Been asked to go back to a small office with unavoidable multiple shared areas

Mrsn

sharpe106 said:

They official advice even states that the 2m rule wont always be kept to. Use common sense how do you think everybody else has coped for the last 4 months that have still worked. 

I don’t think it’s bothered them up until this point. Out of sight out of mind kind of thing.

People should feel safe in the environment they work in but they also at this point need to learn to be flexible and find ways to help to adapt to the new way of working for the foreseeable future. Common sense does seem to have taken a huge leap out of the window for a lot of people lately 

Thrugelmir

IzziHall said:

I was wondering if anyone has advice on how to best approach going back to a small office? 

Contact your employer and ascertain what their future plans are. Little point in speculating, without hard facts easy to get oneself wound up. . 

rosiesposies

I dont understand some of these threads to be honest. have we forgotten how to act as human beings?? Shared areas - only go in one at a time?? ie toilets, same. does it really take an employer to spell things out that people are DOING ANYWAY when they are out shopping or in public. its like common sense has left the planet. 
im sorry to be harsh but some of these threads seem like people would rather think of every excuse under the sun to either remain on furlough or stay working at home. 
and i have worked the whole time, at 80% of salary as I took a paycut, from home, getting into the office once a week has been a blessing but i would expect my teams and me to take some ownership of social distancing rather than wait for someone in an ivory tower or wizard of oz suit to tell me not to lick the kitchen surfaces. 

jimkelly

bradders1983 said:

jimkelly said:

Ask them if the office is being made "COVID secure".

If it isn't, then as things stand, you should be able to carry on working from home until such a time as the alterations to working arrangements are made.

As easy as that eh?

I suggest the OP doesnt act difficult as she may have no job to go into. At least go in and see what changes have/are being made.

I don't think it's a case of being difficult, the current government advice is to work from home unless you're unable to.

The OP has already stated that they have been working at home and further to that they said they "consider my [their] job could easily be continued working from home".

I would respectfully suggest my earlier comment has to be better advice than the rest of the thread appears to be implying, namely that the OP has no choice but to suck it up and get on with it - by returning to a crowded office with no social distancing possible and having to use shared sanitary and kitchen facilities without the appropriate cleaning procedures in place.  If that's the advice, then is it any wonder the 'R' number is (apparently) going back up?

sharpe106

Just because an employee think the work can be done at home the employer obviously does not think it can or they would not be calling them back. Sometimes part of the job is not getting done. Other times the employee is not being as efficient as the employer wants or maybe its a power thing by the employer its irrelevant the decision on if the job can be done at home is the employers not the employee. 

jimkelly

The employer has a duty of care for his/her employees.

It is not as simple as get everybody back in the office as soon as possible.

Did you see today's press briefing?  Alok Sharma, said non essential shops can reopen from Monday, but only if they are COVID secure.  The same applies to offices.

Also, he said that if members of the public are worried that a shop is not adhering to the rules, they should contact the relevant authorities, i.e. the Health & Safety Executive.  I suggest the OP maybe considers doing likewise if they are in any doubt.

sharpe106

The OP does not know what the company have done and the things they highlighted shared facilities is the same everywhere. If you can't share facilities then nobody in the country would be working.

Grumpy_chap

The OP has two options:

1. Go to the office and cooperatively make it work between the 4 of them.
2. Kick up a fuss and find another job when this one ends.

With regard to the people that work with key workers in the NHS - how is that relevant?  Work in the NHS cannot maintain the 2 m rule.

jimkelly

sharpe106 said:

The OP does not know what the company have done and the things they highlighted shared facilities is the same everywhere. If you can't share facilities then nobody in the country would be working.

The employer cannot just wash his hands, if you'll pardon the pun, of the whole affair.

If they want their staff back in the building, then that involves compromise on their part as well, such as installing screens and increased hygiene measures.  Also, if social distancing is not possible, then paying for PPE for staff.

The kitchen issue is easily resolved, don't use it and take in your own food/drinks.  The sanitary issues are one which can only be resolved by the employer and cannot just be ignored.

gettingtheresometime

jimkelly said:

sharpe106 said:

The sanitary issues are one which can only be resolved by the employer and cannot just be ignored.

I would have thought the issue of toilets would be one of the easiest to solve.

if people are going to need direction on how to use shared bathroom facilities, then the public had better brace themselves for no public toilets for a very long time