Remote working - the future?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117812059#Comment_117812059

It never, ever bothers me when someone contacts me on teams or any other medium for help, no matter how often they do. The attitude that it's a "pain in the arse" stinks.

Young_gunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117812132#Comment_117812132

I actually way prefer it to someone coming over to my desk, it's far more efficient too.

glut22

Nphet to disband in October as employees expected to return to office from September

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/nphet-to-disband-in-october-as-employees-expected-to-return-to-office-from-september-40795801.html

Back to office 13th September. I hope some good has come of this past 18 months and there is still mass WFH by choice. This article suggests this isnt a consideration but perhaps the guidance on Tuesday will advise employers to allow WFH where it is working well.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117813801#Comment_117813801

Thank god. Sick of the sight of them!

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117812096#Comment_117812096

It does stop a degree of the casual, unforced interaction that happens in corridors, at the water cooler, over coffee, the informal chats overheard and joined.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117811304#Comment_117811304

There may be a degree of that, but there are also people for whom home is not a safe space, not safe from mental or physical abuse from a partner or a parent or housemate. The physical work location provides a degree of escape for some people. Mandatory WFH has taken this away.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117813923#Comment_117813923

Utter bastards, protecting us from the worst impacts of a dreadful virus, who the hell do they think they are?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117814995#Comment_117814995

I want to move on from the constant reporting of it. We have the vaccine. We have antiviral drugs. The virus is here to stay. Let's move forward.

There may be a degree of that, but there are also people for whom home is not a safe space, not safe from mental or physical abuse from a partner or a parent or housemate.

That has nothing to do with WFH. I have to say, of all the anti-WFH stuff you have come out with over the last 18 months, that takes the biscuit

Do better

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117815141#Comment_117815141

Nonsense: It has heaps to do with enforced WFH, which is what we have experienced so far.

blue_blue

Think we'll be all back in the office full time by the end of the year unless your employer makes accommodation for WFH.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117815408#Comment_117815408

Well, yeah.

Strumms

I’d say even a lot of companies might think better of it in time. Saving six figures a year in rent and supplemental costs but the downsides...

most companies have one or two pisstakers so they’ll be the first putting up their hand to wfh... probably around midday putting the lunch on for the kids with the laptop beside them, just to answer email / IM and be contactable...then drop the kids down the road back to school if it’s raining after lunch, into the shop for 10 to pick up milk, bread..

an hour lunch all of a sudden gets extended by 40 - 60 minutes...

some people are decent and have self discipline and regard for colleagues but the usual crowd who have about 6 smoke breaks / tea breaks daily will just rip the piss.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117815141#Comment_117815141

It literally has EVERYTHING to do with WFH. People previously had the breathing space available by spending most of the waking hours in a safe environment, where they were free from abuse, coercion and pressure. Now, their employers have unilaterally imposed WFH, with no option for those who don't have safe space at home, or don't have physical space at home, or who just don't want to, for whatever reason. The needs of those who can't or won't WFH need to be a priority in the plans to return to work.

That doesn't mean blanket imposition of WFH on those for whom it does work. There is a middle ground.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117815123#Comment_117815123

I think we all want to move on, but it is still a major issue, with the potential to get much worse. If you don't want reporting, then don't watch the news.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117815785#Comment_117815785

I'll watch the news all I want. 🖕

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117815785#Comment_117815785

Putting you back on ignore with the bee, can't be listening to your silliness simply because you don't like WFH, laters

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117816363#Comment_117816363

Yes, please do make sure that that you don't encounter any opinions or views that contradict your own, as any trip outside of the echo chamber could obviously wreck your head.

Mrs OBumble

Just ran into this great quote about what WFH from last March has really been like

“You’re not working from home. You’re at home, during a crisis, trying to work.”

jmlad2020

Frankly, being forced back to the office 5 days a week is absolutely silly and if my employer requests that I shall be handing in my notice. Simples.

All for going into the office when necessary, which isn't every day. I'm confident that others share the same ideals and we will see workers revolt if employers want them back 5 days a week.

PS for the thread: you can argue WFH is not good for those suffering domestic abuse etc but thankfully that is a very small %. There is a lot of office environments where workplace bullying is common place and causes great suffering for those who need to make a living by working there.

blue_blue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117817647#Comment_117817647

You're not being "forced". You were forced to work at home, not in the office. You will be told it's safe to come back to the office.

There is no force involved. You are (most likely if you haven't changed jobs since before pandemic) contractually obligated to perform your duties from your place of work.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117818353#Comment_117818353

Well, not all of us are. My employer was already leaning towards a hybrid model long before the pandemic. Now WFH is looking like the dominant option.

Many companies were doing this before the pandemic. Covid just accelerated the transition.

jmlad2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117818353#Comment_117818353

Erm Delta variant is currently peaking at 2k cases a day. It's far safer to continue WFH until this passes so technically (IMO) there is a degree of being forced. If someone is fearful of office protocol they should be allowed to stay at home, especially considering we don't know where this is headed.

Sharing a kettle and door handles with random people who you can't trust, No thanks. Some of us have underlying health conditions and some of us are more productive away from the office environment anyways.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117819219#Comment_117819219

This is a good point. But remember, some people's need to talk about soccer at the coffee station is more important than your health and wellbeing.

So get in to the office, worker drone!

C3PO

The wishful thinking continues by people on both sides of the argument!

Some companies will offer full remote working (but not that many I suspect), some will insist that people return full time and most will offer some type of hybrid model!

Our company is rolling out a hybrid model where nearly everyone will be expected to be in the office 2/3 days of the week - I think this will become the norm!

Mrs OBumble

Sharing a kettle and door handles with random people who you can't trust, No thanks. 

You need to be worried about sharing air, not touch points.

The quality of ventilation in the building is what you need to be asking questions about

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117812132#Comment_117812132

It depends how you manage it. If you need to concentrate and get something else done then Teams can be a nightmare if you don't make yourself "Busy" or whatever. Likewise the little pop-up announcements that you have a new e-mail message in Outlook. Non-technical equivalents would be the cow-worker who calls across the office "I just sent you an e-mail." or "Did you see that mail about... ".

The psychologists say that you need to spend 15 minutes on a task to get into the groove with it. Every interruption resets that clock to zero minutes. It's very easy to spend an entire day without ever getting a chance to reach that optimal level of efficiency/productivity.

I've disabled my Outlook alerts and I'm "Busy" most of the time on Teams. Instead, I check in between tasks to see if there's anything I need to do or anyone I need to respond to. If there's something truly urgent, that's what phones are for.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117821870#Comment_117821870

I typically leave outlook closed for most of the day and check it 3 times, when I log on, after lunch, just before logging off.

Teams doesn't bother me though. I guess I'm used to using IM software (ICQ, AIM, MSNM, IRC etc) for the last 2 decades so it doesn't really interrupt my flow but for others I can see why it would be a similar disruption to someone walking over to the desk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117821824#Comment_117821824

Why are we told to wash our hands regularly you absolute genius?

JimmyVik

We just got an email saying. "We understand you have all found it very difficult during the pandemic and we look forward to welcoming everybody back to a normal working ife at the office."

They make no bones about it. We are all expected back to the office asap.

Lots of people now panicking looking for somewhere in Dublin to live.

Ive even got a couple of emails asking if I have a spare room til they get a place of their own in Dublin.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822415#Comment_117822415

That's a shame. Time to find a new job, I'd say!

Spanish Eyes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117822415#Comment_117822415

The assumption that "you have ALL found...." is a bit off to me. I know the wording is a little ambiguous in that it does not specifically state that WFH is the issue, but it is inferred I think.

So now we are going back to square one, dropping and picking up kids in the dark, getting up at a mad early hour to grace the roads and public transport with our commute, trying to find accommodation (along with returning Third Level Students) and all for what benefit? I personally would not agree to go full time back in the office at all, and would move jobs to a WFH friendly company instead. This could lead to recruitment difficulties where no WFH is allowed or tolerated. Hybrid is ok, but max 2 days per week.

The Greens are lackeys. In one breath they are saying WFH is helping the planet, in the next they are fully supportive of a return to centralised office work and all that entails. I don't understand it myself, but it might be to re energise the cities and town centres again.