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Forced to work from home

Padre_Pio

Just got word today that work is downsizing their offices and the COVID work from home policy is going to be a near-permanent WHF policy.

Basically, the new office will only have hot desks, maybe half as many as there are staff. Employees have to book a desk in advance if they need to come into the office, but your permanent desk is expected to be in your own home.

There's uproar from certain people, but the response is basically put up and shut up.
Personally, there's no mention of home working in my contract. I was looking forward to getting back into the office and I barely have the space for a desk where I'm living at the moment, never mind a full setup.

Anyone have any experience of this? Places like Google and Facebook have said they're looking at similar policies. Any ideas how that went down with staff?

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ineedeuro

ELM327 wrote: »

It's a cost to me too.
I had free coffee, free breakfast etc at work. They also provided free fuel (EV chargepoints at work). I lived an hour away.

Nowadays I buy my own coffee, I buy my own petrol/diesel (Sold the EV) but I save the hour commute and I get more done at home. I'm lucky enough to have a home office though.

I mentioned it already but time is more important. I doubt anyone wil be sitting on death bed happy they went into an office everyday

because they save a fiver on electricity

GreeBo

ineedeuro wrote: »

I mentioned it already but time is more important. I doubt anyone wil be sitting on death bed happy they went into an office everyday because they save a fiver on electricity

I don't consider 15 mins a day to be more important than money.
Certainly not when that same money could be used to purchase something better for me, rather than for my company.
I'm sure I wont be sitting on my deathbed happy that I saved the company money by working from home, despite it making me poorer.

jakiah

GreeBo wrote: »

Yeah, around and around because people seem incapable of reading the OP.
The employer is telling everyone that their own home will be their permanent work address.

The approach your employer and tell them it doesnt suit and if you cant work it out move, just like you would with any other major change to the business that impacts you.

ineedeuro

jakiah wrote: »

The approach your employer and tell them it doesnt suit and if you cant work it out move, just like you would with any other major change to the business that impacts you.

Which was the advice given all along and the OP ignored it. Go to manager/HR and discuss the requirement to work in the office.

Mrs OBumble

ineedeuro wrote: »

Which was the advice given all along and the OP ignored it. Go to manager/HR and discuss the requirement to work in the office.

The OP's employer is telling everyone that their own home will be their permanent work address. No exceptions.

ineedeuro

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The OP's employer is telling everyone that their own home will be their permanent work address. No exceptions.

The OP confirmed they didn't approach their manager or HR direct to request so unless you work for the company you don't know.

Padre_Pio

ineedeuro wrote: »

The OP confirmed they didn't approach their manager or HR direct to request so unless you work for the company you don't know.

I never confirmed that.
You've ignored many of my own previous posts and gone with your own interpretation of events that aligns with your own biases.

I said before that many of us asked and were rejected. I have asked my own manager again and told it was blanket company policy and was rejected, as I knew it would, since what's the point of a policy if you make exceptions immediately?

We're looking at alternatives and adjustments to this policy since it does not suit some people. Things are still developing.

jakiah

Padre_Pio wrote: »

We're looking at alternatives and adjustments to this policy since it does not suit some people. Things are still developing.

What a surprise.

ELM327

ineedeuro wrote: »

I mentioned it already but time is more important. I doubt anyone wil be sitting on death bed happy they went into an office everyday because they save a fiver on electricity

Exactly. That's why I'm happy to be working from home.
Sky news on, coffee machine beside the desk, what more would ya want?
And I save 2 hours a day - no commute.

ineedeuro

Padre_Pio wrote: »

I never confirmed that.
You've ignored many of my own previous posts and gone with your own interpretation of events that aligns with your own biases.

I said before that many of us asked and were rejected. I have asked my own manager again and told it was blanket company policy and was rejected, as I knew it would, since what's the point of a policy if you make exceptions immediately?

We're looking at alternatives and adjustments to this policy since it does not suit some people. Things are still developing.

My apologies. Sorry if I misunderstood but the way you documented it earlier sounded like a group of you went to management and they rejected.

I did suggest HR, if a manager says no that doesn't mean you can't approach HR and explain the situation. Especially as they are the ones who will be involved in these policies.

givyjoe

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The OP's employer is telling everyone that their own home will be their permanent work address. No exceptions.

No they didn't.. it's hot desk model for working from the office.. what part of that = home being their permanent work address

Padre_Pio

jakiah wrote: »

What a surprise.

What more do you want?
I started this thread more than a week ago to get some input and options.
I've already thanked people from both sides of the debate for their input

If I followed your advice I'd be signing onto the dole and polishing up my CV.
There's a definite hostile element on this thread and I don't understand it or appreciate it.

givyjoe

Padre_Pio wrote: »

What more do you want?
I started this thread more than a week ago to get some input and options.
I've already thanked people from both sides of the debate for their input

If I followed your advice I'd be signing onto the dole and polishing up my CV.
There's a definite hostile element on this thread and I don't understand it or appreciate it.

To be fair padre, I think its from both 'sides' and I'd say it's folk who are extremely attached to their preference, often seems the same folks will not listen to anything that challenges/might change their preferred position. Alot of folks dont like change, regardless of which side of the fence they're on here.

jakiah

Padre_Pio wrote: »

What more do you want?
I started this thread more than a week ago to get some input and options.
I've already thanked people from both sides of the debate for their input

If I followed your advice I'd be signing onto the dole and polishing up my CV.
There's a definite hostile element on this thread and I don't understand it or appreciate it.

If you followed my advice? I said engage with your employer to work it out, the same as you would for any other change to the business. Some of the hysterical stuff on this thread (not neccessarily from yourself) is laughable.

oisinog

GreeBo wrote: »

So when you said
"people who are compaining abount being "forced to work from home" only see the disdvantages and doont look at the advantages that there is available to them.

For giving up a small corner of a room you have cost savings, if you manage you time right you cal also have a better woirk life balance."

You weren't throwing everyone into the same bucket? The bucket of those who dont want to be forced into WFH?

Seems very much like you were tbh...

Umm that was me and as I have also mentioned on several occassions that working from home does not suit everyone.

For me my work life balance has now improved I get to spend more time with my children and I can use my lunch hour to go to the gym or go for a cycle and this has had an improvment on my mental health.

There is a also the advantage that it is saving me money as I no longer need childcare after school or to avail of morning clubs.

Too many people are focusing on the disadvantages and not embracing the advantages of it.

Flinty997

givyjoe wrote: »

To be fair padre, I think its from both 'sides' and I'd say it's folk who are extremely attached to their preference, often seems the same folks will not listen to anything that challenges/might change their preferred position. Alot of folks dont like change, regardless of which side of the fence they're on here.

WFH in the current environment more isolating and more problematic than normal in the context of Covid. In normal times even when working from home you'd have been in the office at least one or twice a week and socializing with friends. Not cooped up at home perhaps with kids

So while this is a good test of WFH its not normal experience of WFH.

GreeBo

jakiah wrote: »

any other major change to the business that impacts you.

Yeah, which is kinda the whole point of the thread chief.
The options are more than like it or lump it, if the company is changing the terms of your contract.

floorpie

ineedeuro wrote: »

I mentioned it already but time is more important. I doubt anyone wil be sitting on death bed happy they went into an office everyday because they save a fiver on electricity

Sitting at home alone tied to a computer each day

vs

meeting people, meeting current/new friends, meeting current/new partners, seeing new things, having new stimulus each day

I can see one of these as a deathbed regret alright. There's a reason many people see the last year as a blur.

Some of the fantasies in the thread about how people are spending their extra hour a day are quite ridiculous.

namloc1980

GreeBo wrote: »

Yeah, which is kinda the whole point of the thread chief.
The options are more than like it or lump it, if the company is changing the terms of your contract.

If your company said we're moving to other end of the country or to another country (say Germany as an example), would you be here saying "I'm being forced to move to Germany"? Or would you seek new employment that suits you?

oisinog

GreeBo wrote: »

Yeah, which is kinda the whole point of the thread chief.
The options are more than like it or lump it, if the company is changing the terms of your contract.

I know my contract of employment is 7 days a week 8am to 8pm across various locations, this by all accounts is pretty standard now. I have chosen in the past to work Various locations as this suited me and I have never had to work a Sunday.

If I had to work a Sunday I wouldn't complain as this is what i signed up for. If you can provide me with a copy of your contract that gives you a set location I would be very suprised.

namloc1980

floorpie wrote: »

Sitting at home alone tied to a computer each day

vs

meeting people, meeting current/new friends, meeting current/new partners, seeing new things, having new stimulus each day

I can see one of these as a deathbed regret alright. There's a reason many people see the last year as a blur.

Some of the fantasies in the thread about how people are spending their extra hour a day are quite ridiculous.

You're framing this in the context of Covid. WFH during Covid restrictions is not normal WFH. Once restrictions fully ease there will be no limit on meeting your friends, seeing new things or having new stimulus. Many offices will be hybrid with say 2 days in the office and 3 at home per week (best of all worlds). You're being biased based on Covid WFH.

namloc1980

GreeBo wrote: »

Yeah, which is kinda the whole point of the thread chief.
The options are more than like it or lump it, if the company is changing the terms of your contract.

What terms of the contract are being changed? No company will state on their contract that you are entitled to work at a certain desk in a certain building and that's it. Employment contracts will have a flexibility clause and clauses that mean they can amend the contract and will never give contractual obligations regarding specific locations.

I'd love to see this contract.

[Deleted User]

floorpie wrote: »

Sitting at home alone tied to a computer each day

vs

meeting people, meeting current/new friends, meeting current/new partners, seeing new things, having new stimulus each day

I can see one of these as a deathbed regret alright. There's a reason many people see the last year as a blur.

Some of the fantasies in the thread about how people are spending their extra hour a day are quite ridiculous.

And hybrid will be the standard model so we get the best of both worlds

oisinog

floorpie wrote: »

Sitting at home alone tied to a computer each day

vs

meeting people, meeting current/new friends, meeting current/new partners, seeing new things, having new stimulus each day

I can see one of these as a deathbed regret alright. There's a reason many people see the last year as a blur.

Some of the fantasies in the thread about how people are spending their extra hour a day are quite ridiculous.

If your social life revolves around your employment you need to take a look at yourself. It is not healthy having you life revolve around your job.

Dont get me wrong I have made friends in work but I always fall back to my group of Friends I grew up with.

Take it from someone who had a breakdown because he allowed work to dictate his life you need to find a balance between work and life which given the current times is hard to do but doing it will give you a better outlook on life

FileNotFound

While I am sure that for many this kind of news will be welcome, for others its really not.
I work in a now office based role that always had the WFH ability up to 2 days a week - I didn't use it as i did not want to.
We will be moving to 50:50 WFH:Office (A pre covid move to be fair) but the idea that I would be forced to WFH 50% is a little disconcerting.

Now the company I work for happens to provide full office setup and ergonomic assessments for all staff. I would hope that when the wfh rules are applied this will be a mandatory requirement for all business with wfh staff. It is no inconsiderable expense so will be interesting to see if all companies keep their WFH plans in this case.

I do think where it was not in contract prior to now any company implementing the change should be require to ensure staff are correctly set up.

[Deleted User]

GreeBo wrote: »

Yeah, around and around because people seem incapable of reading the OP.
The employer is telling everyone that their own home will be their permanent work address.

Did you read the OPs follow up post? (I think it is #25)

Their employer is providing 100 desks, 50 permanent desks, plus 50 hot desks for a staff of 200.

Though not selected for one of the permanent desks, they will have the option of working from a hot desk.

GreeBo

oisinog wrote: »

Too many people are focusing on the disadvantages and not embracing the advantages of it.

And there you go again!

Too many people are focussing on the advantages and not accepting the disadvantages.

The huge advantages that *you* see are not advantages for many people, many people enjoy excellent work conditions and irrelevant commutes.

GreeBo

Deleted User wrote: »

Did you read the OPs follow up post? (I think it is #25)

Their employer is providing 100 desks, 50 permanent desks, plus 50 hot desks for a staff of 200.

Though not selected for one of the permanent desks, they will have the option of working from a hot desk.

They will have the option of trying to get a hot desk, but as many other posters have pointed out, there are more people than desks, so you are not guaranteed a desk, hence why the employer is stating that your permanent desk is in your home

GreeBo

oisinog wrote: »

If your social life revolves around your employment you need to take a look at yourself. It is not healthy having you life revolve around your job.

Dont get me wrong I have made friends in work but I always fall back to my group of Friends I grew up with.

Take it from someone who had a breakdown because he allowed work to dictate his life you need to find a balance between work and life which given the current times is hard to do but doing it will give you a better outlook on life

Your issue seems to be that you couldnt separate working with your colleagues from socialising with your colleagues.

I have many friends in work, who I meet outside of work.
There is nothing unhealthy about this.

Did you consider it unhealthy when your college peers were also your friends? When your whole life revolved around college? How about school?

GreeBo

namloc1980 wrote: »

What terms of the contract are being changed? No company will state on their contract that you are entitled to work at a certain desk in a certain building and that's it. Employment contracts will have a flexibility clause and clauses that mean they can amend the contract and will never give contractual obligations regarding specific locations.

I'd love to see this contract.

Many contracts will state the primary work location, hence why the company in question are now *changing* that.
If nothing was changing, why are they bringing it up? Surely its a non event?

If you are equating moving desks within your office with moving to your own home then there really isnt too much more to talk about.