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?

a lot of companies are taking the piss by using covid as an excuse for all their shortcomings and even their deliberate decisions. It's really shitty behaviour and just heaps pressure on their remaining staff

And, it seems, creates more division. The general public think people who wfh are shit, because its harder for them to access services and want people back at work, because they think it will magically improve things.

I think even if everyone went back tomorrow, service levels won't back up to pre 2020. The pandemic will be the excuse for the next few years, for companies to get away with poor service while demanding more from their employees.

"Hmm. So you have more personal value than: Drs, nurses, retail workers, hospitality workers, police, armed forces, teachers, bus, taxi, train workers."

It is exactly because these people have to work outside their homes that those who can work from home should still continue to do so in order to help those who can't! Nothing to do with value. As much as you would like to think we are out of the woods, this is still not the case. Imagine you sitting with your friend in a cafe and a criminal comes, shoots your friend and runs away. Would you run after them yelling "wait, criminal, kill me, too!" or would you just be thankful that your life could be spared?

@twinklemom
Are you sure that’s a fair comparison?
I guess you won’t be so happy if the schools were closed again (because education can be delivered online without actual babysitting children), if postal services were severely reduced due, you know, dangers of Covid, etc etc etc. It’s understandable how people want to continue wfh indefinitely while others continue to serve them, but this attitude is a bit cheeky, isn’t it. I’m personally tired of the excuses companies use to justify the bad service. “Sorry, our employees are working from home so there may be some delays...”. Oh yeah really?

@Ohpleasenotagain
Why not work from home if you can? Companies' excuses? You mean companies who treat their employees as human beings and believe they are entitled to safe working environment, too (of course, job permitting)! Is it fair to make someone work from office just because I can't work from home? We have to be compassionate and resilient.

Police officers have worked throughout, getting absolute hell. Nobody cares about them and they were way down the vaccine queue(along with other occupations). As long as you follow hands, face, space, ventilate I think you will be fine.

@twinklemom
What does it mean “job permitting”? Job permitting teachers to work from home too. Online education, why not? Imagine the outcry if we shut the schools now. It’s just getting a bit offensive now. I wish people stop using Covid as an excuse. If you love working from home, fine, I completely understand why. But let’s not pretend it’s about Covid. Unless there’s an exceptional circumstance in place.

[quote Ohpleasenotagain]@twinklemom
What does it mean “job permitting”? Job permitting teachers to work from home too. Online education, why not? Imagine the outcry if we shut the schools now. It’s just getting a bit offensive now. I wish people stop using Covid as an excuse. If you love working from home, fine, I completely understand why. But let’s not pretend it’s about Covid. Unless there’s an exceptional circumstance in place.[/quote]
It's not about covid for me. I love wfh 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Gothichouse40

Police officers have worked throughout, getting absolute hell. Nobody cares about them and they were way down the vaccine queue(along with other occupations). As long as you follow hands, face, space, ventilate I think you will be fine.

Do you actually think that "hands, face, space, ventilate" prevents all cases or everyone is "fine" following infection?.

Police officers have worked throughout, getting absolute hell. Nobody cares about them and they were way down the vaccine queue(along with other occupations).

Op isn't a police officer. So it's not relevant, as it's not the same job

[quote Ohpleasenotagain]@twinklemom
What does it mean “job permitting”? Job permitting teachers to work from home too. Online education, why not? Imagine the outcry if we shut the schools now. It’s just getting a bit offensive now. I wish people stop using Covid as an excuse. If you love working from home, fine, I completely understand why. But let’s not pretend it’s about Covid. Unless there’s an exceptional circumstance in place.[/quote]
Schools have been closed to most pupils during much of the pandemic and may close again. It's not really something people need to "imagine".

Go back to work or quit. Honestly! Stop being a snowflake and admit it's just because your loving the working from home life. It cannot possibly be because of Covid

Go back to work or quit. Honestly! Stop being a snowflake and admit it's just because your loving the working from home life. It cannot possibly be because of Covid

The issue is sorted. A compromise has been sorted.

The business recognised that it wasn't, entirely, a great idea.

Do you generally have a go at people about them having a job?

@wasthataburp

Also your fucking lucky you even have a job so stop being so bloody ungrateful

Goodness, you sound very angry indeed!

@Belladonna12
Lots schools I know were open for hundreds of pupils even during the lockdown, depends on the school and area etc
And if it’s not safe for the OP to return to work in current climate, it’s not safe for the teachers to work, according to OP’s logic. They can work from home, delivering lessons through zoom. Please someone explain why a teacher’s life is less valuable than OP’s. Don’t tell me it’s because OP needs babysitting while she wfh.

[quote Ohpleasenotagain]@Belladonna12
Lots schools I know were open for hundreds of pupils even during the lockdown, depends on the school and area etc
And if it’s not safe for the OP to return to work in current climate, it’s not safe for the teachers to work, according to OP’s logic. They can work from home, delivering lessons through zoom. Please someone explain why a teacher’s life is less valuable than OP’s. Don’t tell me it’s because OP needs babysitting while she wfh.[/quote]
OP isn't a teacher though, and whether or not teachers can/should wfh is of no relevance to OP's original question

@IsabellesMissingSock
I disagree.
We’re all in this together.
And why isn’t it relevant? It is. It’s extremely hypocritical and offensive to expect teachers and to take the risk and babysit children while they CAN work from home and babysitting is not actually their job. Their job is teaching. It’s not ideal to do it online, but neither is other kinds of wfh. It just shows the division and entitlement and it gets worse and worse every day. No one is entitled to a complete risk elimination from Covid.

You can disagree all you like 🤷🏻‍♀️ This wasn't a thread about teachers. I also don't believe the OP (or anyone else) has said teachers have to be in schools either. Not sure OP has even said she has kids.

Anyway, this has descended into whataboutery, and I have better things to do so I'll leave you to your outrage

And if it’s not safe for the OP to return to work in current climate, it’s not safe for the teachers to work, according to OP’s logic. They can work from home, delivering lessons through zoom. Please someone explain why a teacher’s life is less valuable than OP’s. Don’t tell me it’s because OP needs babysitting while she wfh.

How is this relevant. Op isn't a teacher.

The reason schools are open are because the vast majority of people (including teachers) knew that zoom lessons was not working as well as in person teaching.

Theres no evidence, provided to open that's says her job is not as effective when done from home.

And again, she isn't a teacher. That's like me complaining I don't get 6 weeks off in summer. Well no, because I am not a teacher. It's not unfair, on me.

Ultimately it's the companies choice.

No one can moan about being asked to do the job they applied for.

The company have every right to ask you to come to the office. You can not like that as much as you want but ultimately they get to decide not you.

[quote Ohpleasenotagain]@Belladonna12
Lots schools I know were open for hundreds of pupils even during the lockdown, depends on the school and area etc
And if it’s not safe for the OP to return to work in current climate, it’s not safe for the teachers to work, according to OP’s logic. They can work from home, delivering lessons through zoom. Please someone explain why a teacher’s life is less valuable than OP’s. Don’t tell me it’s because OP needs babysitting while she wfh.[/quote]
It's nothing to do with whose life is the most valuable. It's to do with the fact that if someone's job can be done as effectively at home there is no benefit to making them go into the work for the sake of it. By doing so it increases the risk for everyone including those who do have to go in.

@IsabellesMissingSock

You can disagree all you like 🤷🏻‍♀️ This wasn't a thread about teachers. I also don't believe the OP (or anyone else) has said teachers have to be in schools either. Not sure OP has even said she has kids.

Anyway, this has descended into whataboutery, and I have better things to do so I'll leave you to your outrage

Yes, the amount of whataboutery and jealousy on this thread is ridiculous. Anyone would thing that by not going into the office OP is increasing their risk when it's actually the other way around.

belladonna

Who gets to decide if she's more efficient?

The OP or the company?

Decent companies explain their version of efficiency to employees, so everyone has the same aims.

So both the employee and the company should know if the employee is efficient or if wfh is efficient.

Not sure where people work that, the bosses hoard the information on productivity and how efficient their staff are. Everywhere I have worked its been well communicated and everyone knows if something is working or not.

What if they disagree?

Who has the final say?