Sorry Corona related. AIBU - working from home

[Cottagepieandpeas]

A simple question; I have diabetes, high blood pressure (well controlled) and a blood clotting disorder.

I travel to work on public transport (no other option) and spend some of my working day with members of the public.

Am I being unreasonable to ask to work from home from now on?

It's possible to do my job from home (usually wfh about once a month anyway), but at the moment it's not being offered as a standard thing. And some people where I work can't do their job from home.

sounds very sensible to me .

I agree, it sounds sensible.

My OH has already been told to WFH as the norm going forward. I think it's just a matter of days or weeks before this becomes the norm for roles where this is feasible....

Nope, do it. My DM has quarantined herself, and I'm very pleased she has.

I think if it’s feasible to work from home then anyone who can, should.

If you can! I’m a college lecturer with diabetes, no spleen and take immunosuppressants for Rheumatoid Arthritis. I’m surrounded by sniffling students!

Oh no Crispy that sounds really horrible.
I wonder if classes / lectures in this country will move online at some point as they have elsewhere.

We're just moving this over to the right topic now.

My main concern (& the reason that I asked) is that my manager is likely to be unsympathetic about such a request. She's done a bit of sneering at people's anxieties already....

Ooops sorry Mumsnet - didn't know there was a special quarantined area! Thanks.

Give it a couple more days and the government will move into the 'Delay' phase of their plan, which includes recommending that people work from home. Then your manager will struggle to come up with a sensible objection.

The Government will do it for her before long. The only problem with locking yourself down too early is that it could go on for weeks and weeks.... and your boss could still argue that you’re going to the supermarket/socialising etc

I wouldn't say that you want to work from home because you're anxious about catching it. I would instead state that as you are in a higher risk bracket if you catch coronavirus due to the diabetes and other factors and therefore as recommended by government advice you would like to work from home to reduce the risk factors.

Yes that's pretty much what I've said in my email (not yet sent!) @rookiemere
But I'm predicting a "lots of people in your situation" response.

I manage a team and also feel guilty about them, but have emailed one woman I know to be in a high risk categoroy and have said I would support a request from her to wfh.

Sounds sensible if your job can be done from home

I would definitely request this. How old are you?

@Snog In my 50s. Why?

Sounds sensible. If you usually have contact with the public though is she going to say you’re not able to do all your work from home?

I would give it a couple more days for the reasons the previous poster said.

@Crispynoodle - I’m surrounded by sniffling students!

You could take a leaf out of one of my colleague's book. Apparently, he's kicking all students with cold/flu symptoms out of his lectures.

There have been one or two complaints....

@AnneLovesGilbert I could cut that part down significantly (I choose to do most of it because I enjoy it) and the organisation I work for are looking in to delivering a lot of this sort of service via Skype - that's the emergency plan they're discussing if we get shut down because of an actual case.

She is another risk factor

AGE

I think you should definitely work from home, but how will that work if you currently spend some of your working day with the general public?

See above @screamqueenz

I can cut that part down & should be able to do using Skype (or similar)