Working during covid-19

Just had my boiler service cancelled by british gas...

Chippycafc said:

Just had my boiler service cancelled by british gas...

British Gas - Essential works only .

Wash facility - fresh water. 
Drainage facility 
Hot water
Heating

Thats it .

Other than that, is it essential? No.

Boiler servicing ? Er, no imo.

Stay at home, protect the NHS....

Before someone says look at it it there is no indication on the Worcester Bosch website that I can find.

She's an valiant area sales manager so should know.

Would hope other manufacturers follow suit.

Any london office workers heard anything about getting back to the old normal and going back in?

I think my office will be getting us back in within the next week or 2

O-Randy-Hunt said:

Any london office workers heard anything about getting back to the old normal and going back in?

I think my office will be getting us back in within the next week or 2

How has your remote working been? We not going back in until September. No reason for the added risk and we have proven we can WFH fine

O-Randy-Hunt said:

Any london office workers heard anything about getting back to the old normal and going back in?

I think my office will be getting us back in within the next week or 2

Been told we are all working from home until the end of August as a minimum but could be extended until the end of the year. Max 2 days a week in London after thay, unless i need to have a client meeting

O-Randy-Hunt said:

Any london office workers heard anything about getting back to the old normal and going back in?

I think my office will be getting us back in within the next week or 2

My office is in Orpington, had my 121 with my Manager last week and raised the question

They dont think our team will be going back into the office this year (partly because we're working well from home)

As it is, the company are planning to open six offices (London one of them) yet at only 10% capacity for three months, once those three months have passed it'll be increased to 40%

I do have the option to go into the Office but I'd have to stick to what is agreed and I'd need a damned good reason for wanting to

Work itself has become a little harder this week as my wife has been recalled to her Vet Practice (Registered Nurse) so is no longer on furlough but Grandparents arent allowed to look after our two year old so thats fallen on my shoulders three days a week now, certainly been a challenge these last two days trying to keep him entertained whilst launching four projects this week

cabbles said:

Saw a good post from someone on my LinkedIn feed today.

Re: London, he said that if many offices continue to WFH, it could really do some damage to the economy in terms of pubs and restaurants that rely on city workers having a drink after work etc 

I get that WFH has been thrust upon many, but I still stick by my earlier thoughts and I don’t think it will be as far reaching as some people think it will

I'm hoping that rather than WFH constantly and the move away from living in the city, it allows workers to be more flexible with their time. I don't need to go into the office every day, but i'd happily go in a few days a week when I fancy a pint or a nice lunch, or even just to chat breeze with my colleagues. I could do a few hours at home, come in at midday, work for a few hours then piss of down the pub. 

Covered End said:

stevexreeve said:

Working at home I now have the double whammy of no water and no chance of getting it back "until it rains".

I've basically given up trying and just keep putting difficult things off! Everything just seems to be falling apart anyway so why bother?

Where on earth do you live?
How can a water company supply no water potentially for weeks?

I don’t know about that claim but I work for one of the Southern Water companies and we’re really struggling with demand. It’s at a 10 year high and a week or so back demand was at the same level as the summer 18 heatwave, unprecedented for what was April. The water is there but the demand is putting incredible pressure on our ability to treat it quick enough.

Perfect storm - the best spring weather on record + every bugger at home, doing gardening, DIY, paddling pools, washing cars, sprinkling lawns etc etc etc.

The worry also is for the summer, where there is no historic modelling to predict what we’re likely to see - no buggers going away for a week or two.

stevexreeve said:

Working at home I now have the double whammy of no water and no chance of getting it back "until it rains".

I've basically given up trying and just keep putting difficult things off! Everything just seems to be falling apart anyway so why bother?

In Haslemere (near Guildford) the water has been dropping in and out a lot recently. Yesterday, there was no water at all and they had to close local schools. Thames Water had nothing much to say on the web site except advice not to use water and that they were not taking phone calls.

So I went down to pick up some bottles of free water they were distributing in the town and the advice there was that rain was forecast for tomorrow and that should solve the problem!

The water came on in the night so I had a shower and filled everything I could! Waiting for it stop again but at least I'm clean!

RodneyCharltonTrotta said:

O-Randy-Hunt said:

jacob_CAFC said:

O-Randy-Hunt said:

Any london office workers heard anything about getting back to the old normal and going back in?

I think my office will be getting us back in within the next week or 2

How has your remote working been? We not going back in until September. No reason for the added risk and we have proven we can WFH fine

No problems with my remote working. I'm gutted as I've adapted to wfh. Saved a fortune and enjoyed sitting here in my shorts and tshirt while scratching my nuts with not a care in the world.

However all employers are different and mine was always going to be one of them that wanted staff back asap. We obviously wont all go back at once but it will be done in stages.

The wife's company are completely the opposite and have been told they wont be coming back until 2021 and even then it will only be 2 days a week.

I'm fooming.

The government guidance mandates that you should work from home if you can. (Section 2 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/offices-and-contact-centres)

That has not changed.   Ask them to put in writing/ an email that you will be required to come to the office against government guidance which stipulates you should work from home if you can.

(Assuming that you can work from home productively that is).

This mindset of must be in the office to be working is so antiquated and I can see a lot of companies losing goodwill over it in that they're happy to risk the health of the staff entirely unnecessarily for nothing more than sheer presenteeism.

bobmunro said:

RodneyCharltonTrotta said:

O-Randy-Hunt said:

jacob_CAFC said:

O-Randy-Hunt said:

Any london office workers heard anything about getting back to the old normal and going back in?

I think my office will be getting us back in within the next week or 2

How has your remote working been? We not going back in until September. No reason for the added risk and we have proven we can WFH fine

No problems with my remote working. I'm gutted as I've adapted to wfh. Saved a fortune and enjoyed sitting here in my shorts and tshirt while scratching my nuts with not a care in the world.

However all employers are different and mine was always going to be one of them that wanted staff back asap. We obviously wont all go back at once but it will be done in stages.

The wife's company are completely the opposite and have been told they wont be coming back until 2021 and even then it will only be 2 days a week.

I'm fooming.

The government guidance mandates that you should work from home if you can. (Section 2 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/offices-and-contact-centres)

That has not changed.   Ask them to put in writing/ an email that you will be required to come to the office against government guidance which stipulates you should work from home if you can.

(Assuming that you can work from home productively that is).

This mindset of must be in the office to be working is so antiquated and I can see a lot of companies losing goodwill over it in that they're happy to risk the health of the staff entirely unnecessarily for nothing more than sheer presenteeism.

I agree, to a degree. If staff are as productive working from home then that should continue.

I've highlighted the key point in your post. When lock down started we basically sent 98% of our workforce home, beefed up our remote access capability and enabled those that could work from home to at least maintain a degree of productivity - some in roles that couldn't be completed remotely were basically at home on full pay doing nothing.

The levels of productivity varied significantly - software developers for example were almost as productive, whereas some roles were functioning at very low levels of productivity, or not at all.

We won't be bringing back software developers anytime soon!

We are though returning some other roles that are for example 30% productive working remotely but 100% productive being office based - whilst meeting every guideline (and more) in the guidance you link to.

That isn't doing it for the sake of presenteeism.

Interesting. I would expect that software developers are most introverts and are quite happy working from home, whereas extroverts who require people around them to be energised and productive are struggling. What are you finding with working parents? I can basically work only half a day (normally work 4 days a week as it is) as can my Mrs due to primary aged kids. Makes it hard to do a full days days, and I cannot rest my mind as it's either full on work or full on kids. 

Boss asked me when that could be resolved, and the only answer is when the childcare situation changes, meaning school go back, or they can spend a bit of time with grandparents. He hasn't got kids, and doesn't quite get it.