Can I be made to work in the office?

[Herbie0987]

During the lockdown I have worked 1 day from home and 1 day in the office (I work 2 days a week).
My employer did not have enough laptops to give to all employees, and I was told at the time as I only worked 2 days a week I wouldn’t be given one. I offered I could use my laptop at home, which I did from an installed app. As there were issues with some programs,I went into work 1 day a week. A couple of weeks ago the app I was using decided it didn’t want to work. After some pressure an old work laptop was found for me, it does not work in my home.
Due to the pressures during the lockdown my mental health has suffered and my GP increased my anti depressants, the issues of working from home have increased my mental decline.
Can my employer insist I go into the office for both days?
I have spoken to my immediate boss and advised her as my daughter is heavily pregnant coming into work will increase my exposure to more people, some members of staff are not good at social distancing.
I am at breaking point and want to work but I would not feel safe going into work more than what I am doing.

If you can’t do the work from home due to IT issues that can’t be resolved then yes, you need to go back to the office.

Yes sorry....

Yes, particularly since you say working from home has made things worse so you can't then assert that working from home would be a reasonable adjustment.

Yes you do - appreciate that’s not what you want to hear

You can't work from home due to technical issues, and doing so has negatively impacted your mental health. Not sure why you'd want to continue working from home in those circumstances.

If colleagues are not following health and safety requirements you need to obvious raise that with your manager and get it sorted. But "some members of staff aren't good at social distancing" isn't a reason to insist on staying at home, even if staying at home was a good idea anyway, which it sounds as though it isn't.

Yes, they can insist - they're paying you to work 2 days per week, and you're unable to carry out the work you're being paid to do at home. So you will have to go to the office.

Yes, unfortunately you do have to

There is very little risk to your daughter or you, and probably no more so than you not returning to work. There is a lot of hysteria around. People should be sensible - even more so about things like washing hands than social distancing. But in the end the only real differences between this virus and others is that we don't have either a vaccine or any form of herd immunity. For now. But your chances of contracting it are vanishingly low (assuming you haven't had it already and didn't know), and the chances of getting a bad case of it are even lower. You are not unsafe.

Of course, you can’t see more than 6 people in your own home but your office is 100% safe.

Yes,you can be 'forced' to work from the office.

Could you ask for unpaid leave

So are you saying that you only want to go to work 1 day per week but get paid for 2?! Personally, I don’t see what difference going in 2 days makes or puts you at any more danger than going in 1 day.
I’ve actually worked in the office full time from the very beginning. I haven’t contracted it and neither have any of my colleagues. People need to start getting a grip.

OP, as you’ve read from the others, yes, they can make you go to work In the office for both of your working days (one more day in the office per week than you’re currently doing).

However, as it is your colleagues’ behaviour that is making you anxious, have you told them about your daughter and your level of anxiety and asked them to please social distance around you? Is your boss able to move your desk or assign you a seat further away from others? Perhaps if you take steps inside the office to help you feel less anxious about catching the virus such as opening a window near you, more frequent hand sanitising particularly if you’re touching communal things (door handles, taps etc). Also yourself standing further away from people when you need to speak with them? A small plug in UV light on or near your desk?

Just thinking of things that may help your anxiety while at work.

You are already in one day a week so why would the extra day make any difference to your exposure in real terms?
Plus I assume you are using shops and walking on the high street?

If staff aren’t following Covid rules then raise it with your manager.

You say being at home has worsened your mental health so getting back to more normal may well help you.

With so many job losses happening I’d be very cautious of being more obstructive OP as you may find yourself without any job which I suspect would be significantly more stressful

As an aside although when it first started pregnant women were advised to shield as we didn’t know the effects, the stats have suggested they are as safe as the vast majority and possibly even safer.

Sorry that you are struggling OP.

Of course your employers can ask you to do anything reasonable in terms of where, what and how you work. They pay you a wage to do what they require.

People seem to have forgotten how the employee / employer relationship actually works in practise and exile for employers to make compromises to suit the employee even where this impacts on quality and / or productivity.

It's fantastic that some employers are happy to make these compromises, but they don't have to and right now many will be really struggling with cash flow and profitability further necessitating efficiency and quality work.

I have spoken to my immediate boss and advised her as my daughter is heavily pregnant coming into work will increase my exposure to more people

With all due respect, that has got nothing to do with your employer and have no duty of care toward your daughter.

Strawman argument.

The simple answer is yes. The equipment is not available to support you in an at home role and your daughters pregnancy is not a reason to stay off. It sounds like it might be better for your mental health to be back in the office? Less worrying about resources.

the issues of working from home have increased my mental decline

I’m very sorry to hear that.

It sounds like the routine and reliability of IT systems in the office might actually be a benefit.

Speaker to your manager if you have concerns around how social distancing is being managed.

While I get your concern for your daughter, it’s not your employers that problem so I think it’s just adding a layer of complexity that only clouds the issue.

If you’re unwell, it might be worth speaking with your GP about being signed-off until you’re on a better position to manage being in the office.

You've left yourself and your employer with a no-win situation there, OP - you say working from home increases your anxiety yet you don't want to spend more time in the office. You need to reframe that - does your daughter live with you, does she go out to work herself?

Do you live with your daughter?

My DH has been going back into the office 1-2 days per week, and they offered him an enhanced risk assessment as they know he is living in a household with someone who is pregnant.

Might be worth asking if they can do that to put your mind further at ease.