Will employers be allowed to force us back to unventilated offices?

[feelingcold3]

My employer seems to think everything will be back to normal and we can all come back from 21st June.

I am concerned because our office has no opening windows. At the moment I am doing half working from home half office so we are socially distanced, but if we are all back every day I will be working closely next to people with no ventilation.

Is my employer being reasonable

We have these people at work, but they are happy to be in the pub. Doesn’t exactly fit with the whole ‘safety’ argument does it? My work are not even forcing people in, just saying people can (lots of people trickling back but some of the more senior people hiding behind safety when they should be back to help train up our juniors face to face).

From the perspective of a customer and client, WFH has been shit.

I'm fed up with crappy reduced service, poor communication, and having to give out my personal information including financial, to someone whilst I can hear their family noises in the background.

It's rubbish customer service and poor security.

I look with envy to the countries who took steps to contain Covid one year ago - with the consequences of having been largely back to normal for many months already.

I was responding to the claim that wfh permanently is untenable, when for the past year people have been doing so and it's been fine

Lots haven’t been ‘fine’. A lot of services have been really shit and employers who don’t fancy going back to early starts and a morning commute are now protesting loudly about how productive they were, but it seems their employers disagree.

I have to agree people are arguing they don’t want to go back and that they are majorly productive From home, when in reality they should just be honest and say “fuck me, I much prefer working from home in my joggers, with no commute, no one over seeing me, how can I get it to be continued”. We all get it.

There are many industries with offices who have been continuing throughout the pandemic so yes. Does it have Air conditioning OP?

I think people have misunderstood me a bit - I wanted to know if the roadmap means social distancing and covid safe risk assessment requirements etc are over. Will all social distancing requirements be gone by 21 June? Will face coverings be gone too? Or does it just mean everything will be open from 21 June, with covid rules in place? And if covid precautions like masks, social distancing etc are still required, is my employer reasonable

And there is absolutely no ventilation or air con, that is the reason why they had to reduce the amount of bodies in the office

Do you drop your children off at school to mix with 30+ others each day then go home? Many people have worked in close proximity throughout. I feel it's become far to comfy for some being home next to the fridge and kettle all day. No commute and much more flexible working. That's great if the company says so, but many are now gearing up to get back into the office and rightly so. Guidelines will need to followed and I'm sure they will. Be thankful you have a job to go back to.

I wouldn't see why not?

Schools have been doing it for over a year and supermarkets don't have great ventilation.

Police and hospitals staff have been in too.

So have GP surgery receptionists, Royal Mail staff, factory workers and probably many more I haven't thought of.

@feelingcold3

I think people have misunderstood me a bit - I wanted to know if the roadmap means social distancing and covid safe risk assessment requirements etc are over. Will all social distancing requirements be gone by 21 June? Will face coverings be gone too? Or does it just mean everything will be open from 21 June, with covid rules in place? And if covid precautions like masks, social distancing etc are still required, is my employer reasonable

And there is absolutely no ventilation or air con, that is the reason why they had to reduce the amount of bodies in the office

If the government plan to lift all Covid restrictions goes ahead in June - which obviously remains to be seen - then the answer is yes, your employer would be 'reasonable' to require you to return to the office as before.

Guidelines will need to followed and I'm sure they will.

Will guidelines need to be followed if stage 4 is enacted in June?

I'm at home still as no room with distancing in the office, no windows, and a compromised immune system. Yes I've had both my vaccines but not sure if/how they will work. Plan to get an antibody test when I can
Makes no difference to my job as live alone and job is the same wherever I do it

@Howshouldibehave

I was responding to the claim that wfh permanently is untenable, when for the past year people have been doing so and it's been fine

Lots haven’t been ‘fine’. A lot of services have been really shit and employers who don’t fancy going back to early starts and a morning commute are now protesting loudly about how productive they were, but it seems their employers disagree.

But for the companies where it has been fine, then surely it's still fine - that's all I'm saying.

But for the companies where it has been fine, then surely it's still fine - that's all I'm saying.

Yes, it is. My work have said it is fine, it has been more productive overall I think - at least we have all managed the increased workload we have seen since the start of the pandemic.

It has not been good for training of new staff, that is one real issue.

They plan to leave us at home with some bookable space I think. But it could all change!

But for the companies where it has been fine, then surely it's still fine-that's all I'm saying

Yes, but I suspect there may be some discrepancy between whether the employee says it’s fine and wants to continue WFH and the employer who says it’s not been fine and staff need to come back to work. Like the OP’s employer who wants everyone back.

I don’t think anyone is saying that companies who want to continue having all staff WFH should not!

DH back working 3/5 days. He works in a place where normally they have to desk share as too many employees for space. They get around SD by having them work back to back. He can't do his job effectively from home, not able to offer the same quality of support and he recognises this. It's a compromise for him as normally he'd be visiting other UK sites and ones abroad. When moving around they're expected to wear a mask. I have two jobs, one in a school with 200 children crammed in a hall and certainly no distancing, other in a shop with many customers who don't wear masks - this surely is an equal risk - I hate it, but get on with it, try and keep my distance best I can and wear a mask all day.

@Howshouldibehave

But for the companies where it has been fine, then surely it's still fine-that's all I'm saying

Yes, but I suspect there may be some discrepancy between whether the employee says it’s fine and wants to continue WFH and the employer who says it’s not been fine and staff need to come back to work. Like the OP’s employer who wants everyone back.

I don’t think anyone is saying that companies who want to continue having all staff WFH should not!

I think it is also possible that some companies have outdated attitudes and if they were run by different people, then work-wise it could be viewed as fine, but culture-wise the current management favour presenteeism.

Not everyone who runs a business does it well or makes rational decisions!

Yes, you’ll be required to go back.
Barely any of my classroom windows open and those that do open about an inch. Better than nothing! But not that great with 30 other people in the room with me. And that’s NOTHING compared to people in hospitals, factories etc.

However, it’s not great for us as a country for people to be working in these conditions so I don’t see it as a race to the bottom where I say “I’ve had to work in conditions that have been fairly unsafe at points so everyone else should too”.

Rightly or wrongly, your employer will not allow you to just refuse to go back to work when so much of the country has been doing it the whole time.

@Bluntness100

I have to agree people are arguing they don’t want to go back and that they are majorly productive From home, when in reality they should just be honest and say “fuck me, I much prefer working from home in my joggers, with no commute, no one over seeing me, how can I get it to be continued”. We all get it.

This.

@feelingcold3 yes, IF (big if) the roadmap goes ahead on the 21st June ALL COVID requirements will be dropped including mask wearing, social distancing and working from home.

A lot of vitriol here towards those who enjoyed productive WFH. Yes, not all of us have to be crammed two to a desk in a windowless basement to do our work!! Ffs

Sorry but, with a few exceptions, there is so much whiny nonsense written here. It shouldn't be a race to the bottom and just because some employers are dreadful, doesn't mean they all shouldn't be.
Employers have a legal duty to provide a safe and healthy workplaces, based on a proper assessment of the risks (so obviously this will change depending on how prevalent Covid is, how many people have been vaccinated etc.). There is LOTS of information available about this

@TunMahla

A lot of vitriol here towards those who enjoyed productive WFH. Yes, not all of us have to be crammed two to a desk in a windowless basement to do our work!! Ffs

crikey very true. its a bit down t'pits with ye all.

[quote DNTSleepingDragons]@feelingcold3 yes, IF (big if) the roadmap goes ahead on the 21st June ALL COVID requirements will be dropped including mask wearing, social distancing and working from home.[/quote]
Don't think this is looking that likely, is it?