Anyone else being forced back into the office after working from home?

[nothinglikemyname]

I work for a small company - the work we do is something that can be comfortably done from home as we have proved since March, although our company has never previously been keen on home or flexible working.

Our boss has just sprung it upon us that he wants everyone back in work from 1st September, 5 days a week - no staggered hours, breaks or anything. No exceptions.

We'll all be working in one room - I think there will be 1m social distancing between desks but certainly not walking past. Because we are in a shared building there will now be no access to a kitchen, water or any areas away from our desks. There is 1 shared toilet for women (5 of us) and 2 for men (10). Cleaning is weekly and they don't seem to have plans to change - unless they expect us to do it.

I'm far from the only one with concerns which we are raising but it's landing on deaf ears. They seem intent on us going back regardless. They're putting together the risk assessment and the guidance seems to be the first questions to ask are is it essential? Is it safe? Is it agreed? No no and no.

I'm at the point of panic attacks thinking about going back in these circumstances and I think what's worse is the lack of consideration for our wellbeing. Even if the office was truly "Covid secure" which I don't think it can be for all of us, the lack of consultation or understanding of our individual circumstances seems to be going against all guidance.

To give some context I've always suffered from anxiety (although not under medical supervision) which my employer has been aware of and I have expressed to my boss that the return to work that has been sprung upon us has meant I've had sleepless nights and trouble concentrating. This hasn't been addressed. I appreciate I'm probably more risk adverse than most but I am in a social bubble with my mum who is vulnerable and been shielding (I provide some care but not officially if that makes a difference) and aside from that I have only interacted with people in an outdoor setting maintaining social distance - all shopping online etc. I feel that going back to the office will mean I won't be able to see her - without intense worry about making her ill anyway.

Due to the role I'm in I have a huge network and do not know a single other business taking this blanket approach to returning if the roles can be done from home - everyone is either shifting to remote being normal or giving people the option to return to the office if they feel that is what they want to do - making smaller groups safer and providing a happy medium for everyone.

But appreciate this might not be the case across other industries - is anyone else in similar circumstances? There is so much conflicting advice online that I don't know where I stand. Can they really make me go back at the expense of my mental health and well-being, and if it will mean I no longer feel I can see my mum? Right now I feel like I would rather quit.

I know I am luckier than most that I have a job right now and have been working all through lockdown but I have also made huge sacrifices to protect mine and my families wellbeing which will just all be undone. The guidance for social interactions is still mixing with only 2 households and avoid using toilets in others houses etc so how am I expected to feel safe mixing with almost 20 others for 8 hours a day?

Tape off the area around each working 'Pod'

My phone has gone mad

I think your concerns are fair and valid. Although it does sound like you are making a meal of it all.

Go back without fuss or complaint. Then, when the dust has settled, put in a formal request to work from home x days a week. Keep your own work station clean and be rigorous about hand washing etc.

Be cheerful and positive. It will make your bosses like you more and be more inclined to give you what you want.

@blue25

Many people are having to go back into offices. If you’re that upset about it, look for a new job

That’s such a shit attitude to have. OP may enjoy their job and not want to leave, it’s ok to strive for good working conditions.

It’s a shame that people are being forced by to 100% office work as opposed to a mix of the two.

Managing people while everyone wfh is difficult because you lose a lot of important interactions. It’s hard and tiring communicating via video calls constantly.

But I don’t want to go back. However I think I will end up going for a mixed approach and will ask my team to do the same.

Personally I think it’s harsh to make people redundant for not wanting to come back 100% - I hope that’s legally challenged. Managers also need to change and adapt, not just the employees.

Could you suggest an alternative which gives them visibility of staff and makes things safer? For example, divide everyone into 2 teams with team 1 in the office on Mon/Tues and team 2 in the office Thurs/Fri. That would give Wednesday for a good clean and would minimise their risk to the business if anyone got sick as fewer people would be exposed.

Do you have children who will be returning to school? If so you'll be indirectly exposed to other people anyway.
I'd wait to see what the risk assessment says.

@OverTheRainbow88 It's the attitude teachers have been given on every thread. Suddenly when offices aren't safe, people show more concern.

I can't bear offices so have chosen a career that even pre Corona was done mainly from home. Maybe OP could consider the same.

I know our increased productivity is in part because a lot of the little interactions and knowledge sharing that help people develop and strengthen the team haven't been happening.

This helps the business short term, but will errode it over years.

Stop second guessing how your bosses are running their business

Wow

@Hercwasonaroll

Yes I hear you! I’m about to join a bubble of 1,700 kids and I think we are still expected to reach across the 2 different schools in our trust!

The rules are still 2 metre apart or 1 metre with other measures.**
'Social distancing means keeping people apart to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Where possible you should keep people 2m apart. If this is not viable, keeping 1m apart with risk mitigation is acceptable.'
That's from the HSE.

The sensible thing would be to rota you. If they don't I would report them.

@KatherineJaneway

Stop second guessing how your bosses are running their business

Wow

Why ‘wow’?

The OP has legitimate concerns about the safety of working in the office without adequate precautions, and should raise them. Other PPs have covered this point sympathetically.

But it’s really not her place to determine whether working from home is, holistically, a better business set-up by looking solely at (for example) productivity. It undermines the seriousness of her key concern of safety.

@Isolatedizzy

The rules are still 2 metre apart or 1 metre with other measures.** 'Social distancing means keeping people apart to help reduce the spread of coronavirus. Where possible you should keep people 2m apart. If this is not viable, keeping 1m apart with risk mitigation is acceptable.' That's from the HSE.

The sensible thing would be to rota you. If they don't I would report them.

This.

We are back in the office but max 50% capacity so mix of office & WFH still. Desks are 2 meters, diagonal rather than opposite etc, daily rather than weekly desk cleaning, toilets always cleaned twice a day so no offices there. Weekly toilet cleaning is grim COVID or not!

[quote OverTheRainbow88]@blue25

Many people are having to go back into offices. If you’re that upset about it, look for a new job

That’s such a shit attitude to have. OP may enjoy their job and not want to leave, it’s ok to strive for good working conditions.[/quote]
Clearly you have missed all the threads where posters were demanding that schools reopen as normal with little SD and no masks etc.

Teachers are striving for safer working conditions but a lot of posters said that if we don't like it then find a new job.

We need to be consistent with our approach.

@OverTheRainbow88 - sorry I have just noticed that you are about to join a supersize bubble!

Some very diverse opinions on this. Thank you for all those that have posted useful info.

Reading the HSE guidance, I don't see how it will be possible to return safely all together all in our office and I don't feel unjustified in feeling like this. Hopefully once the risk assessment has been done this will become evident - my reasoning for saying it had been sprung upon us, was not the two weeks notice, but the fact that it was communicated as "back to how things were in March" without even doing a risk assessment, which we had to highlight is a necessity! You can see why I might not have complete faith in their decisions!

Does anyone know if there are any rules or guidelines on who can do a risk assessment? Do you have to have any training?

To clarify a couple of other points, no I don't have kids, and in my social/personal life I don't intend to make any changes to who I'm coming into contact with, so I feel comfortable that I am not at unnecessary risk - several of my colleagues have kids who will be returning to school and one of the owners has been abroad, socialising, not social distancing etc so this means the risk of sitting 8 hours a day with them spirals significantly.

And yes, the role that I do is very normal to be work from home even in non-Covid times and in the industry I do not know of any other businesses mandating return to work as normal which is why I posted for advice. Being senior management here, without going into detail about my role, I do have responsibility operationally for the majority of the staff so would know if there were issues with homeworking, which there aren't. The only exception on communication has been one of my direct reports who is a single mother who has been juggling homeschooling and work so has been working early mornings and evenings rather than 9 to 5 - but that will change when the schools go back and isn't an issue with working from home itself.

To those saying they may have good reason - I would happily take that on board if they communicated any valid reason but they haven't. For all I can see the most likely reason could be that he's sick of being cooped up with his wife every day. Is that a valid reason to put on a risk assessment?!?

We are a small business - there is no room for someone not to be pulling their weight and up until now, felt very close knit with the founders. I've been here a few years, and have been happy but the disregard shown to our opinions and wellbeing is the only thing that is making me look at my future here in a different light. I have literally helped build this company so it's very easy to say resign (and I know I said I felt like quitting in my OP) but it really would be a last resort.

If you've literally helped build the business then why aren't the bosses consulting you with regards to Covid return?

I've already said that the lack of consultation and regard for our wellbeing is a concern.

No need for the

I take it you've never worked in a start up environment? Products, revenues, strategies, teams...absolutely built as much by their first hires as the founders themselves.

How realistic is it that you/others would leave if the company proceeds with bringing everyone back/is your industry actively hiring or are you sitting on potential equity which means that many will not leave?

I would be very direct with them that either this will cause you and others to leave (if realistic) or that it will seriously impact the culture. Use data, comparable companies etc. If you decide to make it work, be super involved in making the workplace as safe as possible - as you are senior management.

Ultimately no one can force you though as you can always quit.

Why ‘wow’?

Because you basically said employees should put up and shut up. OP has a real concern about the health and safety of employees including herself when she returns to the office. There is nothing wrong in questioning management in those circumstances to ensure their own safety. That includes the issue of working from home if less numbers in the office makes things safer even if it is on a rota basis.

Most of the advice from ACAS, CIPD etc seems to indicate that to pass the risk assessment there should be essential reasons not to continue to work from home

That's not government advice though is it, that advice is for offices to go back, so the employer isn't doing anything wrong by insisting. Wait to see the risk assessment, in honesty though if offices are still empty by next month I imagine the guidelines will become a lot more lax to try and get more people back anyway. Unfortunately unless you own the company you can only input ideas and review them/report if not to standard, they don't have to listen to their staff- we are all just numbers in the corporate machine, no matter how important we think we are to them.

We expect all staff back at the beginning of September
Some are reluctant
I can assure you that WFH has not been more productive for my company for lots of reasons
There will be no ? of redundancy Not a redundancy situation
We will cut a bit of slack but sooner rather than later it's back to work or quit
I have a responsibility to all staff to keep the business solvent

Op, the H&s guidance is just that, guidance, not rules. And the assessment does not need to be carried out by anyone with specific training.

Until recently I worked for a small tech co where the MD held exactly the same views, that WFH is inefficient, costly and slow. He has also ordered everyone back as of Sept 1st.
You can do a lot in terms of cleaning your own area, encouraging hand hygiene etc, but in the end it is their call and you may be better off quietly looking for another job