Workplace issues

[squiddylama]

I have to go into the office which up until now had been ok (although we can and have successfully worked from home in the past but that's a whole other story!)

I work across multiple sites, there are two I have a big problem with but told to 'get on with it' and 'you're being silly'!

One was just our office for our team. It is a small square room, previously there were only two of us in here we were just about 2 meters apart and facing away from one another (the windows don't open) this has been the case since the get go and we were both comfortable with it!

Last week I was told another team were moving into the office (nothing to do with us!) for the moment it would only be one extra desk. Although not ideal due to the position they will be in and the kind of meetings my team have we were overruled. Due to the covid concerns when the extra desk was delivered I pushed it against the opposite wall - facing the wall as the rest of us pretty much are.

Fast forward to today where I was told that was selfish and that the desk had been moved opposite mine (desks touching). I asked if we could therefore have a screen in between us and was told absolutely not and don't be ridiculous.

I do have health anxiety but this has really upset me and to me breaks every rule in the book. We are directly facing each other about a meter away. No windows open and no masks in offices!

Am I being unreasonable?

You should be 2m apart and if you aren’t then they should be putting other measures in place, ie a screen.

Are you vaccinated?

You definitely aren't being unreasonable.

"Objective: Ensuring workers maintain social distancing guidelines wherever possible. These are 2 metres or 1 metre+ with risk mitigation where 2 metres is not viable. This includes when they arrive at and depart from work, while they are in work, and when they travel between sites."

www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/offices-and-contact-centres

Vaccination doesn't count as mitigation.

I am vaccinated (group 6) but with recent reports it's still a worry

You are not being unreasonable as far as guidance goes however, I personally wouldn’t care as I’m not worried about my covid risk. So I think your health anxiety is speaking here. You are double vaccinated, it really should help you feel better about it all!

At the end of the day, what goes on in offices is down to managers & site managers. I work for a massive, global firm who probably couldn’t run the risk of hundreds of employees going to social media and saying they were breaking covid guidelines. We are a well known company, the press would be interested. But smaller firms, who is gona know. Who do you complain too? Will it actually get you anywhere? Much harder..

You may have been vaccinated but others may not have been, and not unreasonable to be thinking of them as well.

YANBU, they are going again guidance for a COVID secure workplace.

You are not unreasonable.

Its worth speaking with ACAS they can give you advice on how to handle this with your employer with a view to resolving it.