Remote working - the future?

C3PO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117838463#Comment_117838463

But most employers are not looking at a full remote solution but rather a hybrid model. We are currently rolling out a solution which entails a high end laptop, docking stations, a pair or screens, keyboard, mouse and TP link for home use. This will be replicated in the office (excluding the laptop obviously). Multiplied by 350 - this is a major investment! And that is before possibly having to spend a further €1000 on a chair and desk. We have also been advised that we need to have an ergonomic assessment carried out for each employee that will be working from home even on a hybrid basis!

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839445#Comment_117839445

A break in connectivity at the moment when a key step is being carried out puts the client and server in inconsistent states. If inconsistency is detected, the default is to fail.

Software that was designed for networks that may have intermittent breaks would deal with this. Ours wasn't.

(I'm simplifying for anonymity purposes. But it's an issue I've heard about from several colleagues in other companies too. Some people's home broadband is shyte.)

bokale

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839607#Comment_117839607

A break in connectivity? In what way? What kind of connection is the application using? Which end notices the inconsistency?

Your colleagues work in other companies? So your kind of an IT Support company for other companies?

Would love to know more details but understand the desire for anonymity!

Probably some money to be made in fixing this rather than paying people to use a crap system and other people to check there broadband haha

Strumms

what happens when your due to finish at 6 PM. But there is an issue in your department and your boss wants to troubleshoot and call you back at 7pm for an opinion.... you are on your way to meet friends to go see a band, after 6pm, your finish time you need to shower, cook dinner and change.. in an hour ie. in reality you have no time to afford him... his / her attitude is... “ home is now your workplace, you have a work PC, full connectivity to the systems soooo, ohhh being ‘flexible’ you should be accommodating....”

dont blur the lines :) because plenty of employers once they have an ‘in’ to your home and home life....

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117838489#Comment_117838489

And issues like ergonomic safety, confidentiality in shared accommodation, costs of heating, lighting broadband.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117838496#Comment_117838496

IT support costs won't change significantly - maybe some minor extra costs for remote access infrastructure and courier costs.

Office space costs dwarf all the other costs, with direct space costs in the region of €2k-€3k per employee per annum. So if the employer can halve their space requirements, there are very substantial savings to be made there. Employees should be making sure they get the fair slice of those savings.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839014#Comment_117839014

Why should there be any dent in that saving though? Why should you pay for light, heating and broadband when your employer is making savings on office costs?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117838949#Comment_117838949

That's a bit like your doctor putting you on blood pressure medication because they got one bad BP reading. There's a reason why docs do a 24 hour BP monitor before making any big decisions.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839757#Comment_117839757

Then the boss contacts someone else on the team to look at the issue. I assume in your scenario it is an emergency. The likelihood of the entire team being totally unavailable at exactly the same time is slim.

Then in case it happens again, there's every chance now you are available and you can step up to the mark.

The employer is saving you hours every week from not having to commute. What's a one-off emergency once or twice a year?

Or are you one of these people who would happily spend hours commuting but spit on your boss because it is 6.01 as you head for the door? That's just cutting of your nose to spite your face. Thankfully employees like you are rare, particularly in the private sector.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839888#Comment_117839888

No he isn’t ‘saving’ anyone hours or a commute. The no commuting is simply a byproduct of wfh. It’s not done with the view of saving people time and petrol money. You’d be deluded to believe it was.

im glad you feel like you can speak for the entirety of the private sector.

i wouldn’t attempt to but every colleague I had on leaving the office work mobiles were turned off and if an employer had started calling my home number , which never happened regardless but it would have ended up with a little more formal feedback / action then... “I’d rather you didn’t”.

being contactable or not is in your own power, whether working at home or working in an office. Genuinely don’t see the problem here

so many people here trying to kill hybrid working. I don’t understand it. Jealousy perhaps? Wanting to drag people down? If flexibility works for people what’s the problem. It was a standard for many employers before the pandemic. Post pandemic it will have expanded. And that is only a good thing

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839937#Comment_117839937

in your own power ? what kind of mental gymnastics is that ? If your employer has your home phone number / personal mobile, you are contactable... the only means of becoming non contactable is to turn both phones off which isn’t practical... they would be both required here and indeed by everyone for family and friends, family life and enjoyment of personal / social life.

its good for employers, bad for employees... my phone rings I answer it, I don’t want to of an evening have to start screening calls and looking at caller ID.

if you WFH those lines are blurred, your employer has an ‘in’ to your home life as it now doubles as a workplace. You’ve knocked down the wall...almost literally.

you step out to do some shopping, is your boss expecting your OH or kids to take a message? :)

bokale

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840022#Comment_117840022

Depends on the company. Our work calls are done via online work systems. Not our personal phones.

Electric Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117837789#Comment_117837789

I doubt anyone would want to work from home without those things.

My employer requires (not during the pandemic) that if you have children you have childcare for those who work fully or mostly from home. I don't think any of that is a big ask.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840022#Comment_117840022

my phone rings I answer it, I don’t want to of an evening have to start screening calls and looking at caller ID.

Honestly, this sounds like a "you" problem. The way I see it, you have options, you are just choosing the worst one open to you

1. Look at the screen on your phone, see its the boss, don't answer. Problem solved
2. Discuss getting on-call rates if your boss expects you to be on-call. A mate of mine did this, they declined, he never got a single call after 5pm after that. Problem solved. Alternatively, they agree on-call rates, and you get paid for each call you answer.
3. Have an open discussion with your boss about work/life balance. Once you clock out, thats it until the next morning. Problem solved
4. Find another job. Problem solved
5. Keep answering the phone every time the boss calls, be pissed off about it, complain on an internet forum about it, make out like its a problem for everyone who does WFH (its not) and keep banging that drum....while taking those calls of course

There are solutions available to you that will solve this problem you seem to be having with your boss, its just a matter of standing up for yourself.

I should also note, that while you seem obsessed with making this a WFH issue, its not, except in your mind. This could be an issue for anyone working anywhere and I would still point out the same options above

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840022#Comment_117840022

I’m sorry, this is a problem of your own making

piplip87

Ops manager held a round table today to inform us WFH is there to stay until Mid January but new hires will be in the office from mid September.

I'm guessing they are trying to get as many new hires trained in the office as possible because if they put us back in full time there will be an exodus.

Strumms

It’s not a ‘me’ problem whatever mental gymnastics made you believe that haha.. :) I don’t have the problem now and I’ll ensure that remains the case.. let google be your friend there are multiple conversations out there that people have noted from bosses / employers monitoring time away from PC’s via software, contacting you via home phone and connecting with a family member, the guy in question was on a scheduled work call but the boss forgot... nahhh grim dot com

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840160#Comment_117840160

I would suggest a small minority that failed to set boundaries

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840210#Comment_117840210

When you end up having to set boundaries for an employer, nahhhh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840331#Comment_117840331

Well mate, I just turn off my phone. Button is top right

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840337#Comment_117840337

Really ? And become uncontactable for your friends, loved ones etc ?yeah not practical in the real world.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840344#Comment_117840344

I have a work phone. But that irrelevant. You’re just full of excuses. I’m done

gauchesnell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839566#Comment_117839566

hate to ask but why is that only being done now. We have all that since last year - but Im public sector. No need for desk though. Chairs were simply taken from the office if required. Safety assessment done for remote working at home aswell. Only issue we experienced was the delays in getting laptops and IT equipment at the time - hopefully this has improved.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840354#Comment_117840354

You only have a work phone if you are provided with one.. if it’s irrelevant why mention that fact ? :)

how am I full of excuses ? I haven’t tried to excuse anything, simply offering an opinion on the topic at hand :) some mind gymnastics again, done ? Quite ! :)

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839350#Comment_117839350

Half that for a couple both WFH.

I will get about €30 back of the taxman myself

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840354#Comment_117840354

I have 2 sim cards in my phone.

One is work. That switches off automatically at knock off time.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117841403#Comment_117841403

Strumms logic - "Yeah well what about carrier pigeons, pfft gymnast"

Turtwig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840344#Comment_117840344

You can actually set your phone to only accept calls from close contacts.

Really, you're making a mountain out of a molehill here. There are so many proactive ways of dealing with any of the issues.

C3PO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117840361#Comment_117840361

I’m not sure I really understand your question! Why did our company take their time when considering a €1m+ plus IT investment?

gauchesnell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117842625#Comment_117842625

yes shouldnt it have been done last year - what have staff been using if WFH for the majority of last year. The priority for us (and yes Im public sector) was everyone had the appropriate IT equipment to work from home. It took some time due to the impact of covid on delivery and the huge demand but yeah everyone was provided with apppriate IT equipment first and safety assessments were done aswelll - for everyone working from home. I work in third level and we also provided IT equipment for our students where necessary. All the equipment you mentioned we received last year except desks

Waiting until Sept 2021 to invest in equipment for staff is a little more than taking your time though.

C3PO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117842738#Comment_117842738

I’m delighted that the 3rd level sector is so well funded! In the private sector there are very few companies that can spend €1m+ that has not been budgeted! And I can assure you that most companies have got by as best they can for the last 18 months!

gauchesnell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117842872#Comment_117842872

yeah it wasnt by choice trust me. Education is an essential service (which it is) and we werent permitted to return to campuses for months on end - again not by choice. Students also didnt have a choice on how they attended college. We (along with public and private companies) deal with highly confidential and sensitive material and educational delivery never stopped.

Im sure you have got by as best you can - I definitely have sympathy for anyone who struggled WFH without the proper IT equipment which should have been supplied last year by their company. I appreciate the costs but security and health and safety are also significant issues. It sounds like your company is only doing health and safety assessments now - but I could be wrong.

Anyway best of luck procuring it - it does take a while to come through is our own experience but again that was last year during peak demand. Being provided that equipment is hugely beneficial to staff.