Returning to work worry

[decisionsdecision]

So am I the only one concerned about when we are going to be asked to return to work. Most of us have had weeks and weeks off and got into (in majority of cases) a good routine. I'm worried that workplaces will go right everyone is back in full time and it's going to be a very difficult adjustment for lots of people. I'm hoping they will gradually faze it back into working in the office rather than all in one go.
Does anyone agree?

Why will it be difficult to adjust? It's no different to having had two weeks holiday, or being off over Christmas. Monday is a shock, by Wednesday you've forgotten you were ever away.

I have been at work the whole time, but I imagine that had I not it would be like maternity leave etc in that after a few days back it will be like you were never away.

@BaronessBomburst because I feel like it is a different situation. It's not been a holiday it's been a scary situation. Just because work places can go back doesn't mean the risk won't be there and people will understandably be very nervous.

Also interestingly if one partner is on mat leave and has had the support of the other partner I think it will be terribly hard for them both to adjust back

I think you just have to get back to it. I can't see any business supporting phased return because people need time to adjust!

Yes, it's been a scary time but many are still working through it including me. We are surviving so I'm sure those that have been at home will adjust.

To clear up I mean phased return as in work from home so many days then in the office for so many days a week.
I think a lot of businesses have realised that working from home is a viable business model and can work for their companies long term (I realise this isn't every company)

A phased return after a couple of months off?! Sorry OP but you sound a bit precious here! Just crack on you'll be fine

@SpudsAreLife84 I'm not working. However my family members and friends have been. To go from not travelling in each day and having mostly very flexible working hours I think it will be a massive shock. E.g one family member normally has to leave at 5 in the morning to get in for 9 and works until 6:30/7 and doesn't get home until 9 it's a massive change from 5/6 weeks of working flexibly to go back to that

We’ve been discussing this in preparation for returning back to the office. We’re based in London, some people can cycle/walk/drive but others have to get the tube. We’re assuming it’ll be a phased return with people going into the office on a rota so we can maintain social distancing in the office. Also, amending hours to avoid traffic, busy commutes etc. I would imagine most workplaces are looking at similar scenarios.

My employer has always been very flexible with hours though, and we’re all set up to work from home, most of us already did a few days a week before this happened. I imagine it’ll be quite a while before we have a full office.

Yet each summer school children have several weeks off then crack straight back on to their usual hours.
You mention maternity leave - will you petition the school for phased return also?
To go from not travelling in each day and having mostly very flexible working hours I think it will be a massive shock
Almost like people who have been made redundant or were out of work suddenly having to get back into the swing of it -just like everyone else, should there be phased job starts?
I get up at 6am, it’s an early start. I go to bed earlier. I used to get up at 5, I went to bed at 9pm so I have no sympathy for your ‘family member’ who gets up at 5. I hope it’s not you on maternity leave because it doesn’t sound like you are an adult tbh. You sound like my teenager.
Phased return for social distancing -fair enough
Phased return because it’s hard after a break -you have to be kidding me.

@Imboredinthehouse I hope it’s not you on maternity leave because it doesn’t sound like you are an adult tbh. You sound like my teenager.

Wow such hostility. No surprise your teenager is like that with your attitude towards others!
Yes I am on maternity and if you think schools will go back full time straight off you are deluded. This is not a normal situation and it will be hard on people. Just because some people are happy to go straight back fully into it doesn't mean everyone is!
I never asked for sympathy simply said if you go from doing 9-5 at home everyday can go where you want as you please can have breaks when you please etc going back into a very different routine will be increasingly difficult. Not to mention the scariness of having to commute with others etc.

if you think schools will go back full time straight off you are deluded

I said after EACH summer schools go back full time, because that’s what they do, each year after seeing several months break.

My teen is ADHD & ASD so I was amazed an actual adult would be on here acting like him about going back to work after weeks off and finding it difficult.

I’m NHS. My hostility is because I don’t have sympathy for you moaning about a family member finding it hard to go back to work because I have 5 days off then am back to donning an apron, face mask, gloves and visor and you are whining about how hard other people will find it getting up early after 5 (paid?) weeks off.

If, as you are on maternity leave, you are struggling with the prospect of your DP returning to work and leaving you alone -which, if you had posted about (rather than going back to work being unfair) you would have received a very different response from the majority of people who have posted, not just me I might add-please do speak to your MW, HV or the GP. Im very sorry you are finding the prospect so difficult.
It’s difficult for everyone.

I understand what you are saying OP. I feel anxious about returning to the office, mainly because I have realised how much easier I find it/how much more productive I am working from home.
The thought of returning to the school run, commuting to work, arriving in the office only to immediately try and work out what time I will need to leave to collect from school and then trying to fit my work in between doesn't fill me with joy.
I plan on asking, when the time is appropriate, if I can continue to work from home for part of the week.

@Imboredinthehouse I never said going back to work was unfair I said I worried about the situation of being thrown back into it after in the case of some 2-3 months off.
As you've said you have 5 days off 5 days on (I'm presuming) which is a completely different situation. If you had 3 months off then went back to doing 12+ hour shifts it would be a difficult transition. I've personally never worked somewhere where someone has come back whether maternity or sick leave and not done a phased return. Maybe that is just my experiences.
My own DP works from home a couple of days a week normally anyway so wouldn't make a difference with me but I can't lie I do worry that I've had support for the last 8 weeks and then it will just snap back to doing it alone. Whether you agree with it or not you should appreciate for any person it would be a difficult prospect.

It's not difficult. Hundreds of thousands of people go from being SAHP's or long-term unemployed to full time workers every year.

People may not be exactly happy to go back, but they will just have to suck it up like grown-ups, and be grateful they have a job. There's not enough money to support firms whose workers are feeling a bit delicate.

My company never fully closed, and will be having everyone in next week. There will be exceptions for those who need childcare etc. Our orders are down by over a million pounds, and we need everyone to pull together. Those who insist they need time to re-adjust to early starts etc will be looking for another job.

@SuitedandBooted I don't think people quite understand. I'm talking about those who do a couple of weeks half working from home half working in office. I'm not saying not working at all. To be honest your company sounds terrible if they can't consider employees feelings.
Most companies are doing very well working from home and has made no major changes them being at home any drop has been from lack of consumer interest not people working at home compared to an office

I’m going straight back to work after maternity leave. It’s the job phased return doesn’t work... year off have my return to work meeting on my first day then after that straight back working.

I think a lot of people are rather enjoying being off work during the unseasonably pleasant weather, and don’t understand how the economy works (and who is currently paying for them to be off work).

And now they don’t want to go back to work because they’re “in a nice routine”...

I'm worried about my work asking me to return if schools aren't open by then. I have no idea what I'll do.

I can understand your worries op and I think some of the comments here have been quite sneery.

It will take a while to adjust back into normality and realistically things aren't going to be normal in the how-they-were-before sense because coronavirus exists now and will continue to be a risk even when we are advised to go back to work. Hopefully businesses will make provisions to keep the risk of transmission down.

Not only that but lots of us have gotten used to these new routines. Mentally I am a creature of habit and struggle with anxiety when it comes to changing routines or dynamics. Whether or not we will be afforded any period or adjustment I don't know. Probably not. But I can see where you're coming from.

I know what you mean OP. I’ve been working from home during lockdown and feel it’s been working out quite well and don’t feel so stressed as being in the office. Monday’s are also not quite so bad as they used to be so yes I do think it will take a bit of adjusting when we go back to normal.

You’re worried that people (adults) won’t be able to cope with going back into the office because ‘they’ve got into a nice routine’? Seriously?
DH worked from home for 2 years. He then got a new job commuting into London (from the midlands) every day. He coped fine.

I work for a big household name company, we are already planning to return people to the office, the expectation at present is that it will happen in stages starting with people who can't work at home currently for tech or logistical reasons (no broadband/ equipment/ no desk or table to work at). They'll be back in the office on their contracted hours as soon as we can, provided they have a safe route to work. Then we'll return those who would prefer to be in the office and / or are less productive at home (this is quite a few people as we have 2-3 screen setups in the office and a personal laptop isn't a great substitute), before we get to those who work well at home etc. Eventually everyone will return to the office FT, as we're not set up for ad hoc working from home (some departments do have entire teams who are permanently home based, but there's no plans to expand this or to adopt a flexible approach where people WFH as and when, as that doesn't work for our model. I am sure many large organisations will be following a similar plan in terms of returning staff.

@ReginaPhallange47 Mentally I am a creature of habit and struggle with anxiety when it comes to changing routines or dynamics.

^ this. I can't believe these comments. It's not a question that every person will feel the same way but people need to realise that it took a lot to get used to a new routine. As I've said lots of times now I'm saying people work at home for 2 days and in the office 3 days for a couple of weeks. I don't think that's taking the piss.
The same way before lockdown started a lot of companies allowed people to work from honest least 1 day a week if not more to get used to it.

You would've thought I'd said nobody should ever go back to work

@Sadie789 I'm not saying that they don't go back to work. I'm saying they have a phased return. As I've said lots of times those working from home could do 2 days at home 3 in the office for a couple of weeks. Those who are doing that are not damaging the economy?