How much longer wfh if office based

[EagleFlight]

Do any of you have any minimum date that you will be wfh or date you expect to start returning to the office?

Company has been completely wfh since March and has said will continue until at least March of this year. They are understandably non committal at the moment about anything further into the future because who knows what will happen but I’d be surprised if it isn’t extended (because wfh is going well).

Now we’ve had the latest lockdown announcement has anyone had a wfh extension or expectation of when looking to return to the office?

We’ve been working from home since March. We can go into the office if we have to do something that we can’t do from home or if working from home isn’t possible. However, we have to request permission from HR. The office is open 24/7.

Between July and October I was going in once a week, voluntarily, just for a change of scenery. Our office is brand new and very easy to distance in; some days I barely saw another person. I stopped when the November lockdown started.

In April last year, DH's workplace told him that they're not expecting them to be back in the office until May 2021 at the earliest.

It depends on what happens with social distancing in the future I think- with 2m spacing, one way systems e.t.c..capacity is massively reduced. My office can get about 20% of staff in and we're not allowed to have meetings in person anyway so there isn't much point! I can't see us going back in until SD is scrapped so who knows...Spring 2022 perhaps?

Last summer we were told end of January 2021 would be the earliest that we might return to the office. I personally wouldn't expect to be back before May-July, likely September in my case, as I work for a university and it's very quiet in July/August anyway. I have no reason at this point to need to be in the office and can probably easily do most of my work for the next year from home. It is a lot more disruptive though as I don't get the long child-free days to actually get work done, which is one downside.

I was home based anyway. But the office people have been told to expect WFH until September.

We've been told until we're told otherwise. I'm assuming maybe September now.

We won’t be back in until at least April, possibly later. I don’t ever plan to go back to the office full time as I’ve proven I can do my job perfectly well from home. In fact, we’re buying a bigger house with an office as this is our long term plan. Makes for a much better work life balance.

I’m not expecting DH to be back in 2021 - the co won’t want to get sued.

September at least

Bully for you, Winstonmissesxmas, but meanwhile young people just starting out are really suffering.

Ds’s friend has been told he will be working at home for good: trainee chartered accountant. At this stage new graduates do boring auditing work, but the upside is that they are amongst many fellow youngsters and get out and about. Being confined to your childhood bedroom and working 9-5 remotely for ever is a torture.

I really think there needs to be some adjustment in favour of the young, as many of us oldies are just too smug and comfortable.

We were told end of Spring earliest and that was last year before they had any idea of the shit show we’re in now. I can’t see it being before mid summer earliest now.

My work said September, then January, now...???

I'm going on mat leave in a week. I never thought when I was first pregnant that we'd still all be remote when I went on mat leave, but now I suspect we will be when I come back from it! They advertised my mat cover as open to being an entirely remote working role.

Our work has stopped giving us dates of when we can return (initially voluntarily, only if we want to).

I am in Scotland and SG have said they estimate (subject to change) over 50s will be vaccinated by the end of May, so I am guessing our company we will be at least May for the majority of office staff.

My last day in office was 10/03/19 not been allowed back since.

Last update was ‘maybe March 21’ looking less likely with the current situation.

10/03/20 that should say (does feel a lot longer!)

WfH since March, not expected back in 'til late summer at the earliest.

We've had new contracts making us remote workers and the company is currently closing down offices globally and creating 'strategically placed hubs'.

My husband's office have said maybe September but that their focus will be on people who live alone first. Their IT department is working alternate days in office (so some work Mondays and tuesday, the others work Wednesday and Thursdays and a deep clean Friday)
My sister in law's contract has now changed so that she permanently works from home now.

@IrmaFayLear

Bully for you, Winstonmissesxmas, but meanwhile young people just starting out are really suffering.

Ds’s friend has been told he will be working at home for good: trainee chartered accountant. At this stage new graduates do boring auditing work, but the upside is that they are amongst many fellow youngsters and get out and about. Being confined to your childhood bedroom and working 9-5 remotely for ever is a torture.

I really think there needs to be some adjustment in favour of the young, as many of us oldies are just too smug and comfortable.

Totally agree. There’s such a “I’m alright, jack” vibe to so many of these comments - and imagine their bosses are picking up on it.

There is a whole generation who have taken such a hit from coronavirus to protect the older generation, and now they’re being told that they can work from their bedrooms forever with no real opportunities to network or learn in the million different ways that you do when you’re working alongside your seniors. No, you can’t do that networking over zoom and as for mentoring through the Microsoft teams, urgh.

No date set. Our office only reopened briefly for a few weeks in October to get new staff set up and it's been closed since England went into lockdown 2 (even though we're not in England!). One of my clients said theirs wouldn't be before the end of March 2021 months ago but I can see that getting pushed back. I think even when they do reopen we'll only be in if you want to and no one will be in 5 days a week. If they say the office is never reopening and we'll be home based for good I will seriously be looking for a new job!

Depends when you plan to retire

I suppose the success of the vaccination plan will have a lot to do with it but also whether Chris Whitty’s prediction about restrictions in place this winter are correct. I’m assuming, possibly incorrectly, that one of these restrictions will be social distancing which will have an impact on the numbers in the office.

I would hope companies ask employees if they want to return and make a plan based on that. There are many people, of all differing ages, who prefer to either be back in the office or else stay at home for longer. Whilst wfh suits some people, it’s very isolating and lonely for others especially if people are working from their bedrooms.

My employer has said it wants to do a combination of wfh and office working once we are back although no idea how that will work in reality. I’d be quite happy for those who want to wfh to do so and those who want to return to the office to be given the priority to do so.

All offices shut till July. Several offices also shutting permanently with much of workforce being transitioned to permanent wfh.

I reckon it will be spring 2022