Return to office - your situation
Discussion
ElectricSoup said:
Who the f
k wants to work while they're on holiday? I don't get it.
Ah well, each to their own.
If work is not some emotional trial that you're desperate to escape from, then why not? For example, if I've got an interest in a some decision-making process and participating in it means spending an hour on a call halfway through a week off, it's absolutely no skin off my nose to join the meeting. k wants to work while they're on holiday? I don't get it.Ah well, each to their own.
Podie said:
ATG said:
bigandclever said:
The ‘twat’ way of working is where we are … Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday in the office, Monday & Friday do what you prefer.
hah, I shall use that ...t, others are What The fkATG said:
ElectricSoup said:
Who the fk wants to work while they're on holiday? I don't get it.
Ah well, each to their own.
If work is not some emotional trial that you're desperate to escape from, then why not? For example, if I've got an interest in a some decision-making process and participating in it means spending an hour on a call halfway through a week off, it's absolutely no skin off my nose to join the meeting. k wants to work while they're on holiday? I don't get it.Ah well, each to their own.
ElectricSoup said:
Who the fk wants to work while they're on holiday? I don't get it.
Ah well, each to their own.
I believe I am about to be newly-separated and it's my intention to spend the coming six months largely in different, warm and sunny locations working "from home". That would be part of the day enjoying wherever I can and working on a laptop or tablet. Anywhere in Europe and I have roaming calls and data included.....k wants to work while they're on holiday? I don't get it.Ah well, each to their own.
eeLee said:
I believe I am about to be newly-separated and it's my intention to spend the coming six months largely in different, warm and sunny locations working "from home". That would be part of the day enjoying wherever I can and working on a laptop or tablet. Anywhere in Europe and I have roaming calls and data included.....
It's interesting to follow this new wave of digital nomadism. I was part of the first wave about 10 years ago. There was a large subculture, lots of bloggers, meetups and conferences even, catering to digital nomads, mostly working on their own thing, but some for employers. I still half follow the blogs, but what is remarkable is the trajectory was consistent, pretty much all the 'founders' are settled down again now, mostly in cities. And have a permanent home base. It's hard work to sustain the lifestyle, I guess. The first couple of years are easy though.
Edited by aparna on Friday 17th September 17:05
eeLee said:
I believe I am about to be newly-separated and it's my intention to spend the coming six months largely in different, warm and sunny locations working "from home". That would be part of the day enjoying wherever I can and working on a laptop or tablet. Anywhere in Europe and I have roaming calls and data included.....
If you're intending to stay in the Schengen area, then you may have to rethink, I'm afraid. 
eeLee said:
thanks for quoting me 
I have to say there are some calls I can do this for and some I cannot - I have to judge this. If I am presenting then I am in office mode, clearly.
Sitting in the sun with my phone or iPad in a call is easy, iPad better if someone is presenting something.
I am managerial and an SME, this results in me telling people what they need to do. If there are notes to be taken, the organiser does that - if I am that person, I am at my desk.
Work/life balance.....but it depends on what you are able to do and what your role is.
I have done the odd call when skiing this year. But skiing demands little concentration to do and as the slopes were pretty empty with COVID, no others to really think about.
It's also very much the minority - but it sounds good
I have to say there are some calls I can do this for and some I cannot - I have to judge this. If I am presenting then I am in office mode, clearly.
Sitting in the sun with my phone or iPad in a call is easy, iPad better if someone is presenting something.
I am managerial and an SME, this results in me telling people what they need to do. If there are notes to be taken, the organiser does that - if I am that person, I am at my desk.
Work/life balance.....but it depends on what you are able to do and what your role is.
I have done the odd call when skiing this year. But skiing demands little concentration to do and as the slopes were pretty empty with COVID, no others to really think about.
It's also very much the minority - but it sounds good
Ah sounds like my guess was about right - yes it's much easier when you have someone to take notes and you aren't actually there to solve a problem but more to direct others. I always used to think of it as almost like refereeing or being the adult in the room. Left alone Bob will whittle on for hours about something inane, so your main value-add is in getting what you need from him and then getting him to shut up.
I will never forget one meeting I had years ago where we rattled through the agenda, agreed the actions and then as everyone stood up to leave the organiser, noticing there was an hour to run on the original excessive duration, said "what shall we talk about now?". Literal embodiment of "meetings are a surrogate social life"!
ATG said:
Podie said:
ATG said:
bigandclever said:
The ‘twat’ way of working is where we are … Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday in the office, Monday & Friday do what you prefer.
hah, I shall use that ...t, others are What The fk
eeLee said:
ElectricSoup said:
Who the fk wants to work while they're on holiday? I don't get it.
Ah well, each to their own.
I believe I am about to be newly-separated and it's my intention to spend the coming six months largely in different, warm and sunny locations working "from home". That would be part of the day enjoying wherever I can and working on a laptop or tablet. Anywhere in Europe and I have roaming calls and data included.....k wants to work while they're on holiday? I don't get it.Ah well, each to their own.
My place (large international co I'm on the tech/IT side with around 40k people) has went from "you will all get back to the office ASAP" to "some roles will be back, some will be hybrid".
However, they don't seem to be connecting the dots. Yesterday we had a departmental meeting where they said they were aiming for 50% of staff in office each day on a hybrid working model but currently only hitting 20%. They went on to review whether teams were hitting targets with the results ranging from 17% over to 6% below. The 6% was our targeted headcount for this year. The reason given for it being below? Because although we are constantly hiring we are haemorrhaging staff who want more versatility in how they work.
However, they don't seem to be connecting the dots. Yesterday we had a departmental meeting where they said they were aiming for 50% of staff in office each day on a hybrid working model but currently only hitting 20%. They went on to review whether teams were hitting targets with the results ranging from 17% over to 6% below. The 6% was our targeted headcount for this year. The reason given for it being below? Because although we are constantly hiring we are haemorrhaging staff who want more versatility in how they work.
My lot have done a bit of a U turn, no official line but I expect it's a case of them waiting to see how the winter goes. Previously the message was hybrid working to commence in September which came and went. I went to one of our sites last week as I'm getting fed up of working from home day in day out. Speaking to the facility guys they're saying that there are only 6 desks that can be booked by those who don't need to be there if they're to maintain social distancing. I'd say there's 50 people there daily out of a capacity of ~200.
Looks like I'll never be going back..........
Looks like I'll never be going back..........
Similar at our place now. There seemed to be lots of noise about return to office when we couldn't, but now there are no restrictions, it's all gone strangely quiet.
I see the odd person in our offices when we have calls but that's because they want to rather than any directive.
I wonder if they just don't know what to do and will wait until the new year.
Although I am going a bit mad at home some days, I prefer it.
I see the odd person in our offices when we have calls but that's because they want to rather than any directive.
I wonder if they just don't know what to do and will wait until the new year.
Although I am going a bit mad at home some days, I prefer it.
We received an email a couple of days ago stating that we were expected to return to the office from the 15th of November for two days a week. You also have to be double jabbed, not sure yet what people who have not had the jab are supposed to do?
Surely this goes against the anti discriminatory policy the company are so proud of, infact I had to do a 1 hour 20 online training course on this very subject yesterday?
Personally with the government press conference yesterday I think there is pretty much zero chance of us going back to the office this year anyway as I am sure they will recommend working from home again soon.
Surely this goes against the anti discriminatory policy the company are so proud of, infact I had to do a 1 hour 20 online training course on this very subject yesterday?
Personally with the government press conference yesterday I think there is pretty much zero chance of us going back to the office this year anyway as I am sure they will recommend working from home again soon.
Joey Deacon said:
We received an email a couple of days ago stating that we were expected to return to the office from the 15th of November for two days a week. You also have to be double jabbed, not sure yet what people who have not had the jab are supposed to do?
Surely this goes against the anti discriminatory policy the company are so proud of, infact I had to do a 1 hour 20 online training course on this very subject yesterday?
Personally with the government press conference yesterday I think there is pretty much zero chance of us going back to the office this year anyway as I am sure they will recommend working from home again soon.
We’ve also started 2 days in the office for everyone. It’s ok for me at the moment due to the traffic being much quieter than usual. Surely this goes against the anti discriminatory policy the company are so proud of, infact I had to do a 1 hour 20 online training course on this very subject yesterday?
Personally with the government press conference yesterday I think there is pretty much zero chance of us going back to the office this year anyway as I am sure they will recommend working from home again soon.
I highly doubt the government will recommend WFH due to economic reasons. (Boris ambitious plans)
Joey Deacon said:
We received an email a couple of days ago stating that we were expected to return to the office from the 15th of November for two days a week. You also have to be double jabbed, not sure yet what people who have not had the jab are supposed to do?
Surely this goes against the anti discriminatory policy the company are so proud of, infact I had to do a 1 hour 20 online training course on this very subject yesterday?
Personally with the government press conference yesterday I think there is pretty much zero chance of us going back to the office this year anyway as I am sure they will recommend working from home again soon.
Discrimination is illegal if it is discrimination against something that people have no choice over - age, gender, race, disability, etc. The only odd example where we have made illegal discrimination on the basis of an opinion is religion. I think that’s a bit of a historical and legal oddity, to be honest, since it’s inconsistent with the other classes of discrimination. (You can control your opinion on religion).Surely this goes against the anti discriminatory policy the company are so proud of, infact I had to do a 1 hour 20 online training course on this very subject yesterday?
Personally with the government press conference yesterday I think there is pretty much zero chance of us going back to the office this year anyway as I am sure they will recommend working from home again soon.
Discrimination on the grounds of actions or opinions is perfectly allowable. e.g. the Tory party might not want to employ an avowed communist - fine. A healthcare services company might want its care staff to be vaccinated - fine. If your company has a policy, you can follow it and (presumably) stay employed to not follow it and see what’s happens. It’s not illegal for them to require certain actions or behaviour from employees (e.g. wearing a uniform).
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