Employee refusing to work at home

[rosq]

My employee is refusing to work from home, they won't come and collect the computer and paperwork from the office. I need them to work from home, they are a vital part of the company and making sure we secure jobs after this is all over. I offered to drop the belongings to their house and sanitise the computer, keyboard etc, but they still said no it's too dangerous.
I'm now more stressed than ever, I have to pay someone to sit at home doing nothing, while paying all my other employees who are doing their best to keep the company operating from their home. I can't find anything online about this as it's all about employers refusing to let employees work from home.

@OrganzaLopez
I completely disagree with you!
The OP sounds like the type of manager we could all do with.
They have offered to sanitize everything and even drop it off, they could even leave it outside and make no contact.
People would love to be able to still work and have a full income, yet the employee wants to do nothing and take no pay!
Really silly if the employee has a baby in the way.

Unpaid leave it is then. Honestly, you are offering to drop it off, sanitise it and he will be working from home so not required to go anywhere. If he doesn't want to then fine, but don't pay him.

Yes, if it's possible for him to work from home, why hadn't you already facilitated him in doing so?

However, if he's not in the 12 week shielding group or self isolating due to symptoms, he needs to choose between wfh and unpaid leave.

@OrganzaLopez are you the employee in question? What a bizarre stance on this. I’m 21 weeks pregnant and will WFH. The boyfriend of an equivalent is saying he can’t, bizarre

OP I would LOVE my business owner to be responding as you are. We are able to WFH but are not being allowed due to a "presentee" culture.

I agree with PP, follow the HR route - I would be giving in a disciplinary for refusal to follow reasonable management instructions. You have allowed adjustments and it sounds like you're being very reasonable with your requirements.

I'd follow vixb1's advice. That sounds totally reasonable.

I can understand his gf and he are scared for their unborn child, but refusing to take sanitisd equioment to work from home, when that is as per government advice, is a step too far!

You absolutely need to take a line on this.

It’s an insult to your other employees if you don’t.

Speak to a professional HR consultant.

You dont have to pay them.

We have had this situation at work. Oddly from a man whose partner is a nurse. So far more likely to catch from her than a keyboard.

Brand new equipment, only taken out of packing to be sanitised. then put in sealed clean bags to be dropped off.

He is now on unpaid leave and of course wants to actually work from home.

Unfortunately, he was out on unpaid and his equipment went to someone else, he is now back of the queue. He will have it by tomorrow at the latest. But several days unpaid.

If he then becomes sick, he gets ssp (presuming you dont pay full sick pay) for 2 weeks.

Theres absolutely no reason, wether he lives with some vulnerable or not, he can not have the equipment in the house.

He cant have the 80% of wages from the government, because you have work for him to do.

Bet when he realises its unpaid, he will try sick leave. Unless that's for full pay, he will start working from home.

Might it be partly that the employee doesn't know how to manage their work from home / connect to Zoom / do the job without help on hand? Maybe some reassurance about what a great job you're sure they can do, plus any IT (virtual)handholding would be a good first step. Otherwise, yes, I don't think you should be paying them.

He is a grown up. If he thinks he will struggle to work from home because he doesnt know how to do it. He can say that, rather than making out sanitised equipment isnt safe.

He is on unpaid leave for the foreseeable then. It may make him change his mind when he realises he won't be paid to sit at home and do nothing.

Ultimately no-one is indispensable. I bet there are a lot of people out of work now who are capable to do his job and more than willing to WFH.

It seems ridiculous, if the laptop was all sanitized it would be absolutely fine. DH still has to go to work in an office with other people, he had a message from the CEO last night after Boris spoke, saying it's business as usual. He doesn't want to go in, he's scared to catch it and scared to bring it home to us, but he has no choice. Others in the office have just announced they're working from home, even though they've banned all home working due to a lack of staff, but DH can't do that, it's just not who he is. Your employee is so lucky, being ABLE to work from home where he will be safe.

@filka totally, at this time lots of people would love to do his role l am sure.

It’s unfortunate that you’ve made the decision a bit late (hence all the stress about equipment and travelling). However you have offered to sanitise and drop equipment off so he has no sensible reason to not work. Perhaps he is experiencing medical levels of anxiety, so I would be kind but really really clear. He has two options either a) you drop round sanitised equipment and he works form home which is a safe solution or b) he chooses not to work and as a gesture of goodwill you allow him to go on unpaid leave for 3 months. He needs to choose today and it will be a final choice as you will need to make alternative arrangements for his work.

I think we'd be offered unpaid leave if it was my company.

We all swooped in, grabbed the monitors from work, and began working from home. I'm 'homeschooling' two kids at the same time as working. Luckily mine are in high school and late middle school so they're not too bad.
My colleagues are wrestling with WFH and pregnancy, one has 3 under the age of 6, working off cardboard boxes etc.
Our company has been great about knowing that there will be some necessary inefficiencies. But it would be taking the piss to not at least try and WFH if this is an option.
And I'm speaking as someone who is on the 'shielded' list.

If we weren't in the middle of this pandemic and someone flat-out refused to work or otherwise follow reasonable management instructions, they would be disciplined and - in all likelihood - dismissed. I'm actually struggling to see this is any different.

Maybe some reassurance about what a great job you're sure they can do, plus any IT (virtual)handholding would be a good first step.

Totally agree!
Assuming your employee is in primary school??

On the other hand if you are not an essential service and it appears your employees can work from home why didn't you implement this sooner instead of the day after complete lockdown? The advice has been to work from home for over a week now, especially if your employee lived with a vulnerable person.

He has unpaid leave then

The place I work at people have been bringing their work laptops and chargers home for the night for the last month just in case of a lockdown.

OP - you will need to be blunt. Work or unpaid leave.

Assuming your employee is in primary school??

First laugh of the day....... thank's for that :)

Why do you assume this @Cheesepleas3 ?