Just interested, are many people going back to the office?

[Thatswhathappens]

Just interested are many people going back to work in the office in the next few weeks/months and will this be everyday you work or will it be a mixture of wfh and being at the office? For those of you that thought wfh would be a permanent fixture for you is this still the case?
I have been doing a mixture of both since July and will continue to do so, I’m hoping to settle in to 2/3 days wfh and 2/3 days in the office.

Not until 21st June at the earliest and then likely to be limited. Lift space an issue in particular, also some narrow corridors.

Hoping long term to be two days a week in the office, and indeed the company are looking to this 'hybrid model', recognising some may want to be there more if wfh is difficult for whatever reason.

My company is looking at the when, what and how. It certainly won't be a case of everyone in the office full time again, but there's an understanding that we do need a certain level of face to face contact. I'm keen to go back, but not before i've had at least one jab.

We started bringing people back last year and then had to send everyone home again so I think we are waiting to see how things pan out before making any announcements. Probably going to say a certain % of each dept need to be in. I prefer being at work, but my colleagues all seem happy enough at home so maybe I'll just be the office rep which would suit me just fine

I’ve been back in the office since last July, thank goodness, it would’ve driven me insane to stay at home all that time through winter. My husband has been going into work since June, life has seemed relatively normal, I can’t wait to go to the pub though

@Parkperson

I wonder about future working arrangements. Traditionally, teaching has been regarded as a family friendly job and has attracted a lot of women with families. As more people are allowed to work from home and work flexibly, many of the women who might have opted for a career in teaching will look at opportunities for flexible working and working from home. In the long run it is bound to affect the number of people choosing teaching as a career. I have a friend who is a Headteacher and he has complained that most people love flexibility in their own places of work but complain when their child has a job share class teacher. They perhaps accept it one year but want a full time class teacher the following year. Harder still in a secondary school when schools might have a part time Spanish or Psychology teacher but students / parents don't like all A level or GCSE lessons crammed in to one day. As a poster said further up the thread if flexible working is being widely embraced as it must do in the future, then school structures also have to change to accommodate these flexible working arrangements. Friends who work in Higher Education have commented how well it works to have lectures on line so that students can access them they choose. Ditto tutorials and one to one support sessions.It is bound to affect the way universities operate in future. It will open the way for far greater flexibility in terms of studying for a degree or post grad courses. It may well mean a shift away from three years studying in a city far from home and instead a part time flexible degree allowing students to earn while they work. WFH and flexible working is the future but it will have a huge impact on traditional institutions and the way they operate.

I'm not sure how much of an impact it will have in unis. I'm a lecturer and I know my colleagues think that online lectures is the way to go but when I talked to the students they disagree. The students are dying to return to campus and that includes lectures often for the social side of it as much as the academic. Universities are partly driven by student satisfaction surveys so I think that we will have a gradual return to the old system within a year or 2. At our uni, prior to covid, lectures were placed online after as well as in person so I think you may see systems like this being more widespread.

In terms of returning to the office. I started the lecturship during covid and have missed an office where you can ask colleagues the silly little questions you need to ask when starting a new role. I think we will be returning to the office in September and am looking forward to it.

I don’t think we will be back before July

My office closed permanently on the first day of lockdown last March. I hate working from home and really resent having to surrender some of my living space for a desk and office chair. We don’t all have spare rooms to set up as a home office and it feels like a massive intrusion into my personal life. Once things start to return to normality I shall be looking for another job.

Been going in since 1st June last year

I hate working from home, crouching in s corner of DSs bedroom. But work, which is HE, won't open up for ages and they also think everyone wants to work from home now, so that will be accommodated. Yeah, fine for those with well appointed sheds and spare rooms, otherwise nah.

Really sorry those who don’t like wfh

I absolutely love it myself - sorry to everyone who doesn’t though. That must be hard

@Aimee1987 . It takes a long time for change to filter through the system and, as you rightly say, it is the social side of university life the students are missing. However, many universities are struggling financially, they have to look at ways of cutting costs and offering cut price part time, on line degrees ( also a more inclusive approach). Many students will look at the cost of a traditional university education and start to consider alternative ways of gaining a degree. Universities are great employers except if you are a lecturer. How many job share lecturers or even part time lecturers with tenure do you know? If changes in the work place are happening nationally to include wfh and flexible working, universities will also eventually have to reflect this change as will other educational establishments.

Also non-student-facing at a uni and we've just been told we're following govt guidelines so whenever they drop the wfh if you can message.

But also on return, the Vice-Chancellor has said it will very much be flexible and likely a hybrid model for most. I do three days so hoping to do one day in the office and two from home. I like my colleagues and miss the daily interaction and it was a very laidback environment anyway, but wfh just makes the school run so much less stressful.

I'm a student. Online learning is shit for me and many others. Late lectures and the odd hour tutorial would be fine but full time like this no way.
I miss the library. I don't work well at home and my marks have suffered.

Our office has been permanently closed, the lease ended and they didn't renew it. Staff have been offered a pass for 1 day a week at a co-working office.

My DHs company are saying beginning of May reopening gradually phasing to be back to 5 days a week in the office by July.

No working from home, expect on weekends, sick days, evenings, and holiday days, or any other time you're not being paid but they want something done..

It's a job that can easily be done from home and my DH has proven this by completing more projects in the last 12 months than ever before. He's now looking for a new job where he can work from home at least one day a week, as are the other two people at his level.

My university is just buying three massive buildings for extra teaching rooms, so I guess face to face is in the offing. Or else they want it to rent out for yoga sessions or something to make money??

Currently on maternity leave but everyone has been back in our office since July ish time. A few people work from home some days a week but that's an arrangement due to their location rather than covid.

I never left the office. Vast majority of my colleagues did and they all now have wfh contracts.
Our site has now been sold so those of us who will not be wfh are being relocated
It is stressful I am waiting to hear where I will be put (it is complicated!)

Sounds like not to; 2022, and then only part of the week.

I think they don't want to move us back until they see what this winter is like as it would be disruptive to move us back home again.

not til that should say

We’ve been told we won’t be back for the foreseeable months ahead. I wish they’d give us an idea of whether there will be more WFH allowed. I’d love a mix.

Nope. Been home since last March and we won't be going back. Lots of out huge offices have closed and we are taking on more and more people to WFH

Universities have long discriminated in terms of ignoring laws about age discrimination
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-50958600
They would not dream of discriminatory practices in terms of support staff but academic staff have faced restricted and illegal working conditions for years. Very few opportunities for flexible working and temporary contracts the norm.
I think the next few years will force change upon traditional ways of organising the provision of education at all levels. Many smaller unis are facing the possibility of bankruptcy
www.theguardian.com/education/2020/nov/14/fears-economic-hit-squad-will-use-covid-crisis-to-kill-off-some-uk-universities

My partner has applied to wfh full-time. She manages a team of 12 and none of them have expressed a desire to rush back - even the young graduates. No one is missing the long commutes or the expense that comes with it.

The company she works for has started to close and merge offices. They had three Manchester alone and that's now done to one. So, i'm certain they are expecting a lot of WFH requests.

We are voluntarily re-opening in April & fully in July. I’m going back in a couple days a week. I don’t need too but I want too. I miss the social aspect & they face to face collaboration. I enjoy working at home too, makes childcare pick up easier so it’ll be a nice balance.

60% of my office have applied to go back in voluntarily. And 75% of the London office. They were surprised how many wanted too. I wasn’t. Everyone is really fed up now, 100% of my young team have applied stating they just want some normality.

Not been in the office for a year. Not expecting to back until at least early 2022.