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Original poster

Managers demanding admin team come back to the offce

129 replies

Peanutbutteryogurt · 02/02/2021 09:46

Hoping for some advice here as need to send a reply email!

I work part time, two days a week at home and one day in the office to do printing and paperwork. This system has worked very well since April and as far as I knew was ongoing for the foreseeable future. We got an email from some manager who I have never met saying as of next shift everyone will be expected to work in the office, basically as we wear masks and if we socially distance it will be fine!

We have a small office, on any given day there could be up to 11 of us in the one office. We have some cardboard screens in-between some desks and we wear masks. It is impossible to distance at all times when we need to move around, put something in someone's tray etc. Managers are insisting the office is completely covid secure. It is quite clearly not.

Do I have any leg to stand on here? I desperately don't want to go in. I have stayed home to work today while I have an email back and forth with this manager and will go in tomorrow as my usual routine, but I am worried about next week.

As it happens, I work for the NHS in a hospital. We are literally just coming out of the peak of this wave and still have over 200 covid patients in the hospital.

OP posts:
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 02/02/2021 16:53

No, if they want you in you will have to comply or resign.

Presumably you are shopping still so expect workers in, possibly using schools so expect staff in etc.

DameFanny · 02/02/2021 17:03

How big is the office? Is there physically space for 1m+ between people if everyone's in at once?

You say 'managers' are saying it's covid safe - what level of managers? Is it worth checking in with higher-ups that they're happy with the increased risk both to your team, and from your team to the rest of the hospital?

BarelyMerry · 02/02/2021 17:04

I am currently sitting here with COVID that I got from my DH. He picked it up from a work colleague that he met with, wearing a mask in a large office. Offices are not risk free!

The current guidance is work from home unless it is impossible to do so. It sounds like your team have been working effectively from home, so I would ask the manager why you now need to go into the office? You also have a right to see your employer's COVID risk assessment to understand the measures they've put in to mitigate the risks.

It would be better if your team could act together on this - don't suppose you are in a union? Are other teams in the business being asked to come in?

BarelyMerry · 02/02/2021 17:05

Wow, just seen you work in a hospital! Crazy!

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 02/02/2021 17:07

Presumably you are shopping still so expect workers in, possibly using schools so expect staff in etc.

Possibly the most ridiculous response I've read on here for some time! The government message is that everyone should work from home if they can. The OP can WFH, and should therefore not be forced into the office.

WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants · 02/02/2021 17:09

Not a fucking chance would I be going in.

Escalate as far up the food chain as you can
Fire off emails to No10
Basically find any & all reporting channels & make busy. This is exactly what they were saying at the briefing 'must not be happening'.

Pastanred · 02/02/2021 17:11

You prob have to go in. Last time you likely worked from home but perhaps it was less effective. Advice now is that you can work if you cant work from home. Its left up to the company to decide now. I worked at home for 7 months last time but employer said work wasn't as good so now we are called in full time

Their argument is that whilst we did do the role - it wasn't as good at home and as such they need us in.

minniemango · 02/02/2021 17:12

Absolutely push back on this.

Point out you can work from home so surely the rule is you have to work from home.

Speak to your union.

Ask for a detailed risk assessment.

WalrusWife · 02/02/2021 17:13

DH works on a military base. He is “allowed” to WFH one day per week. They started doing lateral flow tests. All that happens is: someone tests positive, everybody is sent to self isolate / WFH. Come back two weeks later, first day back, same thing happens again. And again. 🤷🏻‍♀️

And they wear masks, wash hands and social distance but that does very little to stop people testing positive - ALL asymptomatic!

BBCONEANDTWO · 02/02/2021 17:18

They must have done a risk assessment in the hospital -think it's 2m between each desk. Perhaps the efficiency rate has dropped and as an essential worker they expect you to be in.

WalrusWife · 02/02/2021 17:29

It’s funny that on other posts, people leaving the house during lockdown are called irresponsible yet on this post, a couple of people pipe up telling the OP she needs to go to the office. Grin

midgedude · 02/02/2021 17:36

I think the rule is wfh if you can. Since you have since April they really don't have av leg to stand on ?

Original poster
Peanutbutteryogurt · 02/02/2021 17:40

Thank you for the comments. They have done a risk assessment. I am not convinced by it though. If simply wearing masks and hand washing worked so well then I don't think we'd be in this mess. Two people in our office sit pretty much back to back but apparently back to back is fine!

I had a risk assessment over the phone this afternoon as I kicked up a fuss and I am low risk for everything. I made it clear I wasn't worried about my personal risk but of being asymptomatic and passing it on.

Level of manager I am dealing with is a band 5 so one band above normal medical secs, however she was using phrases like 'the division has decided'. It is definitely not hospital or trust wide. I am not sure who I would go to next.

I have been assured my productivity is not the problem but that having people work from home does slow the general productivity of the team. Fair enough, but is that worth catching covid over!

I had a phone call this afternoon and it doesn't seem like I have any choice and she gave the impression everyone else was doing it without a fuss (I doubt this is true). I am very very anxious about it and am wondering where to go with it next. I have trawled through the trust guidelines and it does seem it is pretty much up to management.

OP posts:
Ladyellow · 02/02/2021 17:51

I work for the NHS - in a clinical role in a community team. Each room will have been risk assessed and have a maximum amount of people allowed in at one time- so for example our bigger office used to sit 13 people, now we are only allowed 7 in there. The rules on numbers mean only half our team (actually slightly less) can be in the building at one time so we now have a rota. I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t some reduction in capacity in your office. You can contact your health and safety team and/or your HR team.

midgedude · 02/02/2021 17:53

Also Union and local council

Calmandmeasured1 · 02/02/2021 17:55

Wasn't there a report in the last few days that office workers are more at risk than other workers?
What are they thinking? Personally, there is no way I would return to working in an office in a hospital and there is no chance that it is covid-secure. Ffs, hospitals are the places where many people are catching Covid.

NoKingDingaLingTitsInAbsentia · 02/02/2021 17:59

Cardboard screens? That doesn't sound very hygeinic at all, can't give them a squirt and a wipe down each day! Pretty appalling for an NHS environment. How many people would usually be in the office (pre covid)? I would expect less than 50% of usual occupancy right now.

Have you been sent a copy of the risk assessment for your office space?

ScalpHelp · 02/02/2021 18:01

The same NHS and government that created the ad saying “look him in the eye and tell him you can’t work from home”? with a picture of someone on a ventilator?

Fairly ironic

Covidcorvid · 02/02/2021 18:02

I’d email the chief exec.

My hospital senior managers do a weekly live Facebook session for staff every week. So we can send questions in and they spend the hour session answering the questions. Does yours do anything like this?

Original poster
Peanutbutteryogurt · 02/02/2021 18:05

My hospital senior managers do a weekly live Facebook session for staff every week. So we can send questions in and they spend the hour session answering the questions. Does yours do anything like this?

Yes our chief medical officer does this. I could ask a question as he'll be doing one tomorrow.

OP posts:
devildeepbluesea · 02/02/2021 18:06

Ask for details about the risk assessment AND what has changed to make it impossible for you to WFH.

And get the unions involved. All day, every day, this.

user1487194234 · 02/02/2021 18:16

In the public sector you probably have a chance of getting to stay WFH
Lots of people I know in the private sector are working back in the office now,and it was very much get back or get out

Pastanred · 02/02/2021 18:17

lots of people have worked from home well but that doesn't mean its comparable to being on site. The risk assessment will have been done. Its 1m plus if 2m cant be managed so back to back, screens, side by side etc

BBCONEANDTWO · 02/02/2021 18:51

@Peanutbutteryogurt

Thank you for the comments. They have done a risk assessment. I am not convinced by it though. If simply wearing masks and hand washing worked so well then I don't think we'd be in this mess. Two people in our office sit pretty much back to back but apparently back to back is fine!

I had a risk assessment over the phone this afternoon as I kicked up a fuss and I am low risk for everything. I made it clear I wasn't worried about my personal risk but of being asymptomatic and passing it on.

Level of manager I am dealing with is a band 5 so one band above normal medical secs, however she was using phrases like 'the division has decided'. It is definitely not hospital or trust wide. I am not sure who I would go to next.

I have been assured my productivity is not the problem but that having people work from home does slow the general productivity of the team. Fair enough, but is that worth catching covid over!

I had a phone call this afternoon and it doesn't seem like I have any choice and she gave the impression everyone else was doing it without a fuss (I doubt this is true). I am very very anxious about it and am wondering where to go with it next. I have trawled through the trust guidelines and it does seem it is pretty much up to management.

I can't figure how a medical secretary could work from home? Is that ALL of them? What about case notes, printing, patient phone calls, clinic cancellations, result signing etc etc.
ScrapThatThen · 02/02/2021 18:55

She said that they are in on a rota basis which she is fine with because fewer people.