Stopping wfh

[namechange63524]

Lots of people haven't been able to work from home during lockdown, but for those that have been able to wfh productively (or as productively as can be expected with schools shut), when are your firms asking you to go back into the office?

@CharBart

July for us. Likely to be an option of a couple of days a week working at home for a lot of roles. Management are talking more about benefits of being in office like teams working together, developing junior staff etc.

I think we will be bit like that - if the task requires you to be in or you need to work with someone else on something you'll be in. Otherwise at home! I

Not heard yet - I predict September (work at a uni).

"
I can't see why employers want people back in! Still spreading everyone out, testing people, the threat of someone catching it and bubbles isolating. This hasn't gone away - yet! And most working age people haven't been vaccinated yet!"

This.

I don't understand why firms don't wait a bit until numbers go down and more people vaccinated. I should think most forward-thinking firms would do a hybrid-model, for where people can work as efficiently at home, so that there is cohesion, mentoring, f-2-f interaction etc, but aren't making people come in just for the sake of it.

@Isolatedizzy

Maybe in the summer but never all back in the office 5 days per week again! WFH has been a great success! Maybe 2 days in 3 at home which would be perfect!

I can't see why employers want people back in! Still spreading everyone out, testing people, the threat of someone catching it and bubbles isolating. This hasn't gone away - yet! And most working age people haven't been vaccinated yet!

And people wonder why I think there'll be a third wave and a fourth Lockdown...

The government could stop employers from doing this if they wanted to, but I don't suppose they will.

Most of our clients will go to a blended model as will we. Whilst I can work effectively and quite happily 100% remotely its much tougher on the juniors and new joiners in my industry and those who don't have the luxury of home office space (often the same groups).

Our clients range from planning 100% WFH to 100% in the office with the majority being 3/2 or 2/3. The 100% in office are either edge cases in security requirements or industries with a historic culture of presenteeism (in both cases a minority of clients),

@namechange63524

I don't understand why firms don't wait a bit until numbers go down and more people vaccinated. I should think most forward-thinking firms would do a hybrid-model, for where people can work as efficiently at home, so that there is cohesion, mentoring, f-2-f interaction etc, but aren't making people come in just for the sake of it.

Some firms really do seem to want to bring people in just for the sake of it.

If they can't have normality, they want the illusion of it, however briefly.

I don't want to call people idiots, but some bosses are more clued up than others.

I'm very lucky that mine saw Lockdown 1 coming, saw the second wave coming, and now knows it's ours to lose again, like it was last summer. If we mess up there'll be a third wave. And a fourth if we don't get a grip.

Unfortunately this government has messed up almost everything about its pandemic response. It will be studied forever as an exemplar of what not to do with some of the best resources on the planet. So it's pretty difficult to have faith that they'll steer a sensible course this time.

But third time's the charm, eh?

@C8H10N4O2

Most of our clients will go to a blended model as will we. Whilst I can work effectively and quite happily 100% remotely its much tougher on the juniors and new joiners in my industry and those who don't have the luxury of home office space (often the same groups).

Our clients range from planning 100% WFH to 100% in the office with the majority being 3/2 or 2/3. The 100% in office are either edge cases in security requirements or industries with a historic culture of presenteeism (in both cases a minority of clients),

Presenteeism has got to go in the post-pandemic world.

I understand why some people would rather go into work, but I struggle to understand why an employer would want everyone in who is happy and productive at home.

The government could stop employers from doing this if they wanted to, but I don't suppose they will
Who owns most of the commercial office space in this country though?

My firm has no return plans yet. People are allowed in the office if they have a specific need, but that has been true throughout Covid.

DH’s firm has already converted many employees to permanent wfh status.

I would guess that at either of our firms, people won’t really be allowed into the offices on any kind of regular basis until the Covid vaccination process is complete and it wouldn’t surprise me if that includes for children.

June at the earliest, never more than 1 day a week.

I'll be looking for a full time WFH position if I'm ever asked to go in unnecessarily. I'm categorically not doing office presenteeism ever again and luckily there are lots of options now.

Not in the least surprised that some are being made to go back next week. It was always going to go hand in hand with schools returning, and the results will show.

August earliest and it won't ever be like it was before as there is no need.

I'm civil service and no word of us going back yet (some have been in the office throughout but most have worked from home). My office is due for closure in 2022 and we're hoping that those who want to might get permanent home working contracts instead of redundancy. This would never have been a consideration pre Covid.

I keep in touch with my colleagues (now friends) from my old company at a large financial services in the city. They have been told they are expected back this summer. Some are already in but on a rota system.

Management are talking more about benefits of being in office like teams working together, developing junior staff etc

I bet they are! Companies with tiers of people management e.g. assistant team leaders, team leaders, deputy managers, heads of dept, managers, senior managers etc will shed a lot of these tiers if people continue to WFH.
Add to that cutting the expense of leasing large office blocks and the savings will be immense to companies.
House prices in cities and commuter belts will plummet though.

Civil service - no we will not be returning to previous office based working. We will WFH and have monthly meet ups when permitted. We will have a new office that will be able to accommodate about 20% of our team who can use it when/if they want to.

"Presenteeism has got to go in the post-pandemic world.

I understand why some people would rather go into work, but I struggle to understand why an employer would want everyone in who is happy and productive at home."
This

I think my work are thinking in terms of 21 June on the basis that that's when the "Work from home if you can" instruction is expected to be lifted.

@namechange63524

"Presenteeism has got to go in the post-pandemic world.

I understand why some people would rather go into work, but I struggle to understand why an employer would want everyone in who is happy and productive at home."
This

Lack of trust. Managers find it easier to manage people when they can see them. It's the lazy option.

We've been told until June at least. But most of us will predominantly be wfh for the majority of the time as a permanent arrangement. Nothing to do with Covid, our main office was sold off a couple of years ago and we had until December 2020 to move all staff out to other offices. That's been delayed for a year but effectively we will have a much higher ratio of people to desks than previously so we have to work "agilely"if we can. I anticipate going into the office once a fortnight or so.

The more pertinent question for me is whether meetings will remain virtual. I go to a LOT of meetings and if they remain virtual that will save a lot of time and travel.

Presenteeism has got to go in the post-pandemic world.

This.

And I am definitely much more productive at home. In fact I've just had a quick meeting with a colleague, at 7.45am. She was in her pyjamas and I've not brushed my hair or teeth but we had a quick chat over teams and sorted an issue in 15 mins that would have taken days (or not got done at all) if we'd had to organise it 'in the flesh'.

I was called back last summer

@SymphonyofShadows

I’ll be back in the office two days a week with some flexibility by early May. I’m looking forward to wearing nicer clothes etc. but I will miss falling out of bed a lot later. That will all stop next week though with having to get DS(15) up and out for school.

I’m wondering if the expectation for those who have been WFH to not have sick days, but to WFH instead. I already know of a couple of companies who have been trying to make that a thing for years.

This has been going on for a long time. I remember my dad ill in bed, with a cable trailing out of the window to the downstairs window by the phone so he could use the (dial-up) internet to WFH. This would have been late 90s I think.

Teacher - we went back this week to prepare. Bloody nightmare couldn't access internet so ended up driving home after 4 hrs to teach remotely. Had to trawl 55 workpacks to and from, no mean feat with a back condition and not being able to park near my house. I'm keen to get back in to face to face delivery I've missed my groups (teenagers) so much, they brighten my day. They need to get back to routine too.

June/July for me, but the org was big on wfh to start with so it won't be full time on site. Thankful really as they are locating and my commute will be a pita.