Back in office

[namechangeaga1n]

So DP and all staff back in office from 12th inc those that work only with people in other offices. I think it's a bit shite and think firms that stick two fingers up to staff and don't have presence of mind to wait til more people are vaccinated will lose a lot of their decent players as time goes on. Hope not too many firms do this so that reopening doesn't get fucked.

@bookworm1632

While I can understand the comments from those who've worked throughout, it's important to note that most of the infections arose within that group of people. i.e. If NOBODY had needed to leave their home to work, the epidemic would have been over a long time ago.

The trouble is some jobs you can't do without -hence "key workers".

From a "fairness" principle, yes, key-workers have carried a higher risk than those able to work from home, and maybe that's unfair... but leaving that aside, if EVERYONE returned to the office next week, then R would definitely shift upwards, infections would rapidly rise again and before you know it we're in the middle of a 3rd wave.

There's a separate argument that a 3rd wave doesn't matter (it does), but it's not really relevant here anyway as the government are determined to ensure a 3rd wave doesn't happen. Therefore if R rises, they will delay the further relaxation of restrictions and we all lose.

So in summary employers who have needlessly required staff back at the office, are as guilty, if not more, of prolonging the epidemic, as those who hold illegal raves etc.

Quite.

I am a key worker. I have to be at work. I'm safer at work if there is les mixing in other areas.

This pandemic isn't fair; I'm ok with that.

Why are so many on these threads so hostile now?

Because at the moment everyone (unless they've been made redundant or their business has collapsed) has something that a large number of people desperately want but can't have. People WFH have safety, convenience and jobs that don't involve watching lots of people die horribly. Key workers have mostly secure jobs and get to leave the house daily, see colleagues and live semi-normal lives. SAHP haven't had to juggle homeschooling with crazy hours and are for the most part in financially comfortable setups, or at least not one stroke of bad luck away from being made homeless. To see other people complaining about their situation, even if it's completely justified, is always going to be galling for the ones who'd give anything to be in it.

@psychomath

Why are so many on these threads so hostile now?

Because at the moment everyone (unless they've been made redundant or their business has collapsed) has something that a large number of people desperately want but can't have. People WFH have safety, convenience and jobs that don't involve watching lots of people die horribly. Key workers have mostly secure jobs and get to leave the house daily, see colleagues and live semi-normal lives. SAHP haven't had to juggle homeschooling with crazy hours and are for the most part in financially comfortable setups, or at least not one stroke of bad luck away from being made homeless. To see other people complaining about their situation, even if it's completely justified, is always going to be galling for the ones who'd give anything to be in it.

This is very true! I work in a school and last Summer there was some really terrible comments from a lot of posters here when school staff expressed their justified worries.

@Moondust001

Risk assessment, in the private sector of a small firm, are you having a laugh!

The laws apply to everyone, whether Covid or anything else. There are no magic fairies in the public sector that make employers more likley to follow the law - it is workers and their unions who do that. Oddly, such things also apply in the private sector, whatever size it is. You stand up and fight for your own rights, or you accept what you are given. Your choice, just like it's everyone else's.

I work for a medium (30 employees) family run firm. There have been several risk assessments over the last year, (constantly updated) done in conjunction with an independent h & s advisor. We've had people working all through the pandemic both on site and then the offices re-opened last summer.

Yeah it's shitty. Loads of us were just flung into working from home, spending our own money on laptops and equipment, coming up with ways to make it work, working extra hours at home, being flexible to the extent of bending over backwards for our employers, taking on the work or colleagues who had been furloughed, because we were all in it together.

Now that it's time to give a bit of that flexibility back, employers are saying nope, back into the office, even to those who are at a high risk of covid. It's not even about the risk of covid as much as feeling disappointed that we gave so much in the spirit of the thing and are getting a slap in the face back. I know there are keyworkers feeling that way with the shoddy way they've been treated by the government over pay rises etc too.

OP, can DP ask for the company's risk assessment and their protocols for minimising transmission? Or could you report them to the Health and Safety Executive or local council if you believe they are not making things Covid secure?

Going into the office only part of the time would make things better than full time as an example.

I think people are too nervous to speak up about H and S. It would be indirectly a black mark - like a woman of child bearing age asking what the maternity policy is at an interview. It shouldn't matter but it does. I'm sure there's an (arse covering) risk assessment somewhere, but it won't be adhered to - there is not the culture to do it.
Of course the other side is it will be nice to go back and see colleagues etc. There will be less work time as won't be expectation to work your commuting hours etc. It's the timing and the message of going back now that concerns me. As for the reasons for hostility, a PP mentioned grass is greener type thing and people being sick of their own situations. I get that to a degree eg someone may prefer to be furloughed etc, someone furloughed may be worried about finance etc. I do think it's odd that so many people don't seem to be able to see another's side though. There were some awful things said to teachers and CEV parents - it was beyond disgusting.