Working from home

NathanF

My work place stated we need to return to the office with no phase return, straight in on normal working hours on the company’s site stated it’s optional but sending out communication saying 0 excuses to return. When expressing concerns on returning it falls on deaf ears. Do I have any rights where I can stay home and still continue to work? Or do I need to go to work and still continue what I’m doing from home with no issues? 

Things to point out - there is no testing on returning just the risk

implemented social distancing and one way systems to a degree but can’t be done all over the building

Roughly 40-50 staff returning.

Just seeking advise where do I stand?

Grumpy_chap

It's best to work constructively with your employer.

You can refuse to return to the office or be more confrontational.  The employer can still use disciplinary procedures and / or redundancy.

Galloglass

0 excuses to return.

Clearly they haven't heard about reasonable adjustment. 
Have a read of this guide for employers and work out which box you are likely to sit in (based on your circumstances) and discuss the options within the box with your employer. Check the ACAS website too
https://www.lewissilkin.com/api/download/downloadattachment?id=16de68a7-946b-476b-a899-9a638093d0a0

You might even send your employer a copy so they can have the likely options in front of them when you discuss it. The flowchart came from the Law Society website so they should know what they are doing on safe returns

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/coronavirus/safe-return-to-the-office-toolkit-for-firms/

unforeseen

Why should there be a phased return? 
If employer has put measures in place, as far as is practicable, I see no problem. 
To my knowledge there is no system in place to test a workforce en masse which is what you seem to think should happen. 

onwards&upwards

The government guidance is very clear that whoever can be working from home, should be working from home. 

Loads of employers are very short sighted and don't seem to realise that this actually offers them opportunities to save money, probably because they are convinced their staff are naughty schoolchildren who must be supervised at all times. 

Potbellypig

onwards&upwards said:

The government guidance is very clear that whoever can be working from home, should be working from home. 

Loads of employers are very short sighted and don't seem to realise that this actually offers them opportunities to save money, probably because they are convinced their staff are naughty schoolchildren who must be supervised at all times. 

Which, in fairness, wouldn't be too far from the truth. 

sharpe106

From the few employers I know that have people home working, it was great to begin with , productivity probably increased, but as the weeks passed on it has dropped each week and they reckon that most employees are now working at about 90% of what they were when in the office. 

Gonna-be-debt-free

Galloglass said:

0 excuses to return.

Clearly they haven't heard about reasonable adjustment. 
Have a read of this guide for employers and work out which box you are likely to sit in (based on your circumstances) and discuss the options within the box with your employer. Check the ACAS website too
https://www.lewissilkin.com/api/download/downloadattachment?id=16de68a7-946b-476b-a899-9a638093d0a0

You might even send your employer a copy so they can have the likely options in front of them when you discuss it. The flowchart came from the Law Society website so they should know what they are doing on safe returns

https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/coronavirus/safe-return-to-the-office-toolkit-for-firms/

That's a great resource 

[Deleted User]

You need to be realistic in this situation, they have probably done all they feel they can reasonably, they are asking you to come back to work, sure you can throw bits of legislation at them and try to enforce perceived "rights", I say perceived because many of them come down to an assessment based on "reasonable" which is where you and they will probably differ. 
However ultimately the thing to remember is that nearly every company and sector will be hit by this enough to justify redundancies, unemployment is already running at 8%, with probably the same again hidden by the CJRS, it will probably be at 15% at Christmas. Do you really want to single yourself out as a trouble maker, to put yourself first in line to go when they start to make redundancies?
The risk of catching Covid-19 is low, the risk of having more than mild symptoms is very low, the risk of dying is incredibly low unless you are pretty much already dying from something else critical. I know of many companies who have made reasonable adjustments, however they have one or two members of staff who are being unreasonable, some people have already been fired for refusing to come into work, others have been given warnings and will likely be fired by the end of the month at the latest. 
You have to evaluate the risks, the perceived risk of Covid-19, but also the very real risk of no longer having a job.

bradders1983

Wanting testing on returning to the office? Really? 

jimkelly

As Matt Hancock said on the briefing last night, if employers don't have the correct procedures in place (COVID secure), then they risk the entire workforce having to self isolate for 14 days if someone falls ill with it.

If they are following the correct procedures, then that would not be the case.

As a basic rule of thumb, I would tell them that you're happy to return if they can provide you confirmation (in writing) that all reasonable precautions have been taken and the workplace is now COVID secure.  That is a basic requirement of bringing people back.  If they're unable to provide that, then you can ask the more serious questions.