Are you starting to go back to office if you’ve been wfh?

[Littlemiss74]

I’ve been wfh since end March. I had a shielding letter and my employer has been great saying I could stay at home even when shielding was paused. Most other staff were still wfh too anyway but now they are starting to return to office. We’ve been told there can’t be more than 50% staff on site at once so people are going to do a split between home & office.

My boss has asked if I could perhaps come in at the end of the month to see all the safety measures in place with a view to returning. She knows I have been anxious. I am part time so don’t think she would expect me to go in there every day. She said it would be good if I could go in some of the time so we can have team meetings and project planning time together.

At the moment I feel ok about returning but I am anxious about the winter months when there always people in work coughing & sneezing. I take immunosuppressants so need to be careful. I want to show willing and I am slightly conscious that ‘out of sight, out of mind’ may occur if I’m away too much longer.

Just wondering what stages other people are at in returning to the office, how often do you go in a week and what are the covid restrictions in place? Also if you were shielding how do you feel about returning and the winter months?

I appreciate there are many people who will be vulnerable who will have continued working throughout.

Yes please @Egghead68

Try these reviews for starters:

www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02058-1

www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3223

And this from the World Health Organisation:

www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/transmission-of-sars-cov-2-implications-for-infection-prevention-precautions

@Egghead68 sorry do you mean the WHO have admitted it is airbourne or that we should wfh or both - sorry if i’ve misunderstood

I mean the WHO have now admitted it could be/is airborne. I don’t think they’ve commented either way on working from home as I guess this would vary a lot by country.

Dh's office can only take 30 percent staff at a time so they have to book a desk if they want to go in.
There's no benefit to an hour plus commute to sit surrounded by people who aren't the colleagues that you work with, only to have meetings with your actual colleagues over zoom, so there's no pressure to go in currently and I can't see that changing until the office can accommodate more people.

@Lightuptheroom

I've just been told I 'have' to go back in on Monday full time as they've decided my WFH situation isn't ideal (lack of space etc) and apparently the quality of my work is sliding due to only being able to use a small laptop (not allowed to connect anything to own equipment) and having to switch between multiple documents. Not happy as DH was shielding and everybody else in the office has been told they don't have to. Though they have the benefit of big houses and plenty of room!

Shouldn't your workplace be sending you out a monitor to connect your laptop to, at least?

Office is open but attendance is entirely voluntary until end of year. Senior management (including me) have seen benefits of working remotely including easier connections with our North Amlerican teams as everyone is on Teams. I think it'll be a permanent arrangement.

That said, we are fortunate to have enough screens to be able to have 2 each at home and 2 in the office too. Being able to work across three screens at the same time at home is a massive boost to productivity.

Shielding and no, still WFH
There's no room for me to go in and keep 2m distancing

It would so much easier if Boris had not said ‘ok to all go back to work‘ ffs!!! Why did he say this anyway with winter coming? Do you think he’ll change his mind (again)

Commercial landlords like Jeremy hunt dont want to lose income so he might change his mind but only if his hand is forced.

Chris Whitty and Matt Hancock don’t want people going back to the office.

Interestingly the managing director of Pret was interviewed on Newscast and said he hasn’t been pushing for this either (despite all the get back to work, save Pret message). He said Pret are adapting their business model to our new ways of working with more Deliveroo and out of central London services and expanding into dinner delivery.

If those two don’t want it I’m surprised it’s being encouraged really.

NHS here, (admin) and we ask each week at the directorate Zoom meeting when we will be going back to the office, the answer is that as it has worked well with people WFH that only those that have an issue with the set up will be accommodated as there isnt the room in the office to SD everyone. To be honest on our floor for H&S risks in normal times we are not mean to have more than 200 people but have considerably more, so we were already looking to take on another floor of the building, but as this costs an extotionate amount of money (£333000 per floor per year plus Service charge) it makes more sense to space everyone that has to be in the office (the people that take the emergency calls) and the remainder of us are WFH.

I quite enjoy WFH but our manager is planning for us to meet up as we have a new team and havent met any of them apart from via Zoom, A SD picnic or in someones back garden was a suggestion.

I dont think we will be going back until the risk is reduced as we cant afford for the virus to spread with the core workers in the emergency services.

@Littlemiss74

If those two don’t want it I’m surprised it’s being encouraged really.

Apparently (I think according to someone upthread) the government had planned a “get back to the workplace” drive this week but had to scale-back/stop this due to Chris Whitty’s reservations.

It’s bring encouraged at all purely for economic reasons (to keep the rental income coming in from all those city-centre coffee and sandwich shops).

University admin. Very likely to be January 2021

In my case I don't need to go back until January at the earliest although the office is open to a limited extent for those who want to be in the office. I only work one day a week in the office anyway.

DH is going back one day a fortnight from a week on Monday. Again, his office has been open to a limited extent for those who want to go in since June. His firm are on a rota so they can only go in a max of 5 days a fortnight. They want everyone to go in and see what the office is like by the end of the month but I don't think they'll be forcing anyone to do anything they are uncomfortable with.

I honestly don't know what people's objections are. Of any semi decent restrictions and guidelines have been out in place, and they are only asking for 50% staff back at any given time, and do you are only expected in once a week or so, then what is the problem It's nothing to do with covid and everything to do with saving time and money on unreliable commutes. If you can do the job from home effectively why do you need to be in an office for the sake of it.

I am staying at home (public sector) until January at least, DH (private sector) also has no imminent plans to return. If you can wfh effectively don't see the point of rushing back, we should see what impact school and uni starting has on the virus, so things can be assessed in stages.

Gosh seems like my company is in the minority in wanting to get people back in. Time will tell I suppose how it goes..

Ive been gong in but it’s my business and my building.
I’ve told staff it’s up to them. Some are desperate to come back, some don’t want to.
I’ve furloughed those who I don’t need right now.

Dh's office can only take 30 percent staff at a time so they have to book a desk if they want to go in.
There's no benefit to an hour plus commute to sit surrounded by people who aren't the colleagues that you work with, only to have meetings with your actual colleagues over zoom, so there's no pressure to go in currently and I can't see that changing until the office can accommodate more people.

Same where I work (except it’s 25%).

Those of us where I work who are desperate to return to the office see the seaT allocation with non team members as an opportunity to meet new colleagues (which open plan was supposed to introduce but But never did). Or we just do a block booking so we’re sitting together

Interestingly the managing director of Pret was interviewed on Newscast and said he hasn’t been pushing for this either (despite all the get back to work, save Pret message). He said Pret are adapting their business model to our new ways of working with more Deliveroo and out of central London services and expanding into dinner delivery.

Ha ha - there does seem to have been a government campaign to get back to work and save Pret. Doesn’t quite have the same ring as PROTECT THE NHS

No.
The whole office are predominately WFH for the foreseeable future. Probably going into the office 20% of the time as skeleton staff. Usually for double screen work, scanning and headed paper.
Keeps sickness rates low and we can still crack on with the work.

Same here @thanksitsgotpockets . Maximum capacity will be 50% and desks have to be booked in advance.

I'm in Scotland. We are STILL not allowed to go back. Whether or not you are equipped to work from home, or want to go back, we are not allowed to. We are, apparently, non-essential.