Return to Workplace

GingerTim

tooldle said:

I’m also in a Uni. We have business critical staff on site,  very few of these are academics. Anyone who is struggling to work from home for any reason (mental health, lack of space, domestic situation etc) can ask to work from the office. It is not a huge number asking but people are definitely taking up the offer. 
We are told continue as we are until the end of the year. The next 6 months will be used how best to reconfigure operations for the future. It has already been stated very clearly staff will not be expected to attend everyday and will be on campus only when required. We are expecting office space to be reduced and replaced with hot desking. Free sapce will be remodelled for teaching / research. Pre Covid i went in 4 days per week and worked from home on the 5th. From January i am expecting to go in 1 or 2 days a week, and this might well turn into 3 days per fortnight. 

This sounds very familiar - we might even work at the same place!

sheramber

dannyrst said:

So, kind of opposite to most questions on this topic...

My workplace are saying nobody can return to the office (if they can work from home) until January next year. My question is, if the government change advice to remove the "work from home" guidance, can companies continue to (indefinitely) force people to work from home?

I'm struggling to find any information on this topic.

What constitutes  'if they can work from home'.

The work can be done at home or working at home is not suitable?  Your choice or their choice?

Pennywise

sheramber said:

dannyrst said:

So, kind of opposite to most questions on this topic...

My workplace are saying nobody can return to the office (if they can work from home) until January next year. My question is, if the government change advice to remove the "work from home" guidance, can companies continue to (indefinitely) force people to work from home?

I'm struggling to find any information on this topic.

What constitutes  'if they can work from home'.

The work can be done at home or working at home is not suitable?  Your choice or their choice?

And how does it effect the end user, i.e. customer, service user, etc?

Thrugelmir

sheramber said:

dannyrst said:

So, kind of opposite to most questions on this topic...

My workplace are saying nobody can return to the office (if they can work from home) until January next year. My question is, if the government change advice to remove the "work from home" guidance, can companies continue to (indefinitely) force people to work from home?

I'm struggling to find any information on this topic.

What constitutes  'if they can work from home'.

A health and safety risk assessment maybe deemed necessary.  

Barny1979

My employer has stated a work from home where you can and only come in for work or mental health wellbeing benefits. They are reviewing the message and stance in October.

sheramber

Thrugelmir said:

sheramber said:

dannyrst said:

So, kind of opposite to most questions on this topic...

My workplace are saying nobody can return to the office (if they can work from home) until January next year. My question is, if the government change advice to remove the "work from home" guidance, can companies continue to (indefinitely) force people to work from home?

I'm struggling to find any information on this topic.

What constitutes  'if they can work from home'.

A health and safety risk assessment maybe deemed necessary.  

Not if all restrictions have been lifted.

strawb_shortcake

I'm a civil servant and work in a large complex, we have been told the site is going to half capacity indefinitely and that number is a max not a target. 
From September we are planning on going in once a month and eventually 2 days in office a week. 
Those with mental health or welfare issues get priority to go in to office as well as those that are either business critical or need access to IT/Documents unable to have at home. 

Oddly enough most people want to WFH Monday and Friday so not sure how it's going to work in practice 

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

Seems pointless having offices when people can work from home. Same with schools. Why bother with loads of schools when one teacher can deliver lessons via the internet to thousands of children across the land.

Pennywise

A_Flock_Of_Sheep said:

Seems pointless having offices when people can work from home. Same with schools. Why bother with loads of schools when one teacher can deliver lessons via the internet to thousands of children across the land.

How will children socialise?  It's not all about education.  As Uni students have found over the past year, online learning is miserable when you're stuck in tiny bedrooms.  What about pupils who benefit from actually talking, in person, to a teacher?

Barny1979

A_Flock_Of_Sheep said:

Seems pointless having offices when people can work from home. Same with schools. Why bother with loads of schools when one teacher can deliver lessons via the internet to thousands of children across the land.

I presume this is flippant, as how do people working from home deal with having their children around all the time too? I know the last year they have, but that's a short term situation, also what about those parents who cannot work from home?