So how's everybody's 'return to the office' gone?

[gremlin]

Retirees can feck off (Yes, I'm talking to you, Pool Cleaner )


I work in an office that can facilitate c. 440 people over three floors. Total workforce is c. 550, so clearly some WFH is required. The board requested, nicely, earlier this year, that they would like people to be in the office 'the majority of the time'. Seemed reasonable to me so I tend to come in Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, mainly as it suits my gym class schedule

The facilities manager has been tasked with keeping stats on the number of people on all three floors. The average is around 120. Today it's 25. Of which, five are in this room.

From what I understand, the CEO is a little pissed off, as we spent a huge wedge of cash to make the place more flexible in terms of seating, meeting, etc. and no fecker is turning up. I know people who tell me that they've agreed with their boss to come in one day a week. I've also heard of one manager telling his team on a Skype meeting to be in the office more, whilst he hasn't been seen in the flesh for some months.

So, how's it working with your employer?

[KungFooBob]

As of the 1st of April we've all been allowed to officially WFH two days a week.

If the job role allows.

I've not bothered. I like the office. It's 8 miles from my house and is a 18 minute drive.

Some days it's very quiet. The office is over sized for the number of staff to start with!

[MrLongbeard]

I'm still in one day* a week as I have been since the start of covid-times, ain't not nobody mentioned coming in more often, and even if they do I'd only be back at 2 days a week.

* I say 'day' but it's more like half a day

[Count Steer]

Heating all that empty space...how long will that continue into next winter with energy prices being ?

Could be lots of cheap offices coming available! Few '000 sq ft Canary Wharf apartment anyone?

[lostboy]

From what I understand, the CEO is a little pissed off, as we spent a huge wedge of cash to make the place more flexible in terms of seating, meeting, etc. and no fecker is turning up.

Is his business still performing, regardless of the staff "staying away"? That should determine whether he's pissed off, not whether his staff are all captive in an office.

[Rockburner]

We're still wfh for the majority of the time, with a fortnightly sprint meeting in the office. It's up to us tbh, some go in more regularly, i don't because I'm now over 50 miles away. I don't think productivity had suffered that's much and they seem happy with the situation.

We're a global organisation of only about 30 anyway, so most departments are either 1 man bands or spread about anyway so using video calls etc is normal daily practise and had been before the pandemic anyway.

[Horse]

We've mothballed (and, I believe, reduced business rates) half the office space. Few desks defined for individuals, most are now for hot desking.

My return to the office has been four times since May - two of those were to clear my desk.

[lostboy]

It's not been quite such a big deal for us because most of our business is "elsewhere" anyway - we're a construction business so the office is only for the support functions. The return has been more about being able to get the whole business together for staff events etc. rather than working and we did our first of those a couple of weeks ago and it was, without doubt, a massively positive step.

What's more interesting for us has been the response of our clients - in terms of what they are providing to the market or to their business. There is absolutely no doubt that the pandemic has accellerated the change in the workplace and also the attitude towards employee empowerment with regard to things like flexible working. There is a real concern from employers that if they don't offer flexible working then the employees - most of whom have proven that they can be trusted to be as productive as if they were "captive" in the office - will walk to someone that does! Most industries have significant resource issues so there's definitely a shift towards the employees being able to demand. All this has changed the design of what we're building - IF we're building it. Refurbishment and remodelling continues to be huge as employers try and balance the work/life balance that their employees discovered during the pandemic*.

The one thing we have noticed as the UK "opens up" and pretends that covid doesn't exist is that despite us keeping most of the sensible protocols in place (temp testing as you enter the offices or sites, distancing - to a degree, 1m etc.) we have had more absence because of Covid than we have had in the previous two years. It's still rampant and most are picking it up socially or from kids and that's costing us! But apparently it's gone..........

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I've worked from home when it's suited me for the last few years, tbh I prefer being in the office and only used it when I fancied a day at home.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I requested - and was granted - the choice to only work in the office in Mondays.

My colleague asked for every other Monday. I didn't think of that

Even if I wanted to go in other days I mostly can't. My desk is used by other people Tue, Wed and Thur. Friday is a short day anyway.

[Count Steer]

The one thing we have noticed as the UK "opens up" and pretends that covid doesn't exist is that despite us keeping most of the sensible protocols in place (temp testing as you enter the offices or sites, distancing - to a degree, 1m etc.) we have had more absence because of Covid than we have had in the previous two years. It's still rampant and most are picking it up socially or from kids and that's costing us! But apparently it's gone..........

No-one seems bothered do they? 646 related deaths registered yesterday (~300 up on the previous week) and not a peep from the media. Was supposed to have a meeting this week with someone at their workplace and she's been off ill with Covid for 1 week+ (ever since our previous meeting ). Went in and had the meeting with another member of the team and there was absolutely no evidence of any precautions. People crammed in everywhere, no hand gel, no masks, poor ventilation. Surprised a) they aren't all off sick and b) they didn't manage to infect me too - first visit - maybe they got me this time.

Absentee rates seem to be quite a problem for lots of organisations but probably less so for those that successfully do the work from home thing.

[Taipan]

I was supposed to be working on a 3/2 basis, 3 days at work then 2 days wfh. But I asked to do a 4/1 which they agreed to.

After a 2 year dispute with a twat of a Director, which they (rightly) lost and were then got rid of , my job has returned to being the job I love, so I'm really glad to go back in.

The day I work from home was really useful for all my StepMothers appointments when she was alive, now I schedule any deliveries for that day. TBH I'd quite welcome going in 5 days a week now.

[Yorick]

Retirees can feck off (Yes, I'm talking to you, Pool Cleaner )

[DefTrap]

Our workforce (pre-pandemic c100 on-site) was increasingly WFH before the pandemic (increasingly hard to recruit the right people in a small-ish industry who want to relocate to Norfolk)
Plus then was the pandemic ... and we carried on recruiting, while the office remained empty
Plus then we were bought out by one of the bigger boys, so our HQ became a white elephant - an empty, unwanted, expensive anacronism

So, in short our HQ will be no more by the end of next month. If the new owners ever do find us a new home it's really doubtful it'll ever be used by the majority of the people - unless the recruitment policy changes I suppose - currently they don't seem that bothered.

[Docca]

WFH 99 days out of a hundred. Before covid I was in the office all the time.

Was worried about productivity dropping , but it’s gone through the roof if count back to back screen meetings productive.

Proving you can work like this has meant 80% of our non-clinical will be wfh

[Jazoli]

I'm an FM for a local authority and out of 1100 available desks we are getting on average 150 people a day sat at them across the county, this is after the instruction to return to work, and spending tens of thousands on new chairs and IT kit, the bosses are not impressed, in one building there are 170 desks, the daily average is 12 people

[demographic]

I'm an FM for a local authority and out of 1100 available desks we are getting on average 150 people a day sat at them across the county, this is after the instruction to return to work, and spending tens of thousands on new chairs and IT kit, the bosses are not impressed, in one building there are 170 desks, the daily average is 12 people

Worried that with less people to boss about in work that they might not need so many bosses eh?

[Silly Car]

I’m struggling to muster up the effort for a monthly face to face team meeting, mainly because it is in Sheffield and I’d have to leave on the Mail train to get there for the stupid start time…

Other than that meeting, no requirement to attend an office if I don’t want, so role is now designated as WFH which suits me.

In any case, my local office has been closed so I have the choice of Edinburgh, Leeds or Sheffield if I ever felt the need to “collaborate”.

[Skub]

Retirees can feck off

Off I fuck then.

[Yorick]

Retirees can feck off

Off I fuck then.

Can I come with you?