Dh has been told to get back to the office

[SmiledWithTheRisingSun]

For a minimum of 2 days per week.
Is this an end to WFH?

I already did a hybrid model before covid. I think most people don't want extremes but flexibility and good employers will provide that and good managers should manage poor performers where ever they work.

I think there will be some people movement for a little while as individuals move from WFH to office companies depending on their circumstances.

Easter

You surely don't think any company will pass that saving on their staff do you?

@DolphinFC

Easter

You surely don't think any company will pass that saving on their staff do you?

No of course not , but as per your message I understood that someone going to the office would need to have 4K more because they were spending it on the transport ? What about those that cycle or walk to the office ? Should they also have that 4K in transport that person a has ? Or salary cut persons b because they don’t have a transport to pay ? I think people should be paid for what they’re worth and not what expenses they’ve.

It's all going into the mix.

The winners will be the company.

Be carefully what you wish for.

These threads are really starting to get on my nerves to be honest, employers were right to switch to WFH as gov advised, now as things are moving on of course people should return to the office as their contract of employment states.

How will things get back to normal otherwise?

So many people have made decisions, without considering returning to their places of work, since wfh. Getting a dog, moving further away from their place of work etc and are now panicking about the extended commute, who will look after the dog, kids etc.

Blaming their employer for wanting them to return to the office, lack of notice etc, unreal, it’s your place of work.

I believe many companies will use WFH to drive down wages for some.

All companies want to lower costs. Wages are usually on of the top 3 costs.

How will things get back to normal otherwise

I imagine lots of people don’t want to get back to normal. Hybrid working suits a lot of people and the companies they work for.

It’s not as if WFH was a brand new idea. It existed before Covid.

I believe many companies will use WFH to drive down wages for some

You could well be right. Plenty would opt for a lower salary if it meant they saved thousands on a season tickets. Not to mention the hours spent commuting.

Obviously not all companies will be able to switch to WFH but loads can and will.

Not all businesses need a hybrid system though.

Mine doesn't. Promotions don't really happen, you have to apply and interview for the next level up.

Also my team isn't even in one location, it's in 4. Spread across the country. So if we want a team meeting, we need teams anyway.

We've trained staff while wfh well and they are doing their job well.

We aren't customer facing either, ever. Its IT, but a specific part of it. We don't have customers. Plus anyone that we might need to talk to would likely be in an office not in our area, so again teams is needed.

A hybrid system is literally just the bosses wanting to see our faces, and yet they can't see everyone's so what's the point? Whether I'm in there or not they'll never know. Can go in for the days that they visit us, once a year if that.

Not everyone's place is the same. For some it will work, for others like mine it's pointless.

Threads like this are so interesting.
People transpose their workplace culture on to everyone else's and cannot understand or accept that culturally and logistically WFH part time or hybrid models are perfectly sustainable, or even desirable for many businesses.

Mine is one.

We create digital learning experiences for large organizations.

As a result of this model we have been able to attract and retain talent from all over whereas previously we were limited to places that were commutable to offices in Brighton, London or Sheffield.
Skillsets like instructional design, graphics, solutions architects, project management and even film production.

This enables my organisation to develop and maintain a competitive advantage in our industry and attract the best talent

I just read something on LinkedIn and reminded of this thread. What COVID has taught us is that one suit doesn’t fit us all. Some people will prefer to wfh , some be in the office, some mix., some will prefer 9-5 others might prefer to do 8-7 and have one day off a week (the post was about 4 day weeks and how it didn’t work when they’ve tried it). What we have to realise that each person is different , so those companies that manage to keep happy most of their staff balancing the flexibility will be the ones that will come better out of this. Those that want everyone to wfh or office or 9-5 will be the ones that will stay behind and will probably lose some of their most valuable assets , at least in IT where I work and I can see already recruiters offering flexible working

I notice differing views among the people I know.
Lots of law/finance/consultancy work with people in fairly established careers with space to wfh are enjoying not commuting etc, although I think most would prefer a balance of going into the office a couple of days.
Young 20 somethings wfh from a laptop in the kitchen or their bedroom are desperate to get back to London for work but also the social life that comes with it.

I see that there has been huge cost and climate benefit of using zoom or teams meetings instead of people travelling, sometimes internationally for a meeting that could always potentially have been done remotely.

However if you go back 2 years pre covid, there was a big debate on isolation, loneliness (especially in older people, or those living alone) and children's dependence on screens rather than engaging social skills. Now all of us have (in a lot of places very productively) had an increased reliance on screens....but I still think there is a place for actual real life interaction.

My job is predominantly not screen based and if I wfh I dont have any interaction with anyone else. If I am strict with myself I can get a lot more done than when people are coming into the workplace, asking questions, calling on the phone etc. However both myself and my colleague said this week that we dont notice how much we ask for someones advice or second opinion, until we are wfh.

I hope there’ll by hybrid working. There’s no reason not to.

There’s no reason not to.

‘Doesn’t work for management’ is plenty of reason I’m afraid.

Doesn’t work for management’ is plenty of reason I’m afraid

Well that management risks losing its decent staff. If they are well qualified and the role is one that can be done from home. Staff may well move to a company that will allow some degree of WFH.

A job will have to work pretty hard to be worth the extra 5-10 hours a week commuting.

It may not be palatable for “management” but I think some of the changes are here to stay.

Bosses can’t be bosses without people to physically boss about? Hmm.

Well that management risks losing its decent staff.

I don’t think it’s a major concern. Companies right now are being cagey about what they’re offering to new starters long term. They’re waiting to see what everyone else does. How it works.

There will be an attempt at hybrid for a while, but I see it falling apart for most companies pretty soon. It causes many issues, most of which people haven't even started to think through.

I expect to see us broadly back at 2019 levels, perhaps a little wfh flex 1day a week, in 18 months.

People can ask for flexible working and there must be a compelling case why it can’t be granted. That compelling case looks pretty flimsy now since it’s actually been working well for over one year.

Oh a good reason can always be found.

There’ll be very swift distinguishing between what worked for the company in extraordinary pandemic conditions and what works in more normal times.

There will be an attempt at hybrid for a while, but I see it falling apart for most companies pretty soon. It causes many issues, most of which people haven't even started to think through

Keating you do know WFH was a thing before Covid? For many companies (not all) being forced to let staff WFH has shown that it does work and it saves money.
Obviously there are some companies who have found it doesn’t work. Maybe there are highly creative industries where loads of interaction is needed. Or maybe management are just a bit rubbish and can’t get their heads around WFH. Or the staff were always a bit rubbish and will slack off the first chance you give them.

WFH isn’t new.

We are going back to the office (canary wharf) in July. I'm fine with it. It is becoming increasingly hard to do everything remotely, especially since so many people take the piss tbh.

Oh I know. But if you’re the type of company that wfh was good for, you probably had it in place before Covid.

For a small number it’ll work going forward, but a lot of people got carried away with the positive noises companies made early on about it continuing.

However some of that was spin, some of it was surprise it worked at all and facilitating it in the longer term with everyone else returning yo ‘normal’ is a very different proposition.

Presenteism is a poor way of managing work, isn’t it? If people are taking the piss there are bigger problems for the company and just breathing down the neck and micro-managing is a poor use of more expensive staff/resources.

I have high hopes that hybrid will work. DH’s job will be doing max 1 day a week in the office. They’re downsizing and moving stuff so they don’t physically need much office space.

Oh I know. But if you’re the type of company that wfh was good for, you probably had it in place before Covid

I’m only using my own experience. Dh’s employer had 0 WFH. Long term plan is almost all office based staff WFH most of the time.

My kids after school club are reducing their staff. As so many people are staying at home to work come Sept.

WFH seems to have been very successful. Benefits for employees and employers. If I’m honest most of the complaints are from managers who aren’t liking managing remotely.
Maybe the managers need to get better at managing?