Have you gone back to the office?

[Echobelly]

Interested to hear how many people doing jobs that could, at least in theory, be done from home have gone back into the office? And what context do you work in?

I work for a professional membership organisation with an office in central London. The office shut a week before lockdown, they announced in June it would be shut until the end of September. They will be opening it next month, but only to test out with a few senior staff, and they have said they will not demand anyone returns in they do not wish to. TBH, it'd hardly be worth demanding people come in as they can get in so few people and you couldn't really do any of the 'collaboration' an office is supposed to be for.

We've functioned fairly well in isolation, I'd say, and I'm not expecting to go back this year - mainly the commute. I have no reason to fear getting ill, but if I can keep working while note getting on a tube train for 40 mins twice a day thus encountering at close quarters dozens of people a day, I shouldn't be going in and creating that risk for others.

At the beginning I thought I would be dashing back, but don't feel that way now, and actually quite OK with wfh now.

We're not allowed back yet, and we're unlikely to be back before January if not Easter and even then execs are talking about a mixture of wfh and time in the office, I suspect the opportunity will be taken to reduce our accommodation and it'll end up being 95% wfh for most people with trips into an office base for team meetings, 121s and appraisals.

I'd personally prefer to be in the office, I have a very short commute, didn't buy lunch out and have an older teenager so a lot of the benefits don't apply to me, in fact my costs will go up once I have to start heating my office in the winter.

DamitJanet How does that work IT wise? We've all taken screens, keyboards docking stations, chairs etc. home so if we went into the office for the day we'd have to work from our laptops which is terrible from an MSK perspective and I personally can only do for short periods. That's one of the issues keeping us at home full time, we can't provide two lots of IT kit for everyone, OK you only need one laptop but you can't carry a screen, keyboard etc. into work every time. Now my office chair is at home and upstairs it's going nowhere.

I’ve been back a few days a week for the past few weeks (the same as I did before lockdown)
But I had to request it. We have a huge building that comfortably accommodates 400.
Desks are already really far apart and they have all measures in place. They haven’t ‘officially’ opened but more and more people are starting to come in. And meetings have been arranged too.

I’m the opposite to you, OP. Thought I would relish WFH for so long but I was desperate to get back!

Going back next week on a 50/50 basis.
We are led by a person who likes to micro manage and constantly says we all have to ‘get used to it!’ They mean COVID and we are NHS back office staff.
I’m looking for another job.

@TeaOneSugar

DamitJanet How does that work IT wise? We've all taken screens, keyboards docking stations, chairs etc. home so if we went into the office for the day we'd have to work from our laptops which is terrible from an MSK perspective and I personally can only do for short periods. That's one of the issues keeping us at home full time, we can't provide two lots of IT kit for everyone, OK you only need one laptop but you can't carry a screen, keyboard etc. into work every time. Now my office chair is at home and upstairs it's going nowhere.

Our desks in the office only have screens. Everything else we have to take with us. Laptop, keyboard, headset. Not a hassle for me as I’m a home worker and would need to take it anyway.

Yes been back full time in office since 1st June. It's lovely to have all my stuff to hand and not living with a pile of papers in my lounge.

Our company bought new chairs, desks and screens delivered to employees‘ home for anyone that wanted/needed them so yes we now have 2 x everything. We just need to take our laptops and headsets with us which I’d take home normally every night anyway.

We've decided to require all to work from the office two days a week from next week. The one person I was worried would not want to do this has just said they're moving home to be within walking distance and cannot wait to be back.

Back 2 days a week since June. Breaks up the week nicely. In the last couple of weeks more people have started coming back so the social element is improving. I had a socially distanced lunch in the kitchen with someone from my team for the first time in six months this week. It was great.

It also helps me feel more comfortable being out and about as it is a way of getting my toe into the water of trying to get back to normality.

Really interesting to see the different situations everyone is in.

My office say they can only get 40 people in safely - which surprises me as it's an office of nearly 200 and I'd say our layout and desks are pretty spacious, but perhaps it's less about space and more about movement.

I have been on the tube a 3 or 4 times in the last two months (having not been on it at all between mid March and the end of July) and it's felt pretty safe off peak, but I wouldn't want to be getting on it regularly or near busy times. Not really practical for me to go in at odd times what with having kids either.

We're OK for space, especially as no au pair since lockdown, so we have a spare room to use as an office when I need privacy (or I can work in front room, but wifi's not good enough for calls). DH isn't working - his last contract finished in July and he's working on programming some software he reckons there's a market for, basically setting himself an outer limit of next spring to be up and running with it. Our outgoings are so low at the moment that I was happy for him to do it.

Small charity here
We went back on a rota at beginning of August
Increased days during September
Next month we’ll all be back full time
Most people prefer the team spirit, bouncing ideas round, time is saved as easier to just talk to people than send endless emails, book virtual calls

@TeaOneSugar We’ve all been told o order what we need (so screens, keyboard, mouse, desk, chair etc for Home - then we’ve expensed it. So now we have everything we need at home and at the office! So easy to work from either location

Our office stayed open throughout (essential service) but most of us who could moved to wfh so only a few left in. We are able to go in if we have to but 99% of my role can be done from home, and to be honest I’m far more productive when wfh so hope it continues.

I'm public sector, absolutely no chance of getting two of everything.

I’m large public sector organisation in central London. I’ve been going in for one day A week for the last 6 weeks. I’m on the Overland train only and at 08.00 it’s still not that busy. I m enjoying being back although my normally very busy office is quiet. I miss my friends a lot. I think going forward I will do 2 days a week in the office. They’ve just ordered me a screen, keyboard and mouse so I’m not just working off the laptop at home. All the tech has remained in the office so no Issues there.

Large office central London.
Still WFH. Office reopening soon but on voluntary basis. I’m very happy WFH. Save loads of time & money on commute. Can concentrate better at home than in noisy office, don’t have to rush DD into nursery the second she wakes up.
WFH is win win for me.

We're back in the office 50% of the week. I carry my laptop, docking station, keyboard, paperwork, files and other office bits and bobs back and forward. Office chair stays in the office and we have spare monitors and printers to use. It works very well and I feel it's the best of both worlds.

I'm still WFH and will be for the next few months at least .

Work had swapped everyone to laptops about a year ago, which I'm glad of now - I saw the way things were going and took it and my headset home with me on what I figured correctly, would be my last day in the office. Even glad of the internet telephony - all calls came through internet, we kept same number. It was initially a glitchy PITA but I think it's paid off as it's meant that the more customer-facing people (ie, not me) have still been able to 'pick up the phone' to our members, who have really appreciated it.

Currently still WFH for a company who’s CEO doesn’t like WFH, am only allowed to go to office with special permission which was a PITA last week as home internet was down so ended up at MIL despite office being 10 mins away! Happy to stay WFH for the winter actually, have all monitors and equipment at home which even though a rota has been suggested, we have said we will not lug equipment back and forth, also have 2 DC at school who could need me to be at home at any time, luckily my boss is very supportive, he doesn’t want to go back in either, he fully appreciates we are putting in more than a full day at home, no deadlines have been missed, everyone is available and contactable, everything gets done.

I work for a college. I could do most of my work from home - but the powers that be want us in. So we're in.

Higher education. Central London. Back in on a rota basis. Everyone expected to do their share and managers (who could theoretically WFH all the time) expected to be there in support of staff who have to be on-site by nature of their role.

Rota varies from 1 to 3 days per week onsite, according to role.

It's fine. Most people feel better having done it for the first time.

I'd feel happier going in if I'd had and recovered from COVID-19 recently - I know there is no guarantee of immunity, but I'd be pretty suprised if you could catch it again within, say, 12 weeks, so I'd feel more satisfied I couldn't be infecting anyone on the tube.

I'm still working from home at the moment but plans are afoot to get us back into the office. I think it will still be on a rota in the office, our office is very small so with social distancing wouldn't be able to fit everyone in all at once.

I'm hoping we'll only going in for face to face appointments with clients (currently these are being done over the phone) and left to do our other work at home.

In normal times I like to be in the office and to see colleagues, but I feel much safer at home, am more productive and it won't be the same when we go back anyway as there will probably only be a couple of us in at a time.

There's also been a massive increase in cases in my area over the past week which is making me antsy.

I always took my own lunch anyway and there's no pret by my office so it won't make any difference to the economy either way if I go back in or not.

I think given the recent rise in cases, the government is mad to be encouraging people back into the office where they have been working happily and productively from home. Fine to get people in if they're desperate to get back.

I think it's really important to still maintain social distancing as much as possible so I really don't understand offices getting their full workforce back in. They'll be kicking themselves if there's a case of Corona in their offices and everyone catches it, it will cost them a lot in sick pay/lost productivity.

I’ve been back since the beginning of July. Commuting across London and back each day and just..getting on with it.