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Original poster

Anyone else had work refuse WFH?

87 replies

Oysterbabe · 17/03/2020 07:27

My job can easily, easily be done from home. We all have a laptop ready to go in case Boris orders companies to let people WFH. My company are yet to agree it and everyone has been told to go in today as normal. It's a large company with in the region of 500 staff working in offices in close proximity. I have a feeling they won't allow it unless they have no choice. They hate people working from home for reasons they've never been able to explain.
They're cunts right?

OP posts:
mangocoveredlamb · 17/03/2020 07:29

My husbands is the same. I’m flabbergasted. The prime minister has told people to work from home if at all possible as soon as possible and companies are putting profit above pontential it glitches.

RedSheep73 · 17/03/2020 07:30

They're cunts.Mine have been working on the assumption we'll be at home from next week, I've just told them I'll be starting today, and I don't expect any resistance.

puds11 · 17/03/2020 07:31

Yup, cunts. Mine gave WFH order yesterday.

RasberryRoyale · 17/03/2020 07:32

My Husband’s office is the same.

middleager · 17/03/2020 07:33

Yes OP. DH is same boat.

False economy as your employees will be off sick eventually that way.

This crisis is certainly highlighting some true colours.

Grasspigeons · 17/03/2020 07:40

My DH has been working from home and apparently its caused issues with staff that cant (totslly different types of role) so after the announcement he was phoned and told he had to come in today. Sort of 'we all get it together solidarity'

I dont think these light touch suggestions are very effective

Salene · 17/03/2020 07:42

Well they either allow them to WFH or risk losing 80% of staff off ill potentially for many weeks. Seems extremely counter productive to me. Better to get people home and keep them virus free so they can continue working

hopeishere · 17/03/2020 07:46

My DH's is the same. However he has a serious underlying illness so he's just insisting on doing it. Think other staff will kick up as they want to too.

As a pp says profit before people.

WhenDoIGetToSleep · 17/03/2020 07:47

I'm an employer (only a very small company - myself and 4 employees). I'd much rather my employees WFH and I divert the main phone to my mobile.

Yes of course there's a risk that people won't work the full hours they do in the office but, hey, who says that just because they're in an office that they're working anyway?!

I'd prefer to trust my staff to get work completed instead of them all running the risk of catching & spreading this virus. Like a lot of people, I also have older family members that are in the "at risk" category. People's health is more important than me getting 8 hours work from someone.

TheGreatWave · 17/03/2020 07:48

I guess I will find out today. One of the senior management is very anti WFH, so could be interesting.

At the moment I am more concerned about their policy if we have to self isolate.

MistyMinge2 · 17/03/2020 07:48

My boss is making provision for people to work from home, but I know they will only go with it if their hand is forced. I have a laptop etc and could start wfh now, but I've been given no indication this is 'allowed' at the moment, so I feel I must go to the office. The 'should' is not hard line enough. The government need to enforce it and say people 'must' wfh where possible.

Original poster
Oysterbabe · 17/03/2020 07:48

I'm walking in now and silently seething and frothing to myself. Someone is going to get both barrels today 😂

OP posts:
middleager · 17/03/2020 07:48

Grass mine's like that. I already wfh 1-2 days pwk yet my role could be done completely from home.
But because the rest of the team can't due to very different roles, they are all grumbling and would rather me join them.

They're all on over 120k - 4x as much as me - so there's some element of them trying to justify their salary still and presenteeism.

AnneLovesGilbert · 17/03/2020 07:48

It’s bizarre. I spoke to several friends last night who work is wildly varied industries and where they can wfh they’ve all been ordered to do so and banned from their workplaces.

middleager · 17/03/2020 07:49

Sorry, 5X as much!

IvinghoeBeacon · 17/03/2020 07:49

Many employers really struggle with doing things differently. I can’t imagine how enraging it must be to be a person with disabilities who has been refused certain adjustments only to see that suddenly some companies can be quite creative about how to ensure that people can keep working

ilovecakeandwine · 17/03/2020 07:52

Yeah just commented on another post that while I'm happy to come to work for my mental health if people can wfh and I think 80% of my office can they should be encouraged. I'll be fuming if nothing is implemented today . I'm worried for my job also because financially it's a difficult time too.
If companies are putting profits before our health perhaps the only way is complete lockdown .

PeonyTruffle · 17/03/2020 07:53

Same, we were told to bring our own laptops in so that they can add the software and then we were told the manager had changed his mind. My colleague works from home full time doing the same job as me.
I use public transport to get there and I'm really fucked off now.

They sold £200k worth of hand sanitizer yesterday, they will keep going to the bitter end when Boris tells them to close. I was told we would get SSP of they do close but not sure how that would work if we arent actually ill though?

Hwory · 17/03/2020 07:54

Yep and I work from home two days a week anyway 🙄

pinkazing · 17/03/2020 07:54

Ours went through a checklist on Friday to find out if everyone could work from home, apart from those who actually need to be in the office, everyone will be set up and out by tomorrow.

SallyWD · 17/03/2020 07:55

I think it's very irresponsible for your company to go against government advice. My boss asked me to come in one day this week to get my things then work from home. I'm happy to do this.

Ineverdidmind · 17/03/2020 07:56

My office are being the same. I've logged on this morning from home anyway. I will not go in when I do not need to, they can discipline me for it if they want.

Bloomburger · 17/03/2020 07:59

DH is on a 50/50 split with his team, half of them are in at a time, half working from home. They can work from home (for the first time ever) but have to back everything up to ensure safeguards are in place and with everything going on in the markets he needs to have serious chats board level and with BoE today.

meredithgrey1 · 17/03/2020 07:59

My DH has been working from home and apparently its caused issues with staff that cant (totslly different types of role) so after the announcement he was phoned and told he had to come in today. Sort of 'we all get it together solidarity'

Those other staff need to get a grip. Different roles can do different things, insisting that your colleagues don't work from home just because you can't is childish, and it's stupid because at least if half the office isn't there you're less likely to catch it from them, and you can spread out more in the office to keep a safer distance from the people who are in.

ilovecakeandwine · 17/03/2020 07:59

@pinkazing that's very sensible of your employer,mine just ran round like headless chickens. I suspect today will be more running around but they knew this was coming in fact today they simply must do something before it's total lockdown.