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Original poster

When do you think we will be allowed back to offices?

95 replies

Ethelfleda · 01/06/2020 11:47

I have done a search but couldn’t find anything

I am posting as someone who is working from home, and has been since March (and usually does a couple of days a week) but who is looking forward to going back to an office!

Does anyone else feel the same? I keep reading articles saying that we will never return to office life and I find it quite depressing.
I can be just as productive at home, and I know the bigger picture here is far more important than my lamenting on office life...
But do you think the government will lift the ‘work from home wherever possible’ plan before there is a vaccine?

OP posts:
Original poster
Ethelfleda · 01/06/2020 12:06

Anyone?

OP posts:
BittersweetMemories · 01/06/2020 12:09

I don't think before September at the absolute earliest.

I miss the office and fed up of being stuck in the draughty dark corner of the living room all bloody day.

Home working isn't for me!

Waxonwaxoff0 · 01/06/2020 12:12

My office is still open, we can't work from home in our industry. Only one staff member in though due to hardly any work, the rest of us are on furlough. There are only 5 of us but we won't realistically be able to distance when the rest of us go back due to the office size.

TheGreatWave · 01/06/2020 12:36

We are currently planning to be back 1st July with reduced capacity. I am more concerned about the air conditioning tbh.

I am not sure of the plan but I think there will have to be an element of those that live further away will come back to the office, and those local can use their home as a base.

bigchris · 01/06/2020 12:37

I have been going in since day 1 as we can't work from home

There are risk assessments in place but social distancing hasn't really happened and none of us have got ill

mynameiscalypso · 01/06/2020 12:39

I'm on maternity leave at the moment but my company is planning to open some office space from next week albeit with a very limited capacity.

ClientQ · 01/06/2020 12:48

I work in a small contact centre and we went back last week with screens and distancing

BKT2 · 01/06/2020 12:51

I prefer the office to be honest. Don’t miss the travelling so much though.

Deblou43 · 01/06/2020 12:53

I am wfh until September earliest !! I hate it can't wait to go back to the office

Starlive23 · 01/06/2020 14:07

Mine is still open! Me and a number of staff are furloughed but I think when they are back in a position to pay us again, we will mostly be at the office. Mine is a solicitors so have to be there to see clients, it was never really set up for working at home and despite some early half arsed efforts most of the people still working are at the office but more spread out than before

Original poster
Ethelfleda · 01/06/2020 14:19

Interesting- mixed responses.
I’m interested to know how different companies interpret ‘work from home where possible’
I doubt mine will have us back in any time soon.

OP posts:
chocolatesaltyballs22 · 01/06/2020 14:21

Has your employer not given guidelines about when they expect employees back in the office? We've been told it's going to be the back end of the year.

emmathedilemma · 01/06/2020 14:47

I don't my see us being back any time soon. It's in the last phase of lockdown release at the moment so that's probably going to be September at the earliest, and then I think it will be on a reduced capacity or as needed basis.

AgentCooper · 01/06/2020 14:52

It’s probably going to be September at the earliest for me (university admin) but God I would love to go back earlier.

mindutopia · 01/06/2020 15:07

I think it will be a decision made on an employer-by-employer basis.

My employer (university) has said they are preparing 2 plans, one for a September return and one for January. Much of what I do can be done remotely anyway (I already wfh a lot) and what can't is being modified so I can do it from home. I'm really not in any hurry though I do enjoy being in the office, but it would be amazing if schools re-opened so that I could actually get work done while wfh.

NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite · 01/06/2020 16:56

HMRC staff are wfh until at least September.

Stokey · 01/06/2020 17:00

I've been told WFH for the long run so think it will be end of year at the earliest. I work in a massive building with over 2,000 people in my part and they have worked out that around 300 could safely work there. No tea points, canteen or hot desking, one-way system on staircases and only one person allowed in the toilet cubicles at any time. So I think even if you could go back, it wouldn't be much like it was before - no chatting while grabbing a tea etc.

HollyBollyBooBoo · 01/06/2020 17:01

Our business is hell bent on getting 50% of us back in on Monday (that's about 1500 people).

Do they know something we don't? Is BoJo about to announce 'go back to work?'.

Utterly bizarre.

Coronabored · 01/06/2020 17:03

Most of the 5000 workers are back at my head office and I go back Friday. Why would we not be at the office when we have been told we can go to work?

NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite · 01/06/2020 17:03

"I’m interested to know how different companies interpret ‘work from home where possible’ "
I was thinking the same thing. Isn't it down to the Govt to ease the restrictions on this rather than companies deciding you can go back?

For those going back, are the companies saying it isn't possible for you to wfh any longer? Is there a good reason for them deciding you have to go in to work or are they misinterpreting the guidelines?

Aragog · 01/06/2020 17:08

Lots of offices are open, but they have to be 'Covid safe' and maintain social distancing measures in place.

DH goes into his office half a day a week. He thinks, once measures are in place, this will increase to 50% in the office, around the end of the month. He has no idea when they will all be in the office, working as normal, but doesn't think it will be any time soon.

NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite · 01/06/2020 17:11

Our business is hell bent on getting 50% of us back in on Monday (that's about 1500 people).
Are you able to wfh and access all systems or are there tasks you cannot perform at home? If there is nothing you cannot do at home, I would be quoting the Govt guidelines to them. Like you say, utterly bizarre.

@Coronabored
"Why would we not be at the office when we have been told we can go to work?" Who has told you that you can go to work?
The Govt rule is that you should wfh if you can and only go to work if you cannot wfh.

IrelandsIndustry · 01/06/2020 17:13

Dh has been told to expect to wfh til the end of the year at least.

Assuming childcare reopens, can't really see why anyone would want to go back to an office environment as it is such a pointless risk.

Coronabored · 01/06/2020 17:14

We never shut for 20% of the workforce. No one told us, we have a business to run and most people need more than just word and Excel to do their job properly.

IrelandsIndustry · 01/06/2020 17:16

There is literally no reason why any office worker should not be able to work from home. The tech set up is ridiculously easy and I would question whether any office not equipped to allow their employees to work remotely is fit for purpose.