Working From Home

MSE_ForumTeam5

We've merged the thread.

@bettydaviseyes - if you go to https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/drafts/0 you should be able to delete the reply that's causing the problem (click the little X) and then you'll be able to post again in this thread

Scorpio33

bettydaviseyes said:

There has been further replies on my original thread, which I cant reply to as it has frozen.  

There has been mention of the burden of employers re bereavement, sickness, hospital appointments etc.  This is totally missing the point and not the issue here.  Companies have policies and procedures in place for these events and therefore all employees are treated the same.

Is it fair that out of 160 employees of a company, all these employees bar 1- can go into an office and set up work on a hot desk if ever the need arises to work away from home?  I believe its not fair but am happy to know that employment wise the company are not legally treating me unfairly.  

The company has no obligation to give you a laptop over a desktop to work from home with. If you have a need to go into the office, then by all means bring that up, as there is no way you can do so? 

It may be seemed to be unfair, but legally, I can't see how it could be. The only way it could be is if the reason for you not having a laptop is due to a protected characteristic (directly or indirectly), such as sex, race, religion, age etc.

lisyloo

Was your contract changed when the office was shut?
Where does it say your place of work is in your contract?
Does it say anything about the provision of equipment for work in your contract?

it's not illegal but there could be something contractual.

NBLondon

lisyloo said:

Was your contract changed when the office was shut?
Where does it say your place of work is in your contract?
Does it say anything about the provision of equipment for work in your contract?

it's not illegal but there could be something contractual.

Yep -that's what I was asking before.   It may not be illegal discrimination but it could be discriminating against a homeworker vs an office based worker.   Or vs a colleague in the same role.

400ixl

biscan25 said:

those TP link adapters work great (I get 100Mbps+ through mine), but ensure they are on the same wiring circuit as your router (e.g. your upstairs and downstairs might be different circuits), and avoid plugging them into extension leads if you can help it.

As long as those rings (or circuits as you call them) are on the same distribution board then they will work fine. People keep saying they need to be on the same ring and this is just not true and perpetuates a false view.

I have just tested mine (to check my previous findings are still valid) on the same ring, across rings and even across rings and into an extension lead at either end and all gave the same throughput +/- 5 mbit/s 

Undervalued

NBLondon said:

lisyloo said:

Was your contract changed when the office was shut?
Where does it say your place of work is in your contract?
Does it say anything about the provision of equipment for work in your contract?

it's not illegal but there could be something contractual.

Yep -that's what I was asking before.   It may not be illegal discrimination but it could be discriminating against a homeworker vs an office based worker.   Or vs a colleague in the same role.

Both of which are not unlawful in themselves.

If extreme it could be a factor contributing to a constructive dismissal situation but we are a million miles from that and such cases are very difficult to win.

Own_Worst_Enermy

But they can change their mind anytime about work from home.

I started in a brand now depot thinking I had a non-remote job and was told in interview only 2 designated days are worked from home (which turned out to be Sundays...) and you had to exceed stats to work a week from home per month, yet 5 weeks on, I have never spent a full day yet in the depot. I've listened to no we've no internet access in a new build showroom of a depot and wondered how this firm would have coped pre-2020 when people didn't generally work from home.

only today an email come out about trust and home working but it is quite hard when you expected to be in a non-remote job and have been reminded the only way you work from home is by meeting stats, yet there is no conditions on the employer when they then need you to work from home. 

bettydaviseyes

THANK YOU!!!!  Savvy_Sue, 400ixl, Dakti and everyone who recommended a Powerline adaptor - it’s worked!!!  I now have internet upstairs.  Am so grateful as have no spare holidays left to use and thought I would have to book unpaid leave this week.

Annoyed at our IT department who should have offered me the advice I had from certain individuals on here.

Thanks again.

400ixl

Glad it worked for you and you are able to use holidays for when you actually want to use them.

Hopefully will also dispell the notion that they don't work across rings in the majority of homes.

Ath_Wat

bettydaviseyes said:

THANK YOU!!!!  Savvy_Sue, 400ixl, Dakti and everyone who recommended a Powerline adaptor - it’s worked!!!  I now have internet upstairs.  Am so grateful as have no spare holidays left to use and thought I would have to book unpaid leave this week.

Annoyed at our IT department who should have offered me the advice I had from certain individuals on here.

Thanks again.

Out of interest, what was the reason you couldn't just use a long ethernet cable?