Has the ‘work from home where possible’ advice changed?

[Blackenedsoul]

We are in Wales and have WFH since last March very successfully - we’ve been told that our team has performed seamlessly over this time and we’ve got all our targets.

Today we’ve been told we have to go back to the office in two weeks time. We cannot understand this really as we’ve all been WFH without disrupting the business.

Any idea whether the guidelines still are to work from home if possible?

Not sure but why don’t you put in a formal flexible working request? It will be difficult for your employer to refuse if you’ve successfully worked from home for months without issue.

We are back voluntarily this month. The guidance is still WFH if you can but I know my colleagues are increasingly frustrated WFH & as a business (large global), they’ve decided that employees who want to return can do so on a rota. Still strict SD & limited numbers, hence the rota. Half my team are back in now 3 days a week, half prefer WFH.

The decision was questioned & the general vibe I got was the vaccination programme is going well & we are opening back up, so so shall we..

HolmeH

The decision was questioned & the general vibe I got was the vaccination programme is going well & we are opening back up, so so shall we..

I think this is a bad idea personally.

I can understand why people are desperate to get back in the office, but I can't help but feel it's undermining all the effort we've put in so far. All adults who can be vaccinated should have at least one jab and therefore some protection by the end of July, so I do feel people really need to hang on in there at least until then to keep cases so low and giving the vaccinations the best chance possible to get us to herd immunity as soon as possible.

Not in England it has not. I doubt if in Wales, check the Welsh government website.

Ask what your employer is doing to make the office as Covid secure as possible.

Has your employer published their risk assessment? They should be explaining the measures they have put in place

@MargotMoon

Has your employer published their risk assessment? They should be explaining the measures they have put in place

Even if they have, the whole thing is sickening. Anyone uttering the phrase "covid safe" should be hung drawn and quartered.

The new lateral flow tests of you can't work from home thing implies people who can WFH are still expected to.

My employer is reviewing WFH next March.

To be fair to my employer, it is only voluntary. They aren’t forcing anyone back in. That’ll be reviewed in July. The office is running at 30% capacity & they are following all the rules. I don’t see the problem, some roles really benefit from face to face. I’ve got new starters at the mo & it’s so much easier to train & support them in the office. But again, it’s their choice, non pressure. They’ve all chosen to go in.

We’ve been told that’s we HAVE to go in, they are transitioning people back so everyone will be in in July but we are the first team back

I got a new job in early March and have been in the office 5 days a week since.

Ugh I'm dreading having to go back in

I couldn't understand this last year from Government then I had a think -

Who owns most of the commercial office space in the UK?

Who loses money if employers no longer need these offices?

@StarCat2020

I couldn't understand this last year from Government then I had a think -

Who owns most of the commercial office space in the UK?

Who loses money if employers no longer need these offices?

That's exactly it, along with all the other businesses set to lose out now that people have realised many people no longer need to travel to a city centre office every day.

Transport companies and all those businesses selling coffee, breakfast and lunches to commuters. Of course, some nice little independent coffee shops will lose out, but the government will have been heavily moaned at lobbied by the top brass of the likes of Greggs, Pret, Subway, Costa, Starbucks, etc etc.

Basically people are being expected to needlessly line the pockets of big business and waste hours a day commuting to keep big business happy.

Basically people are being expected to needlessly line the pockets of big business and waste hours a day commuting to keep big business happy.

Lots of pension funds tied up in commercial property, we're all fucked if it collapses.

Well let's hope they're properly diversified, like the small investor is always warned about.

I find it quite strange how there's so much hand wringing about the plight of the billionaire property investors, when no-one gave a stuff about hundreds of thousands miners and steelworkers seeing their jobs disappear overseas.

Perhaps Billy Big Balls can get a job in a call centre, logistics or high tech manufacturing too.

The official advice is still WFH if you can (which you clearly can). Ask them why they’re going against government guidance and what is it about being in the office (and the impact on the environment and work/life balance) that they consider so vital.