Do you think government will recommend return to ‘WFH if you can’?

[SophieH83]

Some of my colleagues (perhaps wishfully thinking) believe that gov will reintroduce ‘WFH if you can’ any day now.

Do you think it’s likely?

I’ve been working from home since last March. My employer has taken the view that as long as the work is done they don’t care whether people prefer to work at home or in the office, and they have implemented a desk booking system. Individual teams can then make arrangements for team meetings or having everyone in once a week or whatever, at their discretion. So far it seems to be working well. I’m at home all the time.

The issue I have however. Colleagues who work from home and as a result have stopped using wraparound childcare. Disappear during the working day to do the school run etc. One of my colleagues has a three year old who she now only puts to nursery in the mornings because “well I’m around anyway so might as well save some money!”

It’s one thing if your kids are older and self sufficient, that’s fine, but when your child is small and constantly interrupting you (as they tend to do) you need to use childcare. The way you would if you were in the office. You’re not working with a three year old under your feet. You’re just not.

You’re not working with a three year old under your feet. You’re just not.

Then that becomes a performance/quality issue which the management need to deal with. If that means underperforming staff are sent back to the office full time then so be it.

Yes I quite agree.

I see so many parents doing this. It's outrageous. They say they put things in the calendar for school run time so no one can request meetings etc

We don’t have core hours so can nip out to do school run. But reality is that 6yo needs too much intervention for me to work effectively so she’s at the childminder til 5.30. I would expect a manager to take issue with an employee who is constantly interrupted because they have chosen not to pay for childcare.

Yeah my eldest has just turned 7 and she goes to after school club. If she’s in the house she doesn’t give me a minute’s peace. “I’m hungry. I’m bored. I’m thirsty. Can you open this for me? Can you get the dress on this barbie? Mum, mum come and see this…”

They will do, far too late. I am booked to go into office on Weds and will go, but my office has no mandate to return and TBH I am probably going to stop until spring after that, unless there is some miraculous drop in infections in the meantime. Shame, as it'll only be my third time back, but always assumed I'd stop by December anyway

I can guarantee that my employer will refuse to allow WFH even if the government requests it. They said it’s ridiculous and inconvenient. Last time they claimed we were essential retail so we were allowed to stay open. I can see why they want the warehouse staff to come to work but there’s literally no reason why the other 200 office workers in accounting, HR, legal, marketing, customer services, etc can’t work at home. Loads of people have left because of this and others are planning to leave but haven’t secured new jobs yet. It makes us feel like presenteeism is more important than our health and safety.

Anyone working from home with a toddler is insane. Didn't we all do enough of that during lockdown?

No.

It makes us feel like presenteeism is more important than our health and safety

Just out of interest, do you think in all cases it’s about health and safety, or do you think it’s “everyone else is working from home so I want to as well” ?

Well they have said it’s in plan B, so I think they will.

I think we will be working from home in a couple of weeks.

I sincerely hope they don't - no need to go backwards at all.

@Milkbottlelegs
“ The nhs is fucked every winter, even without covid. This has given them a convenient excuse to blame the government for not imposing restrictions.”

It’s not convenient and the NHS doesn’t need an excuse to blame the government. The government are responsible for the NHS.

Yes, plan B is coming.

There's no way they will pull the rip cord on plan b until cop26 has concluded by which point I expect the cases will have stabilised and begun to drop.

No people are pissed off now and we are being lied too all the time it is time to say no if the nhs was run properly we would not need to fucking save it i am not scared anymore

Not sure how/of COP26 is relevant. Scottish Govt makes its own rules on Covid stuff. A lot of what is in Plan B is still in place in Scotland anyway (masks, WFH if you can).

[quote AtlanticCityProof]@Milkbottlelegs
“ The nhs is fucked every winter, even without covid. This has given them a convenient excuse to blame the government for not imposing restrictions.”

It’s not convenient and the NHS doesn’t need an excuse to blame the government. The government are responsible for the NHS.[/quote]
This! Convienent how some people think is beyond me. Probably voted Tory too.

I don't think it would affect the logistics of the event thedevilinablackdress, I just think it would be badly timed, bad press.

Ah, I see what you mean FourTea

Just out of interest, do you think in all cases it’s about health and safety, or do you think it’s “everyone else is working from home so I want to as well”?
If the government issues a WFH order it’s because infection levels are high and they’ve decided it’s safer for people to stay at home. So when people who can easily WFH are being forced to come into the office for absolutely no reason, that shows a complete disregard for their health and safety.

I think if additional measures are needed, it has to be WFH if you can. There is not better “bang for your buck” available to the government in terms of reducing people being out and about vs impact the to the economy.

@Aorh agree

@Aorh

I think if additional measures are needed, it has to be WFH if you can. There is not better “bang for your buck” available to the government in terms of reducing people being out and about vs impact the to the economy.

Absolutely this. I'm back in an office where it's wall to wall infection, alongside wall to wall team lunches, drinks, mixing and inter office European travel - and they're trying to work out how to stop the spread. It's not fecking rocket science, stop having mass gatherings with no measures!!

Unless mandated the people of this country do not seem to be able to follow simple intstruction.