Post-lockdown working from home

Roodle47

user1977 said: 

Do you need a "functioning office", as opposed to a desk in a corner of another room?

If you didn't have a garage to convert, would you expect help to move to a larger house?

OK, the whole room doesn't need to be an office but he's at his desk ALL day, so a decent space not squished in a dark corner. My point being really that the only space that we have that could incorporate desk space needs converting and is a priority now that he is expected to WFH full time. The main thing first, that's come from the forum is he'd need to get these changes made official in his contract.

On the question of a different house, it has crossed my mind that if he'd have WFH when we were looking for this house, I imagine that we would have tried to get somewhere in our budget where we could have easily set up a desk.  

martindow

Roodle47 said:

 I was even pregnant during lockdown and asked for a proper desk chair to be organised...two years on, I'm still waiting...

Just for the chair, I hope.

mattyprice4004

Roodle47 said:

user1977 said: 

Do you need a "functioning office", as opposed to a desk in a corner of another room?

If you didn't have a garage to convert, would you expect help to move to a larger house?

OK, the whole room doesn't need to be an office but he's at his desk ALL day, so a decent space not squished in a dark corner. My point being really that the only space that we have that could incorporate desk space needs converting and is a priority now that he is expected to WFH full time. The main thing first, that's come from the forum is he'd need to get these changes made official in his contract.

On the question of a different house, it has crossed my mind that if he'd have WFH when we were looking for this house, I imagine that we would have tried to get somewhere in our budget where we could have easily set up a desk.  

You need to see what support his employer will offer - and if they're not forthcoming then check the contract for where it says he'll work. 
If the location is down as an office, then they need to re-negotiate to change that meaning he could ask for more money in lieu of the office space being provided. 

As far as grants or support for converting the garage space, it'd be entirely down to the employer - I think I speak for everyone when I say I'd rather our tax money didn't go towards helping people make their garage into an office. 
Good luck, present them with the situation and see if they'll help out.  

tooldle

What other space is not used during the day? Is there hallway space or perhaps under a staircase? Maybe a closet space where a desk could be incorporated. Plenty of ideas on the internet, I'm sure. 

Roodle47

@mattyprice4004 thank you. Certainly wouldn't want to use tax payers money...but if employers were legally responsible for supporting any employees now WFH with any increased costs and ensuring a suitable workspace, that would be good. 

@tooldle I'd like to think we could make it work somewhere else in the house but dining table is the best we have at the moment...more than some people have, I know. 

Ebe_Scrooge

As above, aside from the meagre bit of tax relief you can claim, that's about it.  For an awful lot of people, the savings made (both in money and time) from not having to commute more than outweigh any additional costs you incur.

He could try asking his employer very nicely if they can offer any assistance (some employers, for instance, might offer a desk and a half-decent chair).  But as long as there are no H&S issues where your other half is working, then they're not actually obliged to offer anything.

macman

You are not going to get a grant from any public funding source to convert your garage to a home office.
Why is your husband still working from home full time? What are his employer's plan for a return to office working?

Roodle47

macman said:

Why is your husband still working from home full time? What are his employer's plan for a return to office working?

They're still figuring out their new way of working and it seems that they have just let their lockdown way of working slip into normality now. Their plans haven't been made employee knowledge at this point. 

Alderbank

macman said:

Why is your husband still working from home full time?
What are his employer's plan for a return to office working?

Is your real name Jacob (Back to the Office) Rees Mogg?

Many employers in the finance sector are very, very happy with their savings from home working.

I agree that permanent working from home is not ideal for employees. Blended working or at least some face-to-face meetings are much better.

(PS Even JRM has now seen that he can sell off large swathes of unneeded offices in SW1)

housebuyer143

During covid my mates husband worked from home and they lived in a very small 2 bed, with 4 people. They literally put a small desk in their built in wardrobe and opened the door and worked in there. That's not viable at all, but v having a desk in your bedroom or somewhere out of the living areas is. 
I worked in my bedroom during covid and it was fine. I still work in my bedroom. Better that than have to go into the office tbh. 
My employer was very good though and bought me a desk and a chair and anything else I needed. 

I don't think you will get a garage conversion from the employer but you need to weigh up what he prefers. If he likes working at home then making a fuss will put a stop to that. 

Might be worth looking at your room layouts and seeing if you can rearrange the furniture to get a desk in one of them outside the living spaces.