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Offices Reopening-Will you go?

13567…13

Comments

  • #62
    witchgirl26
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,376 ✭✭✭witchgirl26


    I'm lucky in that my I have my own office so I can easily social distance. However my boss knows I can't go back to work in the office until the creches reopen as I have no other option for childcare.


  • #63
    hardCopy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,969 ✭✭✭hardCopy


    Carson Calm Gofer wrote: »
    By the way the Govt want a minimum of twenty per cent of public servants to be working from home in future. So I presume they're trying to lead the way in making wfh a norm in the long term.

    They're lightyears behind everyone else, leading the way from the back.

    My wife (in the HSE) has been told to try and work from home, but she still has to visit her desk every day to check her landline voicemails.


  • #64
    Patrick2010
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,990 ✭✭✭Patrick2010


    hardCopy wrote: »
    They're lightyears behind everyone else, leading the way from the back.

    My wife (in the HSE) has been told to try and work from home, but she still has to visit her desk every day to check her landline voicemails.


    What kind of an ancient phone system has she?. I work in the HSE too and we can check our voicemails remotely just by ringing our landline and putting in our pin like at our desk. Every modern phone system should offer that.


  • #65
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 18,046 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    hardCopy wrote: »
    They're lightyears behind everyone else, leading the way from the back.
    To be fair, it varies massively on a department basis. Some are actually quite capable.
    One of the problems they'll have is doing things like securing laptops to access remote services (which may already be fit for purpose).


  • #66
    Lux23
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,134 ✭✭✭Lux23


    I will be happy enough to go in some days if the office reopens. There is a lot of work to sort out our buildings so we can keep social distancing going, so they may not let us back for a while until that is sorted and only 1 in 4 team members can be in the office at any one time.


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  • #67
    timmy_mallet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,165 ✭✭✭timmy_mallet


    Murphman88 wrote: »
    I work for a multinational in Dublin. We can do our job fully from home as all in cloud. How do people think companies are going to reopen offices and what timeline? Until now my company had a funny attitude to any requests to wfh.' Presenteeism' was very much the rule.

    My own feeling on this is that unless there is either a vaccine or therapeutic avaiible I will refuse a request to be present in the office. Will many people take this stance? I have elderly parents so feel as though I couldn't see them if I'm forced to sit in an open plan office during this crisis.

    Assume it will be org by org, line manager by manager.

    Assume the org will have a policy and you would need a strong case/exemption to deviate from that, and orgs will be taking direction from the government.


  • #68
    JimmyVik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,360 ✭✭✭JimmyVik


    I sit right on top of the output vents for the aircon/heating. If I get sick the whole office will. It will be blown all over the place.


  • #69
    Thelonious Monk
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,537 ✭✭✭✭Thelonious Monk


    There are also 100s or 1000s of civil servants at home getting full pay, who can't go to the offices as they are not open, and don't have the facility to work from home. I have a friend on a 50k salary who wasn't issued a laptop and office isn't open, so he's getting full pay for doing nothing.
    How long is it going to be before the public/civil service take wage cuts?


  • #70
    Calhoun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,447 ✭✭✭Calhoun


    My own company is looking at how they can change the business as now they have seen they can move allot to WFH and still operate.

    I can see allot of multi-nationals reducing their footprint after this.


  • #71
    voluntary
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 867 ✭✭✭voluntary


    Calhoun wrote: »
    My own company is looking at how they can change the business as now they have seen they can move allot to WFH and still operate.

    I can see allot of multi-nationals reducing their footprint after this.

    For many businesses setting up WFH today, this will be only the first step before moving some roles offshore. They may not even think about this yet. The stick has two ends.

    My employer has been doing this for the last year or so. Not forcing anyone out, just not replacing employees who leave. Anytime someone leaves his role is being posted in another, lower-cost location in the EU. With the modern tech, video calls, collaboration tools, etc this isn't a problem any more like it would have been a few years ago.

    Expect the cost-cutting strategies to accelerate.


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  • #72
    Beechwoodspark
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,088 ✭✭✭✭Beechwoodspark


    I’m a sales rep who before this emergency drove around a section of the midlands and west dublin to visit convenience stores.

    Now each day i get up and 8 am go for a quick run then have a nice breakfast with coffee and orange juice etc then when it suits I ring a selection of the stores and take orders and email these to the head office for distribution.

    Also the stores pro actively ring me whenever they wish to order something.

    Much less stress and I feel like my day unfolds on MY terms and not an unrealistic time table imposed on me.

    It’s made me think my previous work pattern of physically getting into a car and driving 50-100 km most days to visit stores is totally unnecessary

    I am dreading when ever the boss tells me to get back in the car and start driving to the stores again.


  • #73
    antimatterx
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,535 ✭✭✭antimatterx


    voluntary wrote: »
    For many businesses setting up WFH today, this will be only the first step before moving some roles offshore. They may not even think about this yet. The stick has two ends.

    My employer has been doing this for the last year or so. Not forcing anyone out, just not replacing employees who leave. Anytime someone leaves his role is being posted in another, lower-cost location in the EU. With the modern tech, video calls, collaboration tools, etc this isn't a problem any more like it would have been a few years ago.

    Expect the cost-cutting strategies to accelerate.

    This is not going to happen!


  • #74
    The_Honeybadger
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,235 ✭✭✭The_Honeybadger


    hardCopy wrote: »
    They're lightyears behind everyone else, leading the way from the back.

    My wife (in the HSE) has been told to try and work from home, but she still has to visit her desk every day to check her landline voicemails.

    I’m PS and all staff above a certain grade in my place including myself have a company laptop and remote network access along with a work mobile. I can easily work away from home. Access to printers and scanners etc is the only limitation really but things are moving more and more to paperless in any case.

    Can’t understand how your wife has to go in to check her voicemails. We can check them remotely since as long as I remember, is it possible that she just doesn’t know that function is there?


  • #75
    Eric Cartman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,247 ✭✭✭✭Eric Cartman


    The_Honeybadger wrote: »
    I’m PS and all staff above a certain grade in my place including myself have a company laptop and remote network access along with a work mobile. I can easily work away from home. Access to printers and scanners etc is the only limitation really but things are moving more and more to paperless in any case.

    Can’t understand how your wife has to go in to check her voicemails. We can check them remotely since as long as I remember, is it possible that she just doesn’t know that function is there?

    Depends on the phone system in the office, many do not have that feature, and some that feature is heavily restricted or disabled for security reasons.


  • #76
    The_Honeybadger
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,235 ✭✭✭The_Honeybadger


    Eric Cartman wrote: »
    Depends on the phone system in the office, many do not have that feature, and some that feature is heavily restricted or disabled for security reasons.

    Yes that could be the case of course. Fair enough. Seems very counterintuitive to tell people to WFH and then not give them the means to do so though.


  • #77
    NIMAN
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 35,488 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    I will go in.

    Only working from home for a few weeks, and missing the social side of work if I'm honest.


  • #78
    krissovo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,261 ✭✭✭krissovo


    voluntary wrote: »
    For many businesses setting up WFH today, this will be only the first step before moving some roles offshore. They may not even think about this yet. The stick has two ends.

    My employer has been doing this for the last year or so. Not forcing anyone out, just not replacing employees who leave. Anytime someone leaves his role is being posted in another, lower-cost location in the EU. With the modern tech, video calls, collaboration tools, etc this isn't a problem any more like it would have been a few years ago.

    Expect the cost-cutting strategies to accelerate.

    Its a double edge sword, you do realize that Ireland is low cost compared to California, Singapore, London & Munich and so on.
    We Irish are also highly valued particularly in the states for our no nonsense get **** done along with high productivity. You would be surprised how many here work for international companies even before the Virus.

    Companies will now have freedom to recruit the right talent and fit for them regardless where the employee is from. Also you are not restricted to look for jobs in Ireland, you can search for a specific skill and apply anywhere. You could even move out to the country and get paid a Dublin wage, almost better than raise :cool:


  • #79
    FloatingVoter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,133 ✭✭✭FloatingVoter


    I'm high risk category and told to come in so they can "look at me for a day or two".
    Not one day in medical school between the lot of them and they want to overrule a professor and a GP. Surviving off med certs but will return on Tuesday because I'm climbing the walls.
    Each and every one of them will be forgotten though. We have heroes in this thing, no doubt. But the villains are the ones that used to smile at you and throw the occasional compliment. All "working" from home, of couse because their worm lives are worth more then mine.

    They are two-faced scum and their misfortunes, illnesses and even deaths will be celebrated in this tiny corner.


  • #80
    nthclare
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,312 ✭✭✭nthclare


    FloatingVoter wrote: »
    I'm high risk category and told to come in so they can "look at me for a day or two".
    Not one day in medical school between the lot of them and they want to overrule a professor and a GP. Surviving off med certs but will return on Tuesday because I'm climbing the walls.
    Each and every one of them will be forgotten though. We have heroes in this thing, no doubt. But the villains are the ones that used to smile at you and throw the occasional compliment. All "working" from home, of couse because their worm lives are worth more then mine.

    They are two-faced scum and their misfortunes, illnesses and even deaths will be celebrated in this tiny corner.

    I seen an interview recently with Roy Keane, and he had no respect for the scum I think you're posting about.

    No doubt there's a lot of CEOs trolling these forums,and brown nose ass kissers too.

    The labour court is already getting attention due to vankers using the pandemic to their advantage and treating good honourable staff like sh1t.
    But asking those staff to take cut's, while these CEOs are talking millions in profit at board meetings, but yet they're asking the hard workers to take a cut to fill the Investors pocket's.

    The Investors should take the cut, they ask you to honour them but those fookers won't honour your contract.

    I'm saying no to my employer, because I seen the books, observed the profit margins.

    There's enough money in the bank supposedly to keep us paid without a profit for the next 2 years.

    Or else the bastard's are liar's.
    I suspect they are lying.


  • #81
    hullaballoo
    Administrators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,805 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭hullaballoo


    The idea that hotdesking will increase any time soon is laughable. It shows no understanding of transmission of the virus. The expense of cleaning every desk, keyboard, monitor, chair etc. on a daily basis and deeply enough to actually effectively prevent spread would be a crippling cost for business.

    Those returning to offices will have their own desk and will be required to leave it clear each day and a routine cleaning will be done after hours. A deep clean over the weekend.

    What office managers are going to have to really start thinking about are shared surfaces. Printers, lifts, coffee machines, water coolers. Even paper.

    My own office is still fairly poor at doing paperless. Old habits really. But WFH may hopefully break those habits because the printers really should be thrown into a skip in this day and age.

    Returning to office based work is really a minefield that I don't think many employers in the area have thought about. Or maybe they won't think about them and will just reopen as soon as it's allowed.

    As has been rightly pointed out, it's a risky game.


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  • #82
    ChikiChiki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭ChikiChiki


    Yep, completely unworkable unfortunately. That's not what many people want to hear having been cooped up all this weeks. I'm struggling missing the little conversations and craic around the office but it is what it is.


  • #83
    Snow Garden
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭Snow Garden


    Waiting for a vaccine is crazy talk. If any of my colleagues used that excuse I would hope they were disciplined.


  • #84
    ChikiChiki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭ChikiChiki


    Snow Garden wrote: »
    Waiting for a vaccine is crazy talk. If any of my colleagues used that excuse I would hope they were disciplined.

    If a company disciplined staff for not wanting to go into the office during a global pandemic the company would want to take a look at themselves.

    Strategic management in the company are the problem and not their staff if they are ill equipped to work from home.


  • #85
    tringle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 868 ✭✭✭tringle


    Thelonious Monk wrote: »
    There are also 100s or 1000s of civil servants at home getting full pay, who can't go to the offices as they are not open, and don't have the facility to work from home. I have a friend on a 50k salary who wasn't issued a laptop and office isn't open, so he's getting full pay for doing nothing.
    How long is it going to be before the public/civil service take wage cuts?


    Im a civil servant and working from home. I wasnt issued a laptop, im using my own. Im working 8am to 4pm 5 days a week and have never worked so hard. Half of our staff is in the office and half working from home. I have an extra 2 hours a day as i have no commute. I would like to stay like this until September anyway as we have a large household and one is cocooning, i dont want to risk bringing the virus home.


  • #86
    plodder
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,010 ✭✭✭plodder


    My multinational employer has always been relaxed about working from home, in my org at least, which is software development, but I never took advantage of it, until now. Others did, so I am well used to working with people who are remote. Now, I have decent broadband and with other things coming down the tracks (like the Green party) I see no return to the old ways happening for the likes of me anyway. Two hour commutes in traffic by car every day will be a thing of the past. Can't say I'll miss that. Will probably cycle more than I'll drive.

    “Fanaticism is always a sign of repressed doubt” - Carl Jung



  • #87
    fjon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,088 ✭✭✭fjon


    I can't see my office opening again any time soon. As well as all the other things mentioned we have lifts that need to be taken into consideration. I would imagine only one person will be able to use it at a time, which should be fun around 8:30 and 5:00.
    The transition to WFH has been relatively smooth. We use Citrix so anyone who didn't have a company laptop could use their personal one and apart from some dodgy audio issues it has worked great.
    My one selfish concern is that I feel a lot of the small cafes around my office will probably not survive if all the offices are closed for months. These places exist to cater for the offices only, and I liked having 2 or 3 places to choose from. If/ when the office reopens we'll probably be stuck with just a Centra now.


  • #88
    JimmyVik
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,360 ✭✭✭JimmyVik


    fjon wrote: »
    I can't see my office opening again any time soon. As well as all the other things mentioned we have lifts that need to be taken into consideration. I would imagine only one person will be able to use it at a time, which should be fun around 8:30 and 5:00.
    The transition to WFH has been relatively smooth. We use Citrix so anyone who didn't have a company laptop could use their personal one and apart from some dodgy audio issues it has worked great.
    My one selfish concern is that I feel a lot of the small cafes around my office will probably not survive if all the offices are closed for months. These places exist to cater for the offices only, and I liked having 2 or 3 places to choose from. If/ when the office reopens we'll probably be stuck with just a Centra now.


    No they will come out with another silly statement, as silly as the one that has us with such high numbers now, which said you have to be within 2 meters of an effected person for 15 minutes.

    Can you believe that. I know people who are meeting other people and think that as long as you walk away after 14 minutes and go to the next person you are fine.


  • #89
    Szero
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 162 ✭✭Szero


    What do people think about the fact that offices will only be allowed reopen in the later phases along with schools?

    Has it sunk in with your colleagues that nobody is going back to the office for several months to come?


  • #90
    Snow Garden
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭Snow Garden


    ChikiChiki wrote: »
    If a company disciplined staff for not wanting to go into the office during a global pandemic the company would want to take a look at themselves.

    Strategic management in the company are the problem and not their staff if they are ill equipped to work from home.

    So if a vaccine isn't available by say April 2021 (highly likely), you think it's ok for an employee to refuse to come to work even if the employer implements safety practices?


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  • #91
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,173 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    hullaballoo wrote: »
    The idea that hotdesking will increase any time soon is laughable. It shows no understanding of transmission of the virus. The expense of cleaning every desk, keyboard, monitor, chair etc. on a daily basis and deeply enough to actually effectively prevent spread would be a crippling cost for business.

    Those returning to offices will have their own desk and will be required to leave it clear each day and a routine cleaning will be done after hours. A deep clean over the weekend.

    What office managers are going to have to really start thinking about are shared surfaces. Printers, lifts, coffee machines, water coolers. Even paper.
    I think it's going to go deeper than that.
    HSA regulations will start mandating that employers put in general controls around infection spread, that may make the open plan office practically unworkable.

    Such as "where employee work areas are not separated by a physical barrier, employees must be able to work so they are no less than 2m from any other employee.

    This may not be a requirement to set up whole offices for people, but potentially the return of the four-walled cubicle
    Szero wrote: »
    Has it sunk in with your colleagues that nobody is going back to the office for several months to come?
    Seems to be fairly accepted in my place that nobody is going back until the end of the summer at the earliest.

    Though one guy is still going into the office every day, I don't know why. Maybe he likes the peace.


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