Pressured to return to office but cases rising locally. Where is their duty of care?

[Nutsoh]

Despite WFH successfully since last March we’ve been told over the past few weeks that our offices now have to be manned to 50% in a bid to transition back to full occupancy.

Some managers have turned the thumbscrews on their teams to —force— encourage part of their departments back, they’ve pushed the teams that have a lot of static equipment back in FT and allowed those with laptops the benefit of coming and going when they please with their laptops.

Despite the 2m rule we are allowed to sit in the office, anything up to 10 of us without masks, just needing to put masks on to walk around. There is a one way system but the kitchen is a free for all and you can go into the toilet right after someone else has just used it even though ventilation is poor.

So, I didnt have too much of an issue with this but cases are now rising locally and I feel it’s only a matter of time that it’s going to go through the office. We’ve all had at least one jab but I’m starting to feel a little anxious about someone getting it and it running through the whole building.

So, from a duty of care POV, if someone gets Covid through work and it leaves them seriously I’ll or with long Covid where does that leave the company legally seeing as they’ve more or less forced people back in despite the guidance still being to WFH if you can.

Can people take action against their company if this happens?

I'm an NHS scientist, we have all worked together in our lab throughout the pandemic in a dept of approximately 60 people. If anyone amongst us contracts the virus or is unwell we just all have to take a LAMP test and hope we get a negative result. We wear our masks wherever we walk, sitting at our desks or work stations and can only remove them while sitting to eat or drink in a tea room that is far too small for us all so we now take staggered breaks, lunches and have had our working hours extended to take this into account. Social distancing is impossible for us as we couldn't do our job and if we didn't do our job, the hospital would have to close. I'm not complaining. This is what I chose to do. Point is, think yourself lucky to have had the luxury of WFH for all this time but if your employers are asking you to go back then maybe it's time you did.

I don't understand why those concerned about returning to a non-Covid secure workplace are branded as 'precious' on here. I'm pretty certain I picked up a mild form of Covid at work last April. I was off sick for 2 months recovering from the fatigue that followed. By autumn I had more long Covid symptoms and in January was blue-lighted into hospital with pneumonia and a heart condition, which I may have for life. These have been linked to the Covid infection by 2 consultants. I was previously fit, healthy and very active. I've just gone back to work for the first time in 6 months.

The point of all this is that Covid isn't all about ITU and death stats; the ONS estimates a million people in the UK are suffering from long Covid and almost 400k have had it for more than a year. Yes two jabs will reduce your risk of serious illness and death, but I had a mild case and still became very ill months later with related issues.
We all have to work out what our individual tolerance is to risk. I've been left medically vulnerable by Covid and will no longer be forced into situations at work I feel might further compromise my health. I'm not being precious - I just want my life back.

Déjà vu another wave another cycle of open and close society and business sectors with more collateral damage in this ongoing mismanaged medical pandemic battle. Let’s hope the ever evolving mutations do not beat and escape the vaccination race. A perpetual unsustainable cycle but no surprise as only surprise would be any sustainable long term management.

ha ha - you (and many others on here) wish. It’ll be business as usual sooner rather than later I’m afraid - as posts like the OP’s show. Soz to burst your bubble

Why is it so important to you the the wfh people go back?

And no plenty won't. Our local council and several other have given up their buildings and moved permanently to wfh for many of their staff.

Plenty will go back, plenty will do hybrid, plenty will stay wfh

It's a good question, OP. Government guidance is still to WFH if you can, so your employer should not be forcing this. The delta variant is highly transmissible and one jab does not protect you well. As an office manager I would not insist on anyone coming back if they don't want to, especially before their second jab.

I would have a conversation with your boss about it. And if they still insist I would invest in a good E95 mask and wear it all day at the office.

@Ladylokidoki you can't really compare your local council to a 'normal' work place. Council workers seem to have taken this opportunity to be lazier than ever. Any excuse to slack and do as little work as possible.

@Ladylokidoki

ha ha - you (and many others on here) wish. It’ll be business as usual sooner rather than later I’m afraid - as posts like the OP’s show. Soz to burst your bubble

Why is it so important to you the the wfh people go back?

And no plenty won't. Our local council and several other have given up their buildings and moved permanently to wfh for many of their staff.

Plenty will go back, plenty will do hybrid, plenty will stay wfh

Yes, I can't seem to get a proper answer from any of the "get back to work!" brigade about why they care so much about where other people sit and do their day jobs so I will assume it's jealousy and leave it at that.

@Dongdingdong

Also those shouting everyone has to go back are weird IMO. Of course some will WFH forever now.

@PracticingPerson ha ha - you (and many others on here) wish. It’ll be business as usual sooner rather than later I’m afraid - as posts like the OP’s show. Soz to burst your bubble!

I have the option to either go into the office or wfh forever. "Soz"

you can't really compare your local council to a 'normal' work place. Council workers seem to have taken this opportunity to be lazier than ever. Any excuse to slack and do as little work as possible.

Who compared them?

The comment said 'you and many others wish' about staying at home.

But many will be staying home. Including the many people who work for councils.

We have just bought the building used by a council call centre on our complex to turn into meeting rooms. Because so many employers will be, mainly, staying at home but need to rent space for face to face meetings on an advice basis. It will also have individual offices for small one or 2 people businesses to use.

Its the work isn't finished until September, but we are booked up for the first 2 months. Because private companies are giving up their office space. Not just the council.

I wasn't comparing the council to private business. I am simply saying many people, regardless of who they work for, won't be going back. Whatever you think of council workers, they are workers and won't be going back. So are in the many that won't be going back.

Our head office numbers have raised 10% since March 2020. We were already over capacity then. But they aren't buying another office for us, because they know we won't need it and are working on making it covid secure for the people who will need/ want it. Especially if some are in only some of the time.

We already had staff based at home and its become clear others could continue it too.

Yes, I can't seem to get a proper answer from any of the "get back to work!" brigade about why they care so much about where other people sit and do their day jobs so I will assume it's jealousy and leave it at that.

Because they don't really have an answer above 'I don't want people to be able to wfh'.

This pandemic has had an odd impact of making alot of people constantly looking at others and hoping for the worst outcome for those people.

Weirdly on MN, it seems to aimed more at women. When talking about men wfh, people seem more supportive.

I'm in the same position, I assume you have dressed this post up as worried about risk when actually you just like working from home (I do too). Working from home for me is way better. No commute, saving in costs, lunch time walks with my partner, more sleep, more relaxation, eating and cooking dinner earlier. The benefits to me personally are endless. I will continue working from home for as long as I can and then say I will only be coming in a couple of days a week maximum. If that doesn't work out I'll be applying for to be a permanent remote worker (we have them). My advice would be to start looking for a new job that offers the flexibility you are looking for.

@Ladylokidoki

Yes, I can't seem to get a proper answer from any of the "get back to work!" brigade about why they care so much about where other people sit and do their day jobs so I will assume it's jealousy and leave it at that.

Because they don't really have an answer above 'I don't want people to be able to wfh'.

This pandemic has had an odd impact of making alot of people constantly looking at others and hoping for the worst outcome for those people.

Weirdly on MN, it seems to aimed more at women. When talking about men wfh, people seem more supportive.

Exactly. It's all a bit "I'm not allowed to wfh therefore no one should be able to" really. Very childish.

Wouldn't you want to get back to work in the office?

I couldn't imagine anything worse than month after month of being at home lone working, with distractions, rather than being at the office with help/banter from colleagues.
Vaccines are the most protection were ever going to get.

Front line workers like myself have been working in a customer faced role throughout the pandemic. When people the majority weren't vaccinated.

This working from home and furlough scheme have massively affected peoples work ethic, rationalisation and entitlement.

@MrsHastingslikethebattle

Wouldn't you want to get back to work in the office?

I couldn't imagine anything worse than month after month of being at home lone working, with distractions, rather than being at the office with help/banter from colleagues.
Vaccines are the most protection were ever going to get.

Front line workers like myself have been working in a customer faced role throughout the pandemic. When people the majority weren't vaccinated.

This working from home and furlough scheme have massively affected peoples work ethic, rationalisation and entitlement.

Because different people like different things? Shocking concept, I know. Just because you don't like the idea of wfh doesn't mean others don't enjoy it. How strange.

Exactly. It's all a bit "I'm not allowed to wfh therefore no one should be able to" really. Very childish

Not from everyone's stand point. It certainly isn't mine. Key workers have worked throughout this pandemic, front line workers who have kept the country going, where the vast majority haven't been vaccinated, who have to put their health and familys health at risk.

And yet now, 18 months later the working from home crew need to get out of their pyjamas and commute, their worlds crashing down.

Its precious and quite ridiculous.

@MrsHastingslikethebattle

Exactly. It's all a bit "I'm not allowed to wfh therefore no one should be able to" really. Very childish

Not from everyone's stand point. It certainly isn't mine. Key workers have worked throughout this pandemic, front line workers who have kept the country going, where the vast majority haven't been vaccinated, who have to put their health and familys health at risk.

And yet now, 18 months later the working from home crew need to get out of their pyjamas and commute, their worlds crashing down.

Its precious and quite ridiculous.

But why do they need to commute?

Exactly. It's all a bit "I'm not allowed to wfh therefore no one should be able to" really. Very childish.

Exactly. And before this did people really have this level of vitriol for those that worked at home?

I know someone who works from home because her dog is old and she worries about him being alone. Her job was office based, then she went home because of some building work in the office and never returned to office working. Never occurred to me to tell her to get back to work, because other people couldnt wfh or stay with their elderly dogs. She works really hard at home, it works for her.

Her employer accepted it because of how well she wfh during the building work.

@MrsHastingslikethebattle

Exactly. It's all a bit "I'm not allowed to wfh therefore no one should be able to" really. Very childish

Not from everyone's stand point. It certainly isn't mine. Key workers have worked throughout this pandemic, front line workers who have kept the country going, where the vast majority haven't been vaccinated, who have to put their health and familys health at risk.

And yet now, 18 months later the working from home crew need to get out of their pyjamas and commute, their worlds crashing down.

Its precious and quite ridiculous.

You sound so bitter. It's ok to be jealous.

@Ladylokidoki

Exactly. It's all a bit "I'm not allowed to wfh therefore no one should be able to" really. Very childish.

Exactly. And before this did people really have this level of vitriol for those that worked at home?

I know someone who works from home because her dog is old and she worries about him being alone. Her job was office based, then she went home because of some building work in the office and never returned to office working. Never occurred to me to tell her to get back to work, because other people couldnt wfh or stay with their elderly dogs. She works really hard at home, it works for her.

Her employer accepted it because of how well she wfh during the building work.

Well, quite! Funnily enough people did wfh before Covid. I don't recall there being this level of hatred in their direction though. Covid really has brought out the worst in a lot of people.

Just because some of us have had to go to the workplace throughout and be exposed to risk, I don't understand why some people think everyone should now even when they can WFH.
If nothing else, it increases safety for those of us who have to go into work.

I can, however, relate to resentment in that those of us (particularly lower paid workers, who have had to take risks in the height of the pandemic) have not been able to be at home helping our children keep up academically, and have seen some people who don't want to return to the office breaking rules and enjoying lots of social activities.

If you're vaccinated what's the issue? Go back to work!

@iminthegarden

If you're vaccinated what's the issue? Go back to work!

Again - why? Why "go back to work!"?

Its not even get back to work, because they are working. It's 'get back to one particular building that I, personally, think you should be in.'

I wonder if a lot of the "go back to work!" brigade are confusing wfh with furlough. That would explain why they are apparently so strident about people they don't know carrying out their work from a dedicated office space rather than a living room, I suppose....