Employer Work-From-Home / Covid Troubles

Anonymous

Having some trouble with my employer and would like some opinions.

 

I have an office job - when lockdown first started my employer were reluctant to let people work from home, but no-one wanted to stay in the office so their hand was forced.

Some people have trickled back into the office for personal reasons, but as a company have been pushing to get people "back" in the office for nearly two months (i.e. at the peak), and this pressure has been ramping up & up.

No-one has been furloughed and I don't think there's been any real issues with productivity - roughly half the employees work from home full time anyway. 

The business has not "closed" during this period.

My understanding is that at the moment, the advice is "work from home, unless you cannot"

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/offices-and-contact-centres - section 2

I feel that I'm being put in a difficult situation where I'm being forced to break the government guidelines - not that I'm even being presented with a choice.

I'm also expected to exert this pressure on others which I'm even less comfortable with.

ess0two

If they want you back, so be it

Grumpy_chap

Go back, or leave, or be dismissed.
The choice is yours.

LilElvis

Why the reluctance to return to the office? Has your employer followed the government guidelines to make your workplace "covid secure"?

Jeremy535897

Why does your employer think it is so important that you and others have to work from the office, if they accept that half the workforce work from home full time in normal circumstances? Guidelines are just guidelines, and have no force in law, but I understand that you would be reluctant to return to the office, and encourage others to do so, when you cannot see the need. You can try to reason with your employer, but if they insist you work in the office without convincing you of the need, it looks like you need to find a new job. They could dismiss you, although they have to be prepared to face you in an employment tribunal.

poppy12345

Anonymous said:

My understanding is that at the moment, the advice is "work from home, unless you cannot"

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/offices-and-contact-centres - section 2

Hasn't that changed now... see link. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53365062
Mr Johnson also said "people should be going back to work if they can now."

elsien

My employer has been very good about working from home/not doing visits but we are now being told we need to start getting more back to normal.  The guidance was always that - just guidance. 
If your employer wants yoi back, that's what you do. If people can go to the pub, they can go to the office. 

poppy12345

We have to get used to the new normal for sometime to come and working from home can't continue forever.

gary83

poppy12345 said:

We have to get used to the new normal for sometime to come and working from home can't continue forever.

The guidance definitely seems to be changing. If we can go out to get haircuts, pints, go to the gym & get your 50% subsidy on a meal then it seems the months of having to hide away at home trying to work from the kitchen table or spare room is also coming to an end.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-boris-johnson-tells-britons-to-go-back-to-work-and-hints-at-stricter-face-mask-rules-12025902

greenbee

Our offices are still closed, and although we plan to reopen I suspect that in the long term we may move to smaller sites (or not move to bigger sites as the business grows) as most people are working as or even more effectively from home, and we need to plan for working round local lockdowns, school closures, quarantine periods etc. 

 I’ve been home-based since joining the company so I’m not really impacted other than finally not having to explain the ‘next time I’m in the office’ isn’t a good time for a meeting as without a business reason to go, I won’t be in...

calcotti

The advice remains work from home if possible
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do#going-to-work--closed-businesses--safer-spaces

People who can work from home should continue to do so. Employers should decide, in consultation with their employees, whether it is viable for them to continue working from home. Where it is decided that workers should come into their place of work then this will need to be reflected in the business’s risk assessment and actions taken to manage the risks of transmission in line with this guidance.

Employers are expected to help support people to work from home.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/5-steps-to-working-safely

You should take all reasonable steps to help people work from home by:

• discussing home working arrangements

• ensuring they have the right equipment, for example remote access to work systems

• including them in all necessary communications

• looking after their physical and mental wellbeing