Employee refusing to come into work - scared of covid

[AtticusMcPlatypus]

Bit of a difficult situation at work. Most employees are back on a hybrid working basis, roughly two or three days in the office, the rest at home. One employee has been very reluctant to come in and has barely been in all year with the exception of a couple of days.

We've been pretty relaxed about it so far but we have a big project starting next week which requires them to be there in person for three days. Employee has travel plans booked for the middle of next month and is now refusing to come into work in case they catch COVID and can't go. On one hand I get their point of view, but everyone else is having to do it and it seems unfair that they won't. If they'd done their fair share over the last few months I think we'd cut them a bit more slack, but they haven't. WWYD? Let them off, or make them come in?

Well what happens to employees who refuse to go to work? I know what happens in our place.

It's time. If they don't want the job then there are others who will.

Well their travel plans may be impacted anyway.
The middle of next month is Christmas, so I assume they are going to visit family over that period.

I think that they are taking the piss but is this.going to start cropping up with other team members as we get nearer to the Christmas holidays? Will you treat all requests equally?

What is it they need to do in the office for the three days?

@AtticusMcPlatypus

Thank you for the replies. It's not a trip to see a sick relative, but is a trip to see a family member they've not seen for a long time. I get that they don't want to jeopardise their trip I really do, but I don't think we are being unreasonable at all. If needs be we will all do LFTs and wear masks if we have to. It's a small office, only about 6/7 of us in at any one time.

As there is a new variant floating about, I'd suggest it's perfectly reasonable timing to introduce a pre-attendance LFT for all, and to wear masks. You could offer the option to everyone, if this tricky employee has to use public transport, to come in earlier than normal and leave earlier, or come in/leave later than normal, but frankly public transport is not the jam packed hustle it was pre-covid.

As a company, you need to set / update your policies about working from home and then stick to them. On a personal level, it's great you've been understanding and flexible so far, but that's how you've found yourself where you are now. And I wouldn't be impressed if I was one of the workers who'd been coming into the office 3 days a week, as I was supposed to, and perceive someone else is getting special treatment. As a manager, I'd be wondering when a complaint would come from one of my other staff about this.

If this employee is so scared of COVID that they're afraid to leave the house to come to work, then it sounds like they need to see their GP to discuss anxiety and potentially get signed off while they seek medical help for this. But if they're happy enough to go on holiday, it sounds like they're not that terrified of leaving their house, they just can't be arsed going into the office...I'd make them come in.

This is where being nice people and cutting slack ends up sometimes - with some taking the piss!

Check your policies - if they haven't been updated since Covid then now is the time to do that. Risk assessment and reasonable adjustments - moving start/finish times, wearing masks, encouraging LFT (you can't really make those compulsory for everyone else, but I would be encouraging it strongly), ventilation, social distancing, etc.

The problem is that you have to run all this and then they still might not turn up on the day you want them to, which means you then have to start disciplinary - it's all a massive pita and doesn't actually get you where you want to be, which is simply for a member of staff to attend their workplace for an important project kick off.

It’s two pronged

They haven’t been doing their fair share for a few months? That needs to be addressed entirely separately from the covid issue

If it was actual anxiety about catching Covid I would be more sympathetic but they are just worried about their travel plans being disrupted.

The work requires them to be in the office so they need to come in. You aren't asking them to come in for the sake of it, if the work needs someone in the office.

One of my colleagues did this. She was advised to take more leave if she didn't want to risk jeopardizing her holiday by coming in to work. It solved the problem. It may not be so effective if you need your employee present for project start.

Why do they need to be in the office for this project though. One thing that winds me up no end is now the need to be in 'for a project' which last year we all did from home with no issues at all.

Same was as DH job says he must be in the office to network with his team which really means 'catch up' which for the last year has been done via teams with no issue at all.

I think it's wrong to force employees back to the office if it's purely for a team meeting scenario. If you can actually do your job from home then give people the choice

And she’s NOT anxious about covid

She’s anxious about having her personal travel plans disrupted

Big difference

@Oftenithinkaboutit

It’s two pronged

They haven’t been doing their fair share for a few months? That needs to be addressed entirely separately from the covid issue

Where did the OP say they weren't doing their fair share?

In the OP

Very clearly

Personally I’d offer them unpaid leave for the duration of the project so I can Emily a temp replacement or tell them they need to come in.

employ (not Emily!)

It’s a disciplinary offence in our workplace to refuse to come in at least twice a week. I’ve had to crack the whip a few times. One of our biggest refuseniks who was “terrified of getting Covid” had photos of her on holiday in Turkey and at a rave.

We do lateral flow tests every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to give some peace of mind to the really terrified.

1. does this person have medical conditions or live with anyone who does? 2) does the work you require need them to attend the office?

Aren't we be advised to WFH if we can again?

I would be majorly peed off if someone had been reluctant to come in to the office all year because of covid but were happy to make travel plans abroad when it suited them.
None of my work places current and previous would have put up with that, there would have been a disciplinary and then if nothing changed we would be let go.

You really need to get something in writing that all team members are expected into the office from such and such date as working from home is no longer a option. If they argue as why they can’t work from home no more you can just stick with the line that unfortunately for the good of the company it is now not viable to have staff working from home. If they refuse still then they will have to be let go.

I think the employee is taking the piss wanting to avoid the office for risk of spoiling a holiday (actual
COVID fear I would have sympathy with).

That said, if you decide to pursue this you need to much clearer on your points and concerns.

For example. You seem to equate working from home with not doing their fair share. This is pretty offensive. Many employees work just as hard and produce equal output from home. They're doing the same, just from a different desk. If this employee isn't producing the output then this is a performance issue and should be dealt with accordingly snd no wrapped in with COVID/working from home.

Also, you say this project requires office attendance, then later you say you would be more flexible if they had done their "fair share" which suggests that, actually, attendance isn't necessary or you wouldn't be able to offer any flexibility under any circumstances.

Honestly, it reads like your just getting fed up with this person not showing their face in the office. Fair enough, but I would be careful about wording you use, talking about not doing fair share and attendance in office being needed because if those turn out not to be entirely accurate it weakens your argument.

Employee has travel plans booked for the middle of next month and is now refusing to come into work in case they catch COVID and can't go.

Then they don’t get paid. Or have a job to fine back to!

Your employee is being very unreasonable. It's good of you to offer hybrid working but it sounds like they're taking the piss. I'd be showing them the door.

They are being unreasonable but ultimately you have to work with them them need some good will.

Personally, I'd trade letting this slide for a firm agreed return to work plan.

So would go for:

• Highlighting the contradiction and their hypocrisy (not using that word of course) and the business need for them to be in the office
• Show compassion for their situation
• agree they can wfh and go but also agree a clear framework and days for them to be in the office once they return.

Be careful about just saying no and eroding good will particularly if they are a good worker.

I think you either need them in, or they can work from home and do the same work load. From your post it sounds like you don’t actually NEED them
in. Have they managed their workload from home with no issues up until now? You can’t say you would ‘cut them slack’ as this implies you could manage the workload with them still working from home.. I think you need to assess whether they (and others) can successfully work from home, or not. If they can’t, same rules for all apply- just come in X amount of time. If you genuinely can do without their physical presence (which it sounds to me like you can to be honest) then you need to set up some WFH that functions well & can function long term. Do you have performance issues with this person? That should be the main question IMO. You don’t mention that in your post which makes me think you are pushing for presence when you could have the same output with WFH. I’d be well peed off if I was an employee who was coming in to keep my boss happy whilst another had been given ‘slack’ and I’d just not been ballsy enough to ask for it. IMO it’s for you to be fair and seeing as you’ve already laid a precedent with one person i think you should seriously consider putting in place a long term remote working strategy. Will benefit your employees and your recruitment! Xo