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Original poster

To think my work place is selfish?

39 replies

CorinnaSinner · 21/03/2020 19:05

I work for a big global company and they have let 90% of staff work from home.

They are continuing to make the rest of us come in every day. They keep saying every day (for the last 2 weeks) that they are “looking into” us working from home but yet even now they still haven’t ordered enough laptops for everyone.

We are not key workers. They bring us into a small meeting room each day for briefing - no social distancing there.

OP posts:
ThisTimeMine · 21/03/2020 19:11

Exactly the same at my work, I’m desperate to just stay home with my family but I think I’d need to pass out almost dead on the floor before I would be allowed to wfh

Mutedgrey · 21/03/2020 19:17

On what basis did they decide who has to come in?
I think it’s totally unethical

Original poster
CorinnaSinner · 21/03/2020 19:20

The 90% are allowed to work from home.

Apparently because we deal with sensitive data (like many other companies!) we aren’t allowed to. So it’s either we work or if they do close down then we go home and do zero work,

It’s in their best interest to let us.

OP posts:
melodypondisasuperhero · 21/03/2020 19:56

That is BS. I'm in the finance department so I deal with sensitive information (eg everyone's salaries/payslips, the profit and loss accounts of the company), a lot of other people in my office do work on projects that are under strict NDAs. We're all working from home. Not an excuse.

Original poster
CorinnaSinner · 21/03/2020 20:10

Thank you, they are claiming it’s too high Of a risk for there being a data breach,

It would serve then right for them to close down and us physically not being able to do work.

I understand they are a business but they are putting peoples lives at risk.

OP posts:
LakieLady · 21/03/2020 20:11

@melodypondisasuperhero, would you be the only other adult at home if you wfh?

DP and I both work with people's confidential info and are likely to both be wfh when we return to work on Monday week. We're wondering whether we should both just keep quiet about the other one being present (house too small to work in separate rooms) or whether there are things we could put in place to maintain confidentiality.

It's more phone calls really, we're not interested enough in each other's work to peep at laptop screens, and mine locks itself if you don't click a key or the mouse every few seconds.

JKScot4 · 21/03/2020 20:13

My DD1 works for a well known insurer, they are expected in on Monday.
Majority travel into the city on public transport; most of which is reducing to half timetable.
They have not been told if they will be closing, being paid, WFH is ‘being discussed’
I am beyond angry and worried for her having to travel on a train every day

Lovemyfurrymonster · 21/03/2020 21:29

That's bollocks I work in Organised crime investigations. (NC obviously) .. so information not only confidential but some details classified. Nevertheless I have been working from home for ten days .. your boss is a dimwit.

Darbs76 · 21/03/2020 21:30

Yes they are being selfish. They need to get on with sorting out laptops / equipment for home

Mmsnet101 · 21/03/2020 21:37

They either don't trust you /your colleagues and think you are the risk, or if you are normally on a desk top, then it could be the wait time for a laptop to arrive and be setup by IT. We have outsourced IT and the current lead time is 12-14 weeks because everyone and their granny is needing the same.

RandomMess · 21/03/2020 21:38

Our IT dept can't get anymore laptops (huge employers) we've been through cupboards, using our own etc. Our IT staff are utterly frazzled!

Toomanyradishes · 21/03/2020 21:47

Our workplace is sending people home with their desktops so that they dont have to wait for laptops - we all hand9ly very confidential financial information, you work are being idiots

BerryCatHolly · 21/03/2020 21:50

I sympathise with your situation but as PP says sourcing laptops is nigh on impossible right now. Every firm across the country, if not world, is after laptops to allow business as usual to continue and the stocks aren't there. I wouldn’t bank on any being found any time soon,

You say you are not a key worker but is your role crucial to your employers operations? If you don’t work will things grind to a halt?

RandomMess · 21/03/2020 21:54

I agree your employers are being utter dicks!

Matilda15 · 21/03/2020 21:54

The company I work for closed their offices on Tuesday, if you didn’t have a laptop you were told to unplug full PCs and take them home with the screens and call our head if IT when you got home if you needed walking through set up.

We were actively encouraged to take whatever we needed to be able to work comfortably including office chairs etc.

Sounds like your work are making excuses.

ThisNomadicLife · 21/03/2020 22:01

We're still required to come into the office at my large employer, even though we have company laptops and the ability to work from home!

I'm not sure where I stand with this from an HR point of view if I just decided to WFH, but I am so disappointed and shocked by my employers attitude.

drspouse · 21/03/2020 22:10

My DH works for a govt dept and when he changed jobs internally they had to screen ME because his clearance level went up. He's fully WFH. They need to get their IT sorted.

MagisCapulus · 21/03/2020 22:18

We are able to work from home, but there is only one of us in each office anyway (four offices in different counties, one person in each) so the boss said no, you are isolating at work?! But all offices are in business centres!

Then when I mentioned schools closing in Wales and Scotland and England to be announced later - purely as a heads up, boss said I seemed too keen to work from home!

Yes, actually I am! But I am not allowed to say that, obviously!

SusieSusieSoo · 21/03/2020 23:12

This is just utter nonesense. Gov advice is to wfh wherever possible. I work for govt too. Am a keyworker. I have been wfh since Monday. I won't be going into the office anytime soon. I probably won't get a school place as ours is hugely over subscribed for key workers. Ds7 will be entertaining himself for as many hours as he can manage & I will just have to work even longer days with breaks for him to get through the work.

Such a ridiculous attitude by these employers. What about your journeys to & from work? I would really push it with them tbh op x

TumbleBingQuack · 21/03/2020 23:19

I'm in a similar situation. Perfectly possible for my team to WFH with literally no impact on the business, but the company just won't let us.

Reason given is that it's not fair on the people who physically can't WFH (about 75% of the business), but that means government advice is being ignored.

It's awful and I'm considering handing in my notice. The only thing stopping me is the state of the economy and how precarious the job market is likely to be for some time.

carlywurly · 22/03/2020 07:50

I head hr for a financial services business. All staff can now work remotely thanks to our amazing IT team. Luckily we were in the middle of upgrading laptops (so had ordered loads while still having the old ones) and have strongly encouraged everyone to work from home, as has our md. Between us, we repeat this message almost daily.

We were actually in the position on Friday that our office felt too busy (people really like the office atmosphere) so I'm wfh from tomorrow to try and set an example. We will need to start sending people home soon otherwise.

We are receiving so much positive feedback from staff on our approachSmile

BikeRunSki · 22/03/2020 08:00

DH has been trying to order laptops for his staff for a week, and is having trouble getting any. Could this be part of the problem ?

wowfudge · 22/03/2020 08:05

"Strongly encouraged" is inadequate. Tell them to collect what they need to work effectively asap and close the office! Honestly, it doesn't matter how great the office atmosphere is, the leadership needs to act.

wowfudge · 22/03/2020 08:06

Yes - Covid 19 starting in China means there's a supply shortage of laptops.

NotAFlatEarther · 22/03/2020 08:12

Same as DH’s company. He has to go in, travel to various places including London in a day for meetings, which could all be done from home. Not allowed to wfh as company insists that virus isn’t that bad Confused
I work in NHS. Now schools have closed we have nowhere here offering key worker childcare despite govt. insistence that we’d get it. So I have a choice of taking unpaid leave and probably facing a disciplinary because it’s a crisis (been told this) or leaving a 6 and nearly 8 year old at home alone. It’s shit. At least if DH was wfh I could actually get to my job.