Office won’t let isolating staff work from home

[Whathefisgoingon]

It’s a phone based role, obviously we are all able to work from home however we were all hauled in months ago because “morale”’is better when we are all in & “productivity” dropped at home apparently. Nonetheless, the job can be done remotely.

More and more of us are now being pinged or contacted by test & trace to isolate, and we are not allowed to work from home, so we get statutory sick pay only.

Is anyone else’s employer being this outrageous?

[quote luckylavender]@Flowerlane - they are being unreasonable as staff are losing money. People will go the extra mile for an employer who supports them [/quote]
The employer can only support them if the business survives.

If productivity has dropped from people working from home then there is a problem.

If the customer/clients are unhappy with the service they are currently receiving then they will go elsewhere.

@Flowerlane So zero productivity because they are not allowed to wfh is better than “low” productivity? How does that work for the customer experience, who will be allocated to someone else they’ve never spoken to?

[quote Whathefisgoingon]@Flowerlane So zero productivity because they are not allowed to wfh is better than “low” productivity? How does that work for the customer experience, who will be allocated to someone else they’ve never spoken to?[/quote]
The management are looking out for their company and doing what’s in the company’s best interest. You have said that they know productivity is low from people working from home so they are looking at their options, they could be seeing if they can cope with less people in the office and be getting ready to make people redundant. I’m sorry to say it but that’s the truth. Many companies have done big overhauls during lockdown and are now looking at ways to save money from every angle. My company has done the same.

If they feel that people working from home is not working for them then they are not going to pay people full wage to sit at home and not do as much work as when they are in the office.

I think over time, WFH will fall by the wayside for a lot of companies. Initially companies reported productivity high because it was a novelty to workers. But it's so easy when you're at home to go put the washing on, put your tea on, answer the door, have a chat with your children when they come home from school, etc etc. And over time, snipping bits out off your working day becomes the norm. And productivity falls.
I have a friend who works fir herself. She had to stop working ftom home and rent an office because she realised that small daily tasks were taking up too much if her day.
Unless work is target based, I don't see WFH as being the norm.
Could be I'm biased from ringing over a couple of emergencies and hearing children and the telly in the background.

[quote Whathefisgoingon]@Flowerlane So zero productivity because they are not allowed to wfh is better than “low” productivity? How does that work for the customer experience, who will be allocated to someone else they’ve never spoken to?[/quote]
Yes because ssp is not usually full pay and can be reclaimed. It is not cost effective to pay for low productivity unless there so few staff otherwise available. It is only a week or so of different staff, and most customers would accept that in the circumstances.

Aside from some services, most of the companies I call I speak to whoever answers the phone. If I've been in contact before all details are already on their screens. That's a normal customer experience.

What isn't a normal customer experience is then having loads of background noise. So far I have listened to employees dogs yapping away, music, tv on, birds and more. With all that going on its hard to hear what the person is saying. Some are really apologetic, others don't give a shit and moan how hard it is for them.

I feel with all the background noise that they can't be concentrating on ME. I'm paying for this service I'm calling about, I want their 100% attention on me. I haven't complained yet because I'm making allowances, but the longer it goes on, the more frustrated I become. Eventually I will complain and I'll be naming the person I'm talking to.

The company are probably trying to prevent staff from working the system and faking a ping so they can work from home......

@Nightlystroll Dear lord. We are in a pandemic! Staff safety is more important than someone wanting 100% attention.

Initially, which is why I gritted my teeth and didn't complain, but it should be a temporary measure. Time to get back to normal.

Fucksake, no wonder our school is crumbling round our ears if people who should be isolating aren't. We're having a shitter of a week and now I see why.

Not to be nasty, but have you considered looking for a similar role with another employer? Companies have individually approached wfh in different manners, many will deliver what you want.

@thinkingaboutitall every single day! The pay just isn’t as competitive anywhere else. It would seem the trade off is my sanity & health.

Sometimes it’s worth taking a pay cut for your sanity & health. Plenty of high paid jobs are home based anyway - perhaps you can take up a qualification or training so you can secure one. Maybe a career change