Are you back in the office next week even if you can work from home?

[C1239]

The advice obviously changed this weekend to encourage more back into the workplace. What view has your employer taken? Even if you have been able to work from home well the last few months have you been asked to get back into office working from next week?

We are but only if we feel safe. Anyone with health issues, childcare or caring responsibilities can continue to work from home. Also anyone who travels to work on public transport.

Our workplace have done an amazing job of putting new procedures in place so we all feel safe.

Some of us have been in on a rota basis for a few weeks and that will be increasing.

This is for a range of reasons, some related to our service users, some because isolation was causing mental health issues to some so they and have come back in (and there is a wider rota so as not to stigmatise and so the office doesn't feel like a ghost town and make things worse) and so that the more established staff can better support the newer staff.

I'm showing as wfh until end of September but got talked into coming back next Saturday.

Mind you, Boris is talking about more individual shielding for over 50's but I won't hold my breath.

We've had the option to go in for a while now, but it was very much if you really want to go in say to have a break from any family members or just needing to get out of the house and be somewhere different. It was also expected that if we had any internet issues or whatever we had to go in. In either case it still had to be cleared by the manager and HR though.

Now its changed to everyone going in once or twice a week with the rest of the time working from home. They have said to keep SD this is the only way it can happen, but we do really need people in to answer the phones. I agree really as the amount of emails I've seen from people saying that they tried to ring, but couldn't get through was quite high. They were all redirected to a couple of company mobiles, but it didn't always work. The phones aren't that busy at the moment, but of course this could change the more people going back to the offices - Its not people ringing, but companies mainly who ring.

The company don't seem to be making any further suggestions to what it is now. However, I'm not convinced that plans aren't already being made to get us all in more. Then again as I am not in the management I wouldn't know anything apart from overhearing something about banks of 4 desks when I was in last week

I like it the way it is, but if they made a way for us all go in FT then I wouldn't kick up a big fuss. I'm not as scared about going back to work than what I was before.

I thought the advice changed a couple of weeks ago so not sure what advice changed this weekend though

Already back in 3 days 😭 I'm expecting it to increase to full time as soon as they can make it work, SD-wise. Lots of resistance within the workforce as WFH was seamless (from my POV anyway) but the leadership are starting to take a very firm line with everyone now.

No, the office is open but you have to book a desk in advance and we can wfh for as long as we want at this stage. They've said no-one will be told they have to go back in.

I want to know more about the air con before I go back. It's a large, open plan office but with an ancient air con system which I fear will spread the virus to whoever sits near it. The building heats up very quickly when it's off and the windows only open a crack, so no chance of doing without.

Not allowed back in our offices as they're limiting numbers so priority staff only.

Been back at our secondary workplace for a while now. First one day a week, now two days. Wfh the rest of the time. Works well.

No.

WFH until at least September when we may have a rotating skeleton staff, one day a week each. Our office is huge so I'm actually ok with one day a week there. I'd wear a mask. And have TWO screens to work from.

No plans for return everyone to the office in large numbers.

Returning tomorrow. I, along with the rest of the work force are furious. It has been a rushed decision mostly made by the twats in the head office in the US who are big fans of 'presenteeism' irrespective of productivity.

Academic here, very slow return to campus with minimal face to face teaching until January and staff only coming in to teach what absolutely cannot be taught online (there's a practical component to the course). So I'll probably be in once a week, maybe less.

I'm happy with that - it'll be nice to have a bit of face to face contact with colleagues and students again but I feel as if we're all being kept safe. I appreciate the fact that there's no expectation that staff have to be in just to be seen to be in.

@Tanfastic

We've never been out of the office, even though we were able to work from home 🙄

Ditto. Our bosses said we couldn't work from home but the truth is they just didn't bother to set it up for us to do so.

Currently working in the office is voluntary. Work have set a limit on how many people can be in at one time (set below half of what would normally be full occupancy) and you have to book a desk if you want to go in to make sure the limit isn't breached. So far the numbers of people going in haven't come close to hitting the limit. A lot of people commute in using public transport so are worried about that.

I was at a specialist plant centre yesterday and the manager there said they have been run of their feet with everyone working at home. He said the Shed Factory next door had a order book running through the autumn and he benefited from that as well as people wanted plants. Sounds like a few office/sheds being installed.

I work in a large office and everyone was told that WFH will continue for the forseeable.

A few priority posts have had to go in and the rest of us are allowed to go in if we want to, but all has to be arranged in advance and desk booked.

I've been back in office since late June. I hate WFH.

My work is saying you shouldn’t go in if you use public transport or if you’re vulnerable. I’m not going back full time that’s for sure.

No. We won't be back in until late in the year or next year realistically.

No sign of a return for the foreseeable future (London-based). The office's lease came up the other month and our landlord wanted an extortionate amount to renew so we just terminated it. We have a bit of flexible space nearby but in the latest firm survey you could count on one hand the number of people who wanted to spend any time there in the next few months. Sounds like the firm's not going to push it. Maybe start looking for another more permanent (but much smaller) space in the new year.

Our HR dept initially emailed out to all staff to say that the office was open and anyone who wanted to come in could. There was no pressure and if you had childcare responsibilities or was anxious about returning then to carry on WFH. You had to tell your manager so they could make sure that there wasn’t too many back at one time.

A week later another mail came out saying that the numbers who wanted to return to the office were surprisingly small (no shit Sherlock) and so now we are being told we have to come back.

So they paid lip service to it but in reality we will do as we are told.

I sincerely hope that once the usual coughs and colds go around the building and we all have to disrupt the business by carting our huge screens / PCs and other gear back and fore to our homes (this will disrupt our team by half a day for each change of location) that they realise they are being ridiculous. We can and are WFH brilliantly and so in our opinion just stay as we are until we can be sure we are in to stay.

Once everybody got appropriate kit (which took a few weeks), they allowed WFH as much as people wanted. My immediate colleagues don't expect to be back in the office this side of Christmas. I'm back in the office for the school holidays, as I cannot work at home whilst our autistic son is off school; but I expect to go to a half-and-half pattern come September. I'm definitely more productive in the office as a result of having multiple monitors, access to a printer, and everything "to hand" rather than scattered across the bedroom.

We have a strong union thankfully at work. I’m a H&S rep.

My dh will still be WFH , infact I doubt he will ever go back to working in his office ft .

I work in a small team, and am H&S officer. We are beginning to look at risk assessments etc for the future, but don't anticipate people being in for quite a while. The main thing we are doing though - which should always be done - is including all staff in consultation to try and gauge what the feeling is, and to address any concerns before we decide what action to take. I find it quite sad that people are just being told to go in by the 'powers that be', I just think this is so damaging for staff morale in any climate, particularly during this pandemic.

Civil service. No WFH for foreseeable future. Not enough space for my team as we can WFH and out office given up to those who need to be there.. and socially distance .