CEV WFH part time since March 2022

[NinaProudman2022]

I am CEV was on the original shielded list and have received my 4 doses of the vaccine.

I work PT and my employers have been brilliant and have allowed me to WFH since March 2020, which I have been grateful for. I am fortunate that I am able to do my job fully from home and I have Team meetings and can answer work phone calls via my computer. My productivity has actually massively increased while at home, I am happier, have had no sick leave and I am happy for it to continue.

However, I am worried that with Bojo’s latest announcement and that this may come to an end fairly soon.

I am anxious about going back to work and I am especially concerned as I shared a very small one person office; shared desk, phone, computer and keyboard with someone else (they don’t do the same job, has a different line manager and works the opposite end of the week). Prior to covid this person wasn’t the most hygienic and would leave the office and desk in a complete mess. Think food and crumbs all over the desk and keyboard, unsealed packets of biscuits in desk draws, umpteen coffee rings left on the desk, this person also had BO. I had used the office for a few years before this person started and I did ask them if they could please leave the desk clear and give the desk and keyboard and wipe after use. I even ordered them some wipes from Stationary and left these in a prominent position (but this fell on deaf ears and nothing changed). So resulted in me going in 10
Minutes early ventilating the office by flinging the windows open and wiping everything down.

Also we have two work toilets we can use. Neither have windows. One lot of staff toilets has a keypad on the main door it is a staff toilet very small area three cramped toilets and no open windows. The other toilets is a bigger space used by our customers (young people) think about six toilets bigger area between toilets and sinks and higher ceilings but no window for ventilation. So I am concerned about catching covid in work toilets as the virus is air born.

Any advice please?

Speak to your manager when it comes up.

If your productivity has gone up along with sickness reduction I’m sure they will be happy to keep you at home. Just point this out to them with some actual figures if it comes up. My guess is they won’t mention it and you will just carry on from home.

Thanks both. When some people went back in Sept ai had an OH referral and I was allowed to continue to WFH until January but I think my Line Manager may well be under pressure from
Senior managers to do away with WFH going forward.

Might be different if you are ill enough to require 4 vaccines, could just be seen as a reasonable adjustment. Good luck!!

Thanks Sandy. I don’t actually look ill
and I am not actually ill day to day. I can do normal things but can get very tired at the end of the day/week and my haematologist believes I have the potential to be very ill if I were to catch covid.

Some of the small team I am part of although we are all based on different sites have taken the Pee a bit when we were all WFH and WFH would also be their preferred option for different reasons so if I am still allowed to WFH it wouldn’t go down well.

Part of me would like to go back if I felt safe enough but the way it stands it feels far too risky especially as it sounds like I would still have to clean up after coffee ring/crumb eater before starting work.

Could you ask for an office of your own as a reasonable adjustment?

I could but unfortunately office isn’t readily available and many people hot desk if they are based on more than one site or work part time. My role can be done remotely fortunately but I do need privacy and confidentiality due to the nature of the work I do.

If you not in at the same time as your colleague, then you're very very unlikely to catch it from them (surface transmission has been long disproved to be a source), despite how grim it sounds. I'd say being in your own office alone is likely to be one of the safest work environments.

Can the main toilet doors be left open to increase ventilation or are they fire doors?

The thought of going back is probably scarier than doing it.

But has your work got any policy on it? We've been asked to go back from 31 Jan according to business need, but those with certain conditions are allowed to discuss with line manager.

If you're*

Thanks we suspect senior management might make a blanket announcement tomorrow about all returning next week. Although we seem to have recruited so many new staff during the pandemic (both to replace staff leaving and to new roles) it will be interesting to see if we have enough desk space for everyone.