Planned Power Cut WFH due to Covid: Compensation?

hello1254a

Hello,

The power distribution company has planned 9 am to 4 pm (plus any overrun) power outages on two days 2 weeks apart next month to replace substations in the village. I have to WFH due to Covid, so I will not be able to WFH on those days. My manager has said I will likely have to take it as holiday or try to get permission to travel into the office (expensive and may not be granted anyway). I have asked if the power distribution company will provide a generator for those days or any form of compensation, but they have refused to do anything. Is there any recourse here?

ItsComingRome

No compo if they've warned you at least 2 days in advance and do it on the days they've said they will.

sheramber

Can you not work early morning and evening to make up the hours?

Carrot007

Convert the poroperty to a commercial one and get a commercial contract with guarantees?

You will be lose out on money, but hey at least you can work!

For a serious answer, go work somewhere else. Coffee shop, pub, some other house, actyually go into work, most places let you if you need to now. Insistance on WFH is very rare now.

Claddagh_Noir

hello1254a said:

Hello,

The power distribution company has planned 9 am to 4 pm (plus any overrun) power outages on two days 2 weeks apart next month to replace substations in the village. I have to WFH due to Covid, so I will not be able to WFH on those days. My manager has said I will likely have to take it as holiday or try to get permission to travel into the office (expensive and may not be granted anyway). I have asked if the power distribution company will provide a generator for those days or any form of compensation, but they have refused to do anything. Is there any recourse here?

The most logical option would be to try to go into work for the days the electric will be out, so you do not lose out on annual leave. Yes, it will be an inconvenience having to spend money going into work, but you must have saved a packet since the start of lockdown in March last year WFH.  

Pennywise

Can you not find a shared workspace facility near you where you can rent a desk by the hour/day?

Robin9

Carrot007 said:

Convert the property to a commercial one and get a commercial contract with guarantees?

You will be lose out on money, but hey at least you can work!

That will make no difference - a commercial energy contract does not guarantee a continuous supply of electricity.

Agree with the others  go to your mates for the days concerned.

nyermen

Hopefully you can find another location or worst case, hotspot a phone with laptop battery that could last.

To add - Presuming your contract states the office as place of employment, it feels a bit cheeky of the company to expect people to work from home (yes I get current circumstances), but then when you can't, they expect you to take a day off because permission unlikely to be granted to go to the office.

Carrot007

Robin9 said:

Carrot007 said:

Convert the property to a commercial one and get a commercial contract with guarantees?

You will be lose out on money, but hey at least you can work!

That will make no difference - a commercial energy contract does not guarantee a continuous supply of electricity.

Agree with the others  go to your mates for the days concerned.

Well they generally do not. But with a commercial contract it is up for negotiation. Of course no chance for OP but the big supermarkets certainly do have thing like it in place.

mattyprice4004

No, you’re not entitled to anything. 

You’re on a domestic supply, sometimes there’s a power cut - they don’t need to do anything for you. 

The suggestions above are your best bet  

Biscuit49

Work on a laptop? tether to phone? Probably likely the power wont be down all those times, just a risk of? So its not likely you would have to rely on battery power and your own data that much.