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Original poster

'Go back to work if you can' - any idea what Boris means by this??

297 replies

labyrinthloafer · 10/07/2020 18:11

So today the PM said people should go back to work if they can, rather than stay at home if they can.

But if people can do their jobs from home, why would this be a good idea in amongst all the other things opening up?

I feel so drained at the moment, have got into a very decent homeworking situation, now potentially disrupted, and then all winter it'll be 'oh Sue's coughing, has she had a test' and then people going home while they wait for results.

I suppose my question is - do you think this is just rhetoric or will the home working now start to change?

OP posts:
Nobodyputsdaisyinthecorner · 11/07/2020 02:12

Poor not pure!

iffymiffy · 11/07/2020 05:41

Our town centres need to change and adapt, then.

Lots of people - not all but many - can WFH effectively. I’m not going to be dragged back to the office just so businesses founded on overcharging people can keep doing so. Luckily we will be WFH for at least the rest of the year.

88398839r · 11/07/2020 06:21

Whilst I completely agree that the main driver here is the economy (still incredibly important, not just about having to buy overpriced coffee, you don't have to if you don't want to, but also about general footfall in the city centres) but also that for every poster here who has loved homeworking there has been another person somewhere driven to distraction by it. For lots and lots of people the workplace is the socialising they do every day and not everyone has suitable conditions to work in at home. As Theresa May highlighted this week, it's terrible for victims of DV.
I really hope that this is the start of companies offering WFH to anyone who wants it but there is serious urgency now for lots of people. Lonely people who aren't mixing with others at all, people who live in small homes who need a break from their partners, people in small homes who have had to work from their bed or their sofa and are suffering physically. WFH as standard for everyone might sound great but I think we'd see a massive increase in depression and loneliness.

inglory · 11/07/2020 06:41

If people stay working at home, the economy can't recover.

I have discussed this before how the switch to wfh would have a huge impact as others have said on the industries that support city commuting & working.

However people have now had the opportunity to save money by not wasting it & will they rush back to spending it?
Commuters will have to go back to spending on transport (which must have taken a huge hit this lockdown) but will they return to the morning coffee, lunch out, drink after work etc. I won't be.

inglory · 11/07/2020 06:43

It's not just the coffee shops, it's construction, security, cleaning, etc. Why would all the companies in the city chose to continue with big shiny offices if a large % of their workforce is at home. It will save companies money.

inglory · 11/07/2020 06:48

Most I know are going back a couple days a wk/month from Sept.

I'm back one day a wk & the dc are in school but school has already informed me that there will be no after school clubs etc Autumn term. It won't really impact me but that's a huge deal for many working parents.

inglory · 11/07/2020 06:56

Think of what a one day tube or train ticket will cost in the next few years?

ukgift2016 · 11/07/2020 06:59

Oh brilliant Boris, what about childcare then? As my local holiday club is not opening. He has totally forgotten about working parents.

dairyfairies · 11/07/2020 07:14

well, if they want people back in the offices they should have maybe ensured that the children are in school and holiday clubs are running (neither the case for any of mine).

How does he expect people to go to work with no form of childcare available.

MarshaBradyo · 11/07/2020 07:18

I’m not convinced the DM is t just spinning out a line. We’ll see but I’d wait.

It’s done directive from PM if so when many companies have invested a lot to enable WFH. I’d make the decision based on own risk / reward.

I do think having a place to go to work can help, but more flexibility is good. And keeping PT lower is important.

TheMotherofAllDilemmas · 11/07/2020 07:19

If it helps your dilemma OP, not everyone would be recalled to work at the office as, with social distancing rules, offices can only hold a very small number of people.

Pixxie7 · 11/07/2020 07:24

He wants people to spend money so by encouraging people to go back to work they will spend more money. It’s all about the economy.

Original poster
labyrinthloafer · 11/07/2020 07:34

@88398839r

Whilst I completely agree that the main driver here is the economy (still incredibly important, not just about having to buy overpriced coffee, you don't have to if you don't want to, but also about general footfall in the city centres) but also that for every poster here who has loved homeworking there has been another person somewhere driven to distraction by it. For lots and lots of people the workplace is the socialising they do every day and not everyone has suitable conditions to work in at home. As Theresa May highlighted this week, it's terrible for victims of DV. I really hope that this is the start of companies offering WFH to anyone who wants it but there is serious urgency now for lots of people. Lonely people who aren't mixing with others at all, people who live in small homes who need a break from their partners, people in small homes who have had to work from their bed or their sofa and are suffering physically. WFH as standard for everyone might sound great but I think we'd see a massive increase in depression and loneliness.
All the surveys say the majority have preferred it. Some have not, but it seems most have.

Personally I was happy in the office - but don't want to go this winter as I think it'll be stressful and disrupted.

OP posts:
inglory · 11/07/2020 07:36

I personally like a mix of wfh & being "in".

MarshaBradyo · 11/07/2020 07:40

Not sure what I was saying there.. I think it was - it’s a strong directive from PM if so

A mix is great imo

Di11y · 11/07/2020 07:47

Our office (local gov) has decided only 1 person can work on a banks of 8 desk as the colleagues would have to pass each others back if more.

So yes people could return, but it would be 1/8 50 people out of 400 won't make a dent in the economy.

annabel85 · 11/07/2020 08:04

Another thing I really don't miss about open plan offices and packed trains is being ill all the time.

There's always something going around and because of UK culture unless you're on your death bed you're expected to work.

88398839r · 11/07/2020 08:14

All the surveys say the majority have preferred it. Some have not, but it seems most have.

I'm not sure surveys always show the whole truth, people can be trying to be positive, they can be enjoying WFH in the short term but find that it has negative impacts over time. I think that for lots of people who work really long hours, especially in big cities with long commutes this is a great thing, more time with family etc etc, but there are an awful lot of people out there who go to work to be out and to be around other people. WFH is something that really benefits those with space, nice houses, happy and healthy home lives, we can't just ignore those that don't and use covid as an excuse to forget them. As I said totally agree that WFH is great for some people and I really hope that this is the start of businesses allowing people the choice, but that has to work both ways, they can't just stop having workplaces and force people into WFH when that doesn't work for them, even if those people are a minority (which I doubt if we take the whole of the population into account)

WallsKOL · 11/07/2020 08:17

TheMurk

Seems pretty straightforward to me.

Time to go back to work.

It was time about 4 weeks ago if you ask me.

^^

This

Original poster
labyrinthloafer · 11/07/2020 08:19

@annabel85

Another thing I really don't miss about open plan offices and packed trains is being ill all the time.

There's always something going around and because of UK culture unless you're on your death bed you're expected to work.

I think we'll have a rubbish winter because every time done by be coughs we'll be sending them home and waiting to hear!
OP posts:
MarshaBradyo · 11/07/2020 08:20

Walls do you mean back to packed trains and offices or just back to work off furlough as Johnson meant

LovingLen · 11/07/2020 08:34

Certain sectors should be back in the office if they can, the public facing ones like councils, if you require something from your council you can hardly pop round someone’s house for it. Also some call centres don’t function well from home, I have had to call a couple of these and it was quite a bad experience as they were obviously at home without proper equipment.

Anyone that can wfh that doesn’t affect the way they do their job and any customers that is fine and they should be able to carry on with it if they want

Rainbow12e · 11/07/2020 08:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IsAnybodyListening · 11/07/2020 09:04

I'm in he UK, and received a VERY long email from a colleague in the US who documented his Covid for 2 weeks. The whole read was frankly, fucking terrifying. He is on the mend, but one part he documented how he breathed from an oxygen tank on an of for 72hrs, sitting up, not sleeping as he felt if he shut he eyes he would be dead. The doc in the ER couldn't say if he would make it or not at one point. Completely healthy man btw, no other health conditions.

After reading that, it really brought to the forefront why we are all doing this still.

I'm still WFH, and am luckily very productive still. I am aware for people furloughed, or un-employed the situation is very different. However, if you can maintain your family income through WFH, it would be irresponsible not to continue doing so for heath and safety reasons.The less people mingling, the better.

roses2 · 11/07/2020 09:11

Pret said their revenues are down by ~80% so I can see why Boris is asking everyone to go back to work. My office is also shut until autumn at the earliest. After that they intend to send us in a handful of times per week because they've sublet one of the buildings.