Hybrid working - Employer home visits

AinsleyFatCat

Hi to anyone on here.  I would be grateful for anyone's opinions on an issue that I have with my employer.  Basically, my colleagues and I have been working from home mostly for the last 15 months (or whatever it is now).  My manager has got everyone together and asked (as we've all said that we quite like working from home), to do a more long term semi-permanent basis hybrid working model.  At first, I was up for this, but after properly reading the policy document that we received with the application for for hybrid working (not yet had my formal interview for it), I noticed that there is a clause regarding the Monitoring and Review, with states, 'The ***** reserves the right to visit the homes or other remote workplace to inspect health and safety arrangements or the provisions for the management of confidential material. An inspection may be carried out at any time when an employee is expected to be working at home, with reasonable notice. This may be as part of annual audit of health and safety and information security for remote workers.'  To me, this is crossing a line, whereby, you have no refuge/privacy from  your employer.  It's bad enough that I now have by employer virtually within my home (Teams - meetings video calls etc) and the stress all that entails, whereas before home working, I could shut the door and switch off.  It was a trade off, as I can concentrate better, and there is less travel time/expense during the week, and it's useful to be at home sometimes for deliveries. However, I feel that allowing my employer to actually come into my house and inspect, is a step too far for me.  My question is - What is your opinion on this?  Do you think that it's too much also?  It just doesn't sit well with me, as I believe that your home is now the last bastian of privacy.  Am I overthinking this?  I would be grateful for any opinions.  Thank you.

Jillanddy

To me, this is crossing a line, whereby, you have no refuge/privacy from  your employer.

Of course you do - it's called the office. If you want to work from home then what they are saying is perfectly reasonable and fair - just because you are working from home doesn't abnegate the employers responsibility for health and safety, working conditions or anything else. And if you had my private details etc., I would wish to be absolutely certain that you weren't sharing them with your partner, your 10 year old, your best friend and your mother-in-law by leaving them around where they can read them / discussing them where you can be overheard. If you wish to call your home your workplace, then it is a workplace and no longer private from your employer. And quite rightly. I'm assuming you won't expect your employer to ditch their responsibilities by saying that the injury you sustained from not having the proper equipment, DSE or whatever is not their fault because you chose to work from home? 

I'm actually heartened to hear of an employer that is taking their legal responsibilities seriously, because I have been arguing with my employer for months now that their desire for us to continue to work in this hybrid fashion endows them with responsibilities such as these which they are not living up to. And I don't hear of many employers who are properly considering the welfare of their employees or their clients properly whilst happily ditching the costs of having office space for people. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Wanting to have your cake and eat it springs to mind (the op that is not the employer)

AinsleyFatCat

I see what you're saying Dazed_and_C0nfused &  Jillanddy  - I've worked for my employer for so long, that I forget that not all employers are remotely concerned about their employee's welfare, but that is not always the case is it (and it's for the employer's protection also).  Mine's in effect government, so strictly by the book. I think that my thinking is clouded, because I've increasingly started to hate my job and find it difficult to switch off.  Thanks for the comments so far:)

Jillanddy

AinsleyFatCat said:

I see what you're saying Dazed_and_C0nfused &  Jillanddy  - I've worked for my employer for so long, that I forget that not all employers are remotely concerned about their employee's welfare, but that is not always the case is it (and it's for the employer's protection also).  Mine's in effect government, so strictly by the book. I think that my thinking is clouded, because I've increasingly started to hate my job and find it difficult to switch off.  Thanks for the comments so far:)

So is mine "government". They are so focussed on saving money they have forgotten all else and have lost the book. I keep pointing out that this will come back to haunt them. Just as I continue to admonish staff when I catch them sunk on the sofa whilst working on the laptop etc! You might be perfectly well behaved - I am, as I have an office at home and am very conscious of all things. But I regret to say that many people aren't, and there will be "tears before bedtime" I'm sure.

But it seems the issue isn't the agreement but runs much deeper. Do you actually hate your job? It's ok if you do. We all get to the point where we don't want the job any more. If that's the case, the location of your work won't change that and it's time to get a new job. If it's boundaries, well that is hard but you need to start setting them. Working from home makes it easy to blur the boundaries. And it's all fun and games when it works in our benefit - doing the washing whilst working, hoovering around whilst on a break or a slow period. But it also means that it hard to switch off when you aren't "in the office". 

There are ways of adjusting that mindset. Be less flexible about start and finish times. Treat it as 9-5 or whatever. Have a new "commute" - mine is walking my dog. I walk the dog, work, walk the dog - and after that time is my own. There's lots of stuff on the internet about how to create work /life boundaries, not just work/life balance. Find things that work for you.

wilfred30

If you don't like the conditions contained in the policy document, just tell your employer that you would prefer to go back into the office full time.

74jax

Can you opt in to going in the office full time? Or is the office only open for half the week? 

This policy wouldn't bother me. In fact I'd rather that, than no health and safety checks. 

Re Teams meetings, are you saying your company actually disallows you using the Teams backgrounds? I would not like that at all.  My husband's work only ALLOWS the Teams backgrounds, you can not show your office /bedroom /personal space in any meeting. So I completely understand if your work categorically says you must show it. 

Marcon

AinsleyFatCat said:

However, I feel that allowing my employer to actually come into my house and inspect, is a step too far for me.  My question is - What is your opinion on this?  Do you think that it's too much also?  It just doesn't sit well with me, as I believe that your home is now the last bastian of privacy.  Am I overthinking this?  I would be grateful for any opinions.  Thank you.

Have a look at this, which might get things in perspective in terms of the obligations placed on your employer in respect of those working from home: https://www.allianz.co.uk/risk-management/risk-topics/people-management/homeworkers-welfare.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs8qIlObW8gIVUe3tCh0yagPyEAAYASAAEgIci_D_BwE

Wyndham

So the employer wants to:
1) Give you notice of a visit (I assume you could negotiate the exact time if that were appropriate?)
2) Check that you are within the health and safety guidelines (so, for example, not sat at an awful desk that will lead to significant problems in later life...)
3) And to check that you are doing the right things in regards to confidentiality of data

And you are objecting??? Seriously???

Sorry to say it, but the only reason I can see to object is that you have something to hide. Are you doing something you shouldn't be? And if you are, is it something that could be rectified if you returned to the office full time? You can't have this both ways, unfortunately - either you continue to work from home in 'normal times', and that is appropriate for your circumstances, or you go back to the space in the office that the employer has provided for you.

Nebulous2

My previous employer (a quango) had home working contracts long before the pandemic. They paid for a separate phone line, gave a modest payment for heating and provided some equipment. They also visited initially to make sure that you had enough working space, to help set-up equipment, to do a DSE risk-assessment, and to check the storage of confidential documents.

They reserved the right to repeat this, especially to review the risk assessment, but I don't think they ever did in practice. 

Thrugelmir

AinsleyFatCat said:

I've increasingly started to hate my job and find it difficult to switch off.  

WFH is far from the panacea that the meda portray it to be. For many the novelty will now be wearing thin and levels of productivity reducing.