back we will leave. AIBU to think that businesses need to accept that things changed in covid forever and they can't reverse it without massive disrest and unhappiness?

It will probably be a productivity thing. We've been monitoring productivity over the past year or so, and it's very clear from the data that we have collected that our staff are consistently more productive on the days when they're in the office. We have decided to stick with hybrid working for the time being in spite of this, because there are other benefits in terms of staff retention etc. But we retain the hybrid model knowing that the price of that flexibility is a loss in the amount of work that gets done.

That entirely depends where you live?

In London, almost all jobs are hybrid because commuting is a fucking nightmare in a city of millions of people and employers know its London, you'll find another job.

Its settled into a 2 or 3 day in office to most I know and I can't see the bad old days returning...its like the early 80s when a lot of firms were refusing to go with computers , or the 90's when firms were dragging their feet over the internet. Everyone going into an office 5 days a week, all at the same time is insanity....

I do agree with pps that the solution is to manage poor performance more tightly, and we're doing this. We have been clear with staff that we aren't really interested in micromanaging their time as long as they are doing the work and getting the results. However, if they aren't meeting expectations, then one of the things that we now look at is the data that we have on what they're doing at home.

That said, we know that even our best performers are less productive on their wfh days. That isn't necessarily a problem, but it is an observable fact.

But most studies show you have a workforce and give them a 4 day week for the same pay and they become MORE productive OVERALL.

So the data my firm found overall people were more productive overall having flexible working and literally happier, with less staff turnover.

www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2024/09/11/why-the-4-day-workweek-delivers-more-by-doing-less/#:~:text=Supporting%20Barnes'%20approach%2C%20a%202021,lead%20to%20exceptional%20results%E2%80%8B.

@TheShellBeach I was wondering the same thing. Sounds like a cross between unrest and distress.

Organisations have become much less productive - the reason we hsve to wait months foran (unhelpful) reply from the Teachers Pension Scheme/hang on endlessly for utility companies etc is because they are all taking the piss walking the dog.

People who need jobs will replace those who leave.
The new people might bring new ideas, & higher productivity
and be less angry.

Yanbu

But really, if they insist you return, you have to

Or find another job

Well it will cost the employers to recruit and train new staff, plus the disruption.

Shorthand for dissent and unrest?

Work from home doesn't work for many businesses because people abuse it and crucially it affects interactions between staff etc. if it's not working for them then they have every right to ask everyone to come back in, that ship hasn't sailed.

If you don't like it leave

Going to pick you up on that there - not the fridge/wine raiding, but the effect of lockdown on UK deaths.

@Bewareofthisonetoo Hear hear!

I'm personally fed up calling a helpline and struggling to hear because of the washing machine/dog barking/todder crying

@LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway

“it's ludicrous to suggest that everyone should be allowed to work from home all the time.”

Genuinely: why is this ludicrous?

I seem to be in the minority, but if I'm at work I want to be at work, not "at work but at home!"
I want a clear boundary between the two.
Too easy to get distracted by ringing doorbells, the telly calling me etc 😁

I noticed this a while ago when I had to ring up somewhere.
The person on the other end was lovely and helpful, don't get me wrong, but had to apologise for the cat. 😕
I don't want a call handler to be distracted by their furballs, wouldn't happen in an office!

Why did things change in covid forever? I wish people would stop using it as an excuse for all kinds of shoddy, poor service now.

It's a timeline 🙄 National lockdown started on 26th March 2020, people were taking about three weeks to die; you can easily see the fall in mortality. It saved tens of thousands of lives.

It also started WFH!

I’ve seen both sides of this as an employee and a business owner… what I would say it’s an employers market at the moment, and even amazing people I know are taking 6 months- a year to find work in exec roles. So don’t be too hasty… lots of companies are expecting more office time now.

We’re attempting to get back into the office for a minimum of 3 days a week. The excuses are pathetic!

People just don’t think ahead. They didn’t WFH pre-Covid so why the hell have they decided to move away during it,
See also
‘ I have a dog now ‘
‘ I sold my car ‘
‘ I go to gym class at lunchtime ‘

5 days a week (supposing you do some kind of office/computer based role) is absolutely ridiculous. Wfh is best for balance and mental health. I get work is important but nothing proceeds your actual life. I think the only good thing that came from the pandemic was more work life balance.

as humans, we aren’t meant to be working so much. We need more time back. I’m sorry to those that have to be in 5 days a week and I hope one day we move to a 4 day work week.

Totally agree 👍

Sounds a pretty effective way of reducing their workforce without javeinc to pay redundancies.

Good. I don’t want to listen to your screaming kids, barking dog or washing machine when I call you.

I think most are reluctant to return to work because they have given up their after school child care. If your kids are in the house and you’re the only adult there you aren’t working