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Original poster

Are people going back to wfh?

135 replies

Wfhquery · 09/12/2021 07:16

We all wfh in first lockdown.
2nd lockdown most wfh but employer said anyone that wanted to could go in if wfh difficult.
We’ve all been back since isolation rules changed in aug.
Although we can work from home our employer prefers us to office work as it does make certain aspects slightly easier.
Expect we’ll have an announcement about what they are doing next couple of days but just wondering what are most employers doing? Are they going back to full wfh where employees can or carrying on requiring people to attend.
Personally I like wfh as I get more done as we are really busy but I like the cut off of a start and finish when in office

OP posts:
Positivelypatient · 09/12/2021 12:52

I work in a University but WFH during 1st & 2nd lockdown and then partially until Sept, been back ft since then. Was expecting some sort of comms from mgt but so far, tumbleweed. I'm getting more and more cross as the day goes on. My role could be done from home.

OnGoldenPond · 09/12/2021 12:54

@Jourdain11

I also work in a university but we've been told that we will be updated today. I think going back online would be a hard sell to students, particularly as we got really strict on them having to register by a certain date and not being permitted to study remotely.
Yes doesn't seem to be a universal thing with all universities as DS is away at uni and has had no indication that they are going online for the last week. Hope online teaching doesn't come back for a lengthy period as his mental health really suffered in the last lockdown Sad. Don't think it would be right to put students through that again, it was horrific.
Comefromaway · 09/12/2021 12:57

Dd is online this week but that is because there are several covid positive students amongst her cohort.

LaBelleSausage · 09/12/2021 13:07

We've had an email - the office is closed from next week. All meetings to be virtual.
Strongly suggest no team get togethers for Christmas.

RaininSummer · 09/12/2021 13:07

Seems unlikely that we will go to wfh here. Civil service.

nicslackey · 09/12/2021 13:23

Wfh since last October and to continue. Suits me perfectly. Letter from overall head to encourage this where possible some weeks ago. Also civil service

knittingaddict · 09/12/2021 13:28

My husband never stopped.

Ozanj · 09/12/2021 13:31

I can’t wfh as I own and run a nursery - but I have asked parents who are wfh and who no longer need childcare to let me know asap so I can prioritise parents who have been told to come in 5 days a week. If people aren’t honest with me then I will move back to a key worker only policy.

LaBelleSausage · 09/12/2021 13:35

@Ozanj

I can’t wfh as I own and run a nursery - but I have asked parents who are wfh and who no longer need childcare to let me know asap so I can prioritise parents who have been told to come in 5 days a week. If people aren’t honest with me then I will move back to a key worker only policy.
I hope you don't mind me asking, but is this in England, and any sort of official directive or just your own policy?

Just a bit concerned as with two preschool kids and as a single mum I can't work from home unless I have the kids in nursery.

RumHoney · 09/12/2021 13:35

Since I started this job in September I have been hybrid (3 office, 2 home). The email we got this morning pretty much lets us decide - we can go back to full time WFH but the office will be open and we can use it if we want to without needing to prebook/get permission.

I prefer the working environment in the office (bigger desk, multiple screens) and our setup isn't particularly risky (I have my own office anyway) but at this time of year not having to commute in the dark means I'll probably WFH unless I need to come in to print something. I work with people across multiple offices/countries so most of my meetings are video calls rather than f2f anyway.

Ozanj · 09/12/2021 13:47

@LaBelleSausage It’s my own policy. I have already seen NHS and Care Agency letters demanding some of our parents work from their hospital / clinic full time. In the event it becomes a requirement I was considering closure because we had so many parents supply fraudulent letters last time (housewives pretending to work for their husband’s companies) / people lying about their profession & then refusing to supply evidence that it became stressful to manage the admin. But poor Arthur’s case has made me think twice about it and I’m thinking I might go in much tougher this time and start handing notices to some parents.

LaBelleSausage · 09/12/2021 13:56

@Ozanj thank you.

It must be so incredibly hard, I need to make sure I get the nursery staff a very nice present as they really have been on the frontline.

You're all unsung heroes as so many parents would struggle without you.

Bobbybobbins · 09/12/2021 14:00

Secondary teacher so will carry on as usual but hoping the traffic may be a bit lighter on my commute!

Tomorrowisanewday · 09/12/2021 14:09

Since the first lockdown, I've offered my staff to work wherever they want. They've all chosen to work from the office mainly. We're in quite a technical field, and most of my staff are doing some level of training, and they like being able to ask me questions and check their work. One of them said he learns a lot from hearing phone calls (even just my side of it). Each week, I remind them that they can work from home, but it doesn't work for them. My graduate offered to write a letter to me, saying it was his choice.

APurpleSquirrel · 09/12/2021 14:19

Both DH & I have been wfh since March. I'm now on a permanent wfh as my boss has got rid of our office & is herself relocating to Scotland (from SW England). DHs office has been downsized too & they only go in for meetings if necessary but that's only once a month or so.
We're both used to it now & it has been very beneficial for us (not the lockdowns when school & nursery we're closed!) & we're planning to upsize our house next year so we can both have proper offices - currently I'm on the sofa & DH is in our bedroom.

OhMyCrump · 09/12/2021 15:20

@Ozanj

I can’t wfh as I own and run a nursery - but I have asked parents who are wfh and who no longer need childcare to let me know asap so I can prioritise parents who have been told to come in 5 days a week. If people aren’t honest with me then I will move back to a key worker only policy.
People should definitely not be wfh and looking after children.
ZoBo123 · 09/12/2021 15:46

@Ozanj people wfh are still working. As an employer I would not be happy if someone was using wfh for childcare. In an emergency for one day, okay, but not as a general rule. The reason key workers got places last time was because they needed to continue working. Now everyone needs to work (just not in an office if you can wfh) there is no need to limit places. What do you expect the parents to do with their children who are being left unsupervised at home?

Comefromaway · 09/12/2021 15:49

My kids are 17 and 20 now but there is no way I could have worked from home with them around. We tried with mil who had dementia during 2020 and it was a nightmare.

julieca · 09/12/2021 16:14

I had already been wfh but we had the choice of the office or wfh. But my employer has just decided to close the office to protect staff.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 09/12/2021 16:49

We’ve been told work from home if you can, but being unable to work from home could be both if your job needs you to go in (not a lot of jobs in my organisation need you to go in, certainly not every day) or if you need to because wfh is impractical or if you need to go in for your MH.

So quite a lot of choice for staff!

SirensofTitan · 09/12/2021 16:59

@Ozanj

I can’t wfh as I own and run a nursery - but I have asked parents who are wfh and who no longer need childcare to let me know asap so I can prioritise parents who have been told to come in 5 days a week. If people aren’t honest with me then I will move back to a key worker only policy.
Why do you need to do that? The parent WFH still needs childcare, I'd have to change my nursery if you started to discrimate like that.

I don't understand your reasoning, there's not a WFH home mandate.

BoudecaBains · 09/12/2021 17:02

An awful lot of ppl never went back and continued to WFH which is why TfL are in the shit !

Horst · 09/12/2021 17:07

My new job role is fully work from home anyway although all other staff are to stay in I believe.

Darkpheonix · 09/12/2021 17:07

[quote Ozanj]@LaBelleSausage It’s my own policy. I have already seen NHS and Care Agency letters demanding some of our parents work from their hospital / clinic full time. In the event it becomes a requirement I was considering closure because we had so many parents supply fraudulent letters last time (housewives pretending to work for their husband’s companies) / people lying about their profession & then refusing to supply evidence that it became stressful to manage the admin. But poor Arthur’s case has made me think twice about it and I’m thinking I might go in much tougher this time and start handing notices to some parents.[/quote]
Why would Arthur's case make you hand parents notices? What if the oarent yiu hand a notice to, is an abuser and you don't know it.

Exactly, why are you cutting down places available?

Its not a nurseries business where a parent works from. Schools and childcare settings have not been told to close or only accept key workers children.

I don't see how you can decide wfh means people no longer need childcare

PrincessPaws · 09/12/2021 17:26

Our office shuts tomorrow until the wfh guidance is lifted.