Return to office - your situation
Discussion
Andy 308GTB said:
My management are starting to put pressure on staff to return to the office in the City. I think the target is 2 or 3 days a week.
We used to do one day a week WFH.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and lots of people don't want to commute anymore. These will be the same people who will complain when their job is outsourced to India etc.
I'm very conscious of that. I can do my job remotely but I sense top management want to see faces back in the office which I understand. I also know that living in the South East commands a higher salary than (broadly speaking) if someone was doing my job from some other parts of UK (or beyond).We used to do one day a week WFH.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and lots of people don't want to commute anymore. These will be the same people who will complain when their job is outsourced to India etc.
Although I've got lots of years work experience I must admit to being a bit twitchy about returning to the office. Not for Covid reasons, just the whole commuting and interactions elements. I've spent most of last 18 months sitting alone in a home office - this will suddenly change to a big open plan office full of people.
ro250 said:
Andy 308GTB said:
My management are starting to put pressure on staff to return to the office in the City. I think the target is 2 or 3 days a week.
We used to do one day a week WFH.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and lots of people don't want to commute anymore. These will be the same people who will complain when their job is outsourced to India etc.
I'm very conscious of that. I can do my job remotely but I sense top management want to see faces back in the office which I understand. I also know that living in the South East commands a higher salary than (broadly speaking) if someone was doing my job from some other parts of UK (or beyond).We used to do one day a week WFH.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and lots of people don't want to commute anymore. These will be the same people who will complain when their job is outsourced to India etc.
Although I've got lots of years work experience I must admit to being a bit twitchy about returning to the office. Not for Covid reasons, just the whole commuting and interactions elements. I've spent most of last 18 months sitting alone in a home office - this will suddenly change to a big open plan office full of people.
Doofus said:
Andy 308GTB said:
My management are starting to put pressure on staff to return to the office in the City. I think the target is 2 or 3 days a week.
We used to do one day a week WFH.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and lots of people don't want to commute anymore. These will be the same people who will complain when their job is outsourced to India etc.
Surely anyone would complain when their job is outsourced to India?We used to do one day a week WFH.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and lots of people don't want to commute anymore. These will be the same people who will complain when their job is outsourced to India etc.
We were told to return on 19th July to the pre-pandemic routine (i.e the majority of staff 100% office based).
There were one or two that raised issues, but these fizzled out pretty quickly when it was made clear that it wasn't negotiable.
It's been successful. Everyone has been back full time for the last 6 weeks and work life does feel like its back to normal now, or thereabouts.
There were one or two that raised issues, but these fizzled out pretty quickly when it was made clear that it wasn't negotiable.
It's been successful. Everyone has been back full time for the last 6 weeks and work life does feel like its back to normal now, or thereabouts.
ro250 said:
Just had 2 meetings put in the diary being held in the office. It'll be first commute into London since March last year. It's going to be weird.
I have been back in our London office on and off over the past few weeks, and I can honestly say it's been good.Really nice to see people and to chat face to face. There are some people I haven't met, and some I haven't seen for the best part of 18 months, and sitting there talking with them in person was a welcome change from yet another Teams meeting...
It also saw the return of after work drinks in the pub, going out for lunch with people, and erm, lunchtime drinks. Any excuse.. but why not? It's been a long time.
We have an 'as and when required' policy for being in the office, so it has been left entirely up to us to decide. Our work is a little different in that we've always been WFH much of the time prior to Covid.
The novelty of the office may well wear off, but for the moment, it feels like a real buzz again.
My management are scheduling meetings in our office in the city and making it clear they are expecting us to be in person. We had one instance in August where a manager sent out an email saying we should all be in the office every Monday. No meeting planned, just should be in the office. Moments later our global head of real estate sent out an email saying that we should not go to the office with out a planned meeting that cant be done remotely.
It is this inconsistent message that is getting annoying. If I have to go to the office, I send an "ITO" (in The Office) reply to messages letting them know to expect a response once I am back working from home. I have had to do this because the workload I am expected to do is not sustainable in the office. This is because the distractions of office life have been ramped up and no one lets me get on with work.
Before COVID every impactful item on my review happened on Fridays. that's because I worked from home Fridays at the request of my manager. It is not that I am not a productive person prone to distractions. It is that I am hyper aware of work that has impact and BS that someone just thought up because they are sat next to you.
Also, my current company is misrepresenting the pre-COVID reality. Due to massive hiring over the last 18 months, there are few people that know the pre-COVID norm. We are being told that everyone was in the office 5 days a week. I have confirmed that was BS and was more like 1 day a week. My wife is going through the same with her company. What was acceptable before in terms of flexibility, no longer is. She was told she would be in the office 5 days a week from September 13th. Her response was... Her start date at the new company is September 13th where she can work 100% from home.
It is this inconsistent message that is getting annoying. If I have to go to the office, I send an "ITO" (in The Office) reply to messages letting them know to expect a response once I am back working from home. I have had to do this because the workload I am expected to do is not sustainable in the office. This is because the distractions of office life have been ramped up and no one lets me get on with work.
Before COVID every impactful item on my review happened on Fridays. that's because I worked from home Fridays at the request of my manager. It is not that I am not a productive person prone to distractions. It is that I am hyper aware of work that has impact and BS that someone just thought up because they are sat next to you.
Also, my current company is misrepresenting the pre-COVID reality. Due to massive hiring over the last 18 months, there are few people that know the pre-COVID norm. We are being told that everyone was in the office 5 days a week. I have confirmed that was BS and was more like 1 day a week. My wife is going through the same with her company. What was acceptable before in terms of flexibility, no longer is. She was told she would be in the office 5 days a week from September 13th. Her response was... Her start date at the new company is September 13th where she can work 100% from home.
One anecdotal example from a more extreme end of the corporate world (IB in London):
We've been getting reassuring messages all year about how management is working on a flexible working model, they heard our WFH wishes on the various employee surveys etc., we would be given at least 6 weeks notice before a return to office is announced etc.
Then about 3 weeks ago, we are told all front office staff in sales, trading and structuring needs to come back to the office 5 days a week starting next week
The most hypocritical bit is that, in the same memo, they acknowledged how well we've adapted to WFH and thanked us for the strong performance since March 2020...well why do we need to come back full time then!!
We've been getting reassuring messages all year about how management is working on a flexible working model, they heard our WFH wishes on the various employee surveys etc., we would be given at least 6 weeks notice before a return to office is announced etc.
Then about 3 weeks ago, we are told all front office staff in sales, trading and structuring needs to come back to the office 5 days a week starting next week
The most hypocritical bit is that, in the same memo, they acknowledged how well we've adapted to WFH and thanked us for the strong performance since March 2020...well why do we need to come back full time then!!
We were bought recently.
Our original office is staying as only open for those who can't work from home (with a little leeway if you're passing and need the loo), and a handful of meetings that can't be done in person. I've been there twice since March 2020, and once was just because my laptop died.
Our new benevolent corporate overlords are actually a really nice bunch; they've made it clear that their offices are open for anyone who wants to use them, but that they are just concerned with the company functioning well and don't see any reason to insist people commute just to sit at a different desk. This seems to work rather well - there are people who like being in the office, and can be, and people who don't, and don't have to, and those of us who go to see customers and find the new London office quite handy to pop into between meetings.
Our original office is staying as only open for those who can't work from home (with a little leeway if you're passing and need the loo), and a handful of meetings that can't be done in person. I've been there twice since March 2020, and once was just because my laptop died.
Our new benevolent corporate overlords are actually a really nice bunch; they've made it clear that their offices are open for anyone who wants to use them, but that they are just concerned with the company functioning well and don't see any reason to insist people commute just to sit at a different desk. This seems to work rather well - there are people who like being in the office, and can be, and people who don't, and don't have to, and those of us who go to see customers and find the new London office quite handy to pop into between meetings.
matrignano said:
One anecdotal example from a more extreme end of the corporate world (IB in London):
We've been getting reassuring messages all year about how management is working on a flexible working model, they heard our WFH wishes on the various employee surveys etc., we would be given at least 6 weeks notice before a return to office is announced etc.
Then about 3 weeks ago, we are told all front office staff in sales, trading and structuring needs to come back to the office 5 days a week starting next week
The most hypocritical bit is that, in the same memo, they acknowledged how well we've adapted to WFH and thanked us for the strong performance since March 2020...well why do we need to come back full time then!!
Sounds like the actions perfectly reasonable DJ D-Sol. The man that complained about WFH was interrupting his lunch at a restaurant because some of his employees had gone out for lunch at the same restaurant. Not only did he not see the irony of him complaining about his employees having lunch away from their desks while he had lunch away from his desk, he went on to tell the tale at many times at internal town Halls.We've been getting reassuring messages all year about how management is working on a flexible working model, they heard our WFH wishes on the various employee surveys etc., we would be given at least 6 weeks notice before a return to office is announced etc.
Then about 3 weeks ago, we are told all front office staff in sales, trading and structuring needs to come back to the office 5 days a week starting next week
The most hypocritical bit is that, in the same memo, they acknowledged how well we've adapted to WFH and thanked us for the strong performance since March 2020...well why do we need to come back full time then!!
He also threatened his staff that if he sends an email on Sunday they should be in the office Monday or expect to be fired. He said there should be no long term childcare arrangements that would prevent a person turning up to the office with 8 hours notice.
ElectricSoup said:
I expect your sons, as they are from the digital native generation, see it differently to you and don't think they're missing out on anything. They're used to virtual communication so much more than we are as middle aged dinosaurs. They were born to it, we've had to learn it and and are emotionally attached to the old ways, which they will never really experience.
New world, new paradigm.
You'd think that, wouldn't you, yet I'm still the one having to set up video-conferencing and the like for my teenagers!! There's a difference between doing leisure-time stuff on a mobile phone and formal business or education engagement.New world, new paradigm.
Moving on from the tech, so much of what I learnt in the early stages of my career came not from formal training, but just from listening to more experience people than I doing the job around me, and being able to ask them why they did something in a certain way. Now that I'm the old duffer, I get younger colleagues asking me, but it's notable how much more limited that has become since we've not been in the same place.
I don't for one moment want to be back in the office full time, but 1-2 days per week, where our team coordinates to be in on the same days would be perfect.
Lord Marylebone said:
ro250 said:
Just had 2 meetings put in the diary being held in the office. It'll be first commute into London since March last year. It's going to be weird.
I have been back in our London office on and off over the past few weeks, and I can honestly say it's been good.Really nice to see people and to chat face to face. There are some people I haven't met, and some I haven't seen for the best part of 18 months, and sitting there talking with them in person was a welcome change from yet another Teams meeting...
It also saw the return of after work drinks in the pub, going out for lunch with people, and erm, lunchtime drinks. Any excuse.. but why not? It's been a long time.
We have an 'as and when required' policy for being in the office, so it has been left entirely up to us to decide. Our work is a little different in that we've always been WFH much of the time prior to Covid.
The novelty of the office may well wear off, but for the moment, it feels like a real buzz again.
Although I don't lie in at the moment, setting the alarm to get ready and catch a train will be a shock to the system!
Kermit power said:
ElectricSoup said:
I expect your sons, as they are from the digital native generation, see it differently to you and don't think they're missing out on anything. They're used to virtual communication so much more than we are as middle aged dinosaurs. They were born to it, we've had to learn it and and are emotionally attached to the old ways, which they will never really experience.
New world, new paradigm.
You'd think that, wouldn't you, yet I'm still the one having to set up video-conferencing and the like for my teenagers!! There's a difference between doing leisure-time stuff on a mobile phone and formal business or education engagement.New world, new paradigm.
Moving on from the tech, so much of what I learnt in the early stages of my career came not from formal training, but just from listening to more experience people than I doing the job around me, and being able to ask them why they did something in a certain way. Now that I'm the old duffer, I get younger colleagues asking me, but it's notable how much more limited that has become since we've not been in the same place.
I don't for one moment want to be back in the office full time, but 1-2 days per week, where our team coordinates to be in on the same days would be perfect.
Once a month in the office would be to much for me now. WFH forever please. Well, for another 5 years until I jack the corporate nonsense in, switch off my televison set (laptop) and go and do something less boring instead.
After more than 30 years working for banks, I now work for a fin tech in SaaS sales.
I live in Luxembourg.
HQ is in Silicon Valley.
CEO is in NY.
Those of us outside California will continue to work remotely.
90% of the California based staff are WFH, but all will be moving to new, larger premises before the end of the year, as the company has hired so many new people this year, and they must then go to the office. My head of sales isn't looking forward to his daily commute to / from SF to Silicon Valley!
I live in Luxembourg.
HQ is in Silicon Valley.
CEO is in NY.
Those of us outside California will continue to work remotely.
90% of the California based staff are WFH, but all will be moving to new, larger premises before the end of the year, as the company has hired so many new people this year, and they must then go to the office. My head of sales isn't looking forward to his daily commute to / from SF to Silicon Valley!
Edited by RC1807 on Wednesday 1st September 21:27
Andy 308GTB said:
ro250 said:
Andy 308GTB said:
My management are starting to put pressure on staff to return to the office in the City. I think the target is 2 or 3 days a week.
We used to do one day a week WFH.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and lots of people don't want to commute anymore. These will be the same people who will complain when their job is outsourced to India etc.
I'm very conscious of that. I can do my job remotely but I sense top management want to see faces back in the office which I understand. I also know that living in the South East commands a higher salary than (broadly speaking) if someone was doing my job from some other parts of UK (or beyond).We used to do one day a week WFH.
But the genie is out of the bottle now and lots of people don't want to commute anymore. These will be the same people who will complain when their job is outsourced to India etc.
Although I've got lots of years work experience I must admit to being a bit twitchy about returning to the office. Not for Covid reasons, just the whole commuting and interactions elements. I've spent most of last 18 months sitting alone in a home office - this will suddenly change to a big open plan office full of people.
I am relieved to hear that I am not the only one feeling this way.Company currently doing 3 days home, 2 days in the office with some flexibility which is just spot on for me.
I've only experienced WFH last 12 months or so and it is indeed a game changer. After so many years of work finally I have found a nice work life balance.
One trend that is emerging though in my company, is the emergence of global roles. We are starting to see teams with members from all over (US/UK/APAC). My direct line manager is based in the US, and colloboration had been great, especially Teams calls where I can take at home instead of having to stay late in the office.
ElectricSoup said:
Kermit power said:
ElectricSoup said:
I expect your sons, as they are from the digital native generation, see it differently to you and don't think they're missing out on anything. They're used to virtual communication so much more than we are as middle aged dinosaurs. They were born to it, we've had to learn it and and are emotionally attached to the old ways, which they will never really experience.
New world, new paradigm.
You'd think that, wouldn't you, yet I'm still the one having to set up video-conferencing and the like for my teenagers!! There's a difference between doing leisure-time stuff on a mobile phone and formal business or education engagement.New world, new paradigm.
Moving on from the tech, so much of what I learnt in the early stages of my career came not from formal training, but just from listening to more experience people than I doing the job around me, and being able to ask them why they did something in a certain way. Now that I'm the old duffer, I get younger colleagues asking me, but it's notable how much more limited that has become since we've not been in the same place.
I don't for one moment want to be back in the office full time, but 1-2 days per week, where our team coordinates to be in on the same days would be perfect.
Once a month in the office would be to much for me now. WFH forever please. Well, for another 5 years until I jack the corporate nonsense in, switch off my televison set (laptop) and go and do something less boring instead.
So on one of the days I've been invited to an onsite meeting, I've also been invited to another meeting at a different time. This one is set up as over Teams but I can see us being in the hybrid world now where some of us will be in the office and others at home. It's workable but in my experience, it tends to be better if it's either all remote or all together.
Or, there will be some of us in the office sitting on booths individually all on the same call!
Or, there will be some of us in the office sitting on booths individually all on the same call!
ro250 said:
So on one of the days I've been invited to an onsite meeting, I've also been invited to another meeting at a different time. This one is set up as over Teams but I can see us being in the hybrid world now where some of us will be in the office and others at home. It's workable but in my experience, it tends to be better if it's either all remote or all together.
Or, there will be some of us in the office sitting on booths individually all on the same call!
We already see that - meetings where multiple people are at their desk in the office, but have to join a Teams meeting on a headset as there are lots more people at home joining the same meeting.Or, there will be some of us in the office sitting on booths individually all on the same call!
With the way my diary is rammed full of meetings, there's literally no point going to the office as I'd just be sitting with a headset on for 10 hours; the only difference would be that it would be at a different desk.
Flooble said:
ro250 said:
So on one of the days I've been invited to an onsite meeting, I've also been invited to another meeting at a different time. This one is set up as over Teams but I can see us being in the hybrid world now where some of us will be in the office and others at home. It's workable but in my experience, it tends to be better if it's either all remote or all together.
Or, there will be some of us in the office sitting on booths individually all on the same call!
With the way my diary is rammed full of meetings, there's literally no point going to the office as I'd just be sitting with a headset on for 10 hours; the only difference would be that it would be at a different desk.Or, there will be some of us in the office sitting on booths individually all on the same call!
ro250 said:
Flooble said:
ro250 said:
So on one of the days I've been invited to an onsite meeting, I've also been invited to another meeting at a different time. This one is set up as over Teams but I can see us being in the hybrid world now where some of us will be in the office and others at home. It's workable but in my experience, it tends to be better if it's either all remote or all together.
Or, there will be some of us in the office sitting on booths individually all on the same call!
With the way my diary is rammed full of meetings, there's literally no point going to the office as I'd just be sitting with a headset on for 10 hours; the only difference would be that it would be at a different desk.Or, there will be some of us in the office sitting on booths individually all on the same call!
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