Working from home

sharpe106

What the government say at the briefings and what is published afterwards is usually two very different things. But if they are following the advice there is no reason the OP can't go back to work, there is never going to be no risk.

StephanieW

I am in a similar situation and although my main concern isn't the threat of coronavirus what myself and other employees are struggling with is we are able to work from home.

The guidelines say do so if you can. 

Yet we are being forced back? 

Dr_Crypto

But it is up to them to decide if home working meets with their business needs. You can't demand to work from home. 
There is a lot of information on the government website about adapting workplaces: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19 

Grumpy_chap

If the employer thinks that productivity will be higher if you return to the office and makes that decision, then you cannot work from home.
No-one is being forced back - they can resign.

StephanieW

Grumpy_chap said:

If the employer thinks that productivity will be higher if you return to the office and makes that decision, then you cannot work from home.
No-one is being forced back - they can resign.

Sorry I seem to have missed the part of briefings where it stated 'Work from home if you can, unless your employer deems you could be more effective in the office, then go back' 

[Deleted User]

StephanieW said:

Grumpy_chap said:

If the employer thinks that productivity will be higher if you return to the office and makes that decision, then you cannot work from home.
No-one is being forced back - they can resign.

Sorry I seem to have missed the part of briefings where it stated 'Work from home if you can, unless your employer deems you could be more effective in the office, then go back' 

You might have also missed the part of your contract, where if you refuse to complete your part of the contract, they can sack you.

Grumpy_chap

Maybe productivity is too low when people are working from home, so the employer needs a return back to the office to recover productivity returns to required levels.  The alternative is an increase of costs to the employer, making them uncompetitive and the business fails.
If people are more effective in the office, then, by inverse, they are not effective at home and cannot work from home.

sharpe106

StephanieW said:

Grumpy_chap said:

If the employer thinks that productivity will be higher if you return to the office and makes that decision, then you cannot work from home.
No-one is being forced back - they can resign.

Sorry I seem to have missed the part of briefings where it stated 'Work from home if you can, unless your employer deems you could be more effective in the office, then go back' 

Everybody could use that argument I could work from home but badly. I am not quite sure how much the misses would like the dining room turned into my workspace. Would make dinner time more interesting. 

StephanieW

You might have also missed the part of your contract, where if you refuse to complete your part of the contract, they can sack you.

I've hit every target since working from home. 
I'm not refusing anything I've just stated I can work from home so as per the guidelines I should still be working from home. 

Dr_Crypto

StephanieW said:

Grumpy_chap said:

If the employer thinks that productivity will be higher if you return to the office and makes that decision, then you cannot work from home.
No-one is being forced back - they can resign.

Sorry I seem to have missed the part of briefings where it stated 'Work from home if you can, unless your employer deems you could be more effective in the office, then go back' 

Press statements by politicans do not confer any rights on you. It is up to the employer to run their business, not Alok Sharma or Sunak or even Johnson. 
You have no right to work from home.