Return to office - your situation
Discussion
Aunty Pasty said:
ro250 said:
It's the 50% thing which worries me if my employer pushes for it.
Living in a commuter belt for London, going in 3 days a week costs about the same as every day (if buying annual season ticket) so although it will save time and energy I am not inclined to do 3 days.
I am hoping for 1-2 days (or just ad-hoc which would seem most sensible).
Same here. The whole weekly/monthly/yearly season ticket pricing model just doesn't suit ad-hoc or irregular commuting. I wish they'd switch to something a bit more flexible such as bulk buy tickets to be used more flexibly.Living in a commuter belt for London, going in 3 days a week costs about the same as every day (if buying annual season ticket) so although it will save time and energy I am not inclined to do 3 days.
I am hoping for 1-2 days (or just ad-hoc which would seem most sensible).
If I was forced to do a 50% in-office routine I'll try to angle for an alternate Mon, Tue, Wed one week followed by a Thur, Fri the other week.
Edited by Aunty Pasty on Friday 14th May 11:52
Just had a follow up on ideas
Central roles (central finance) very likely required to be in all the time
But non central no real requirement. It’s output first, and naturally when there are face 2 face sessions planned they go ahead. The rest of the time wherever you like - provided your available within U.K. normal working hours (ie cannot move to Oz unless you work throughout the night).
But say a ski resort..... arrange days right and it could mean skiing is very probable.
Work life balance is the key
Last point no one will be forcing anyone, but if anyone is formally requesting WFH / contract change HR are capturing this info though nothing is guaranteed and if you do make that request nothing held against the individual (concern is about their mental health first and foremost)
Central roles (central finance) very likely required to be in all the time
But non central no real requirement. It’s output first, and naturally when there are face 2 face sessions planned they go ahead. The rest of the time wherever you like - provided your available within U.K. normal working hours (ie cannot move to Oz unless you work throughout the night).
But say a ski resort..... arrange days right and it could mean skiing is very probable.
Work life balance is the key
Last point no one will be forcing anyone, but if anyone is formally requesting WFH / contract change HR are capturing this info though nothing is guaranteed and if you do make that request nothing held against the individual (concern is about their mental health first and foremost)
Podie said:
Yep, like a quasi carnet type thing where you buy x number of tickets for a fixed price and can use them wheenever.
That's what I do (did) with my South West Railway Smartcard - buying 10 tickets at 5% discount on the list price - automatically does refunds/compo for delays as well.Truckosaurus said:
Podie said:
Yep, like a quasi carnet type thing where you buy x number of tickets for a fixed price and can use them wheenever.
That's what I do (did) with my South West Railway Smartcard - buying 10 tickets at 5% discount on the list price - automatically does refunds/compo for delays as well.This thread has reminded me that I first met a new colleague this Monday. He's worked for us for about 7 months, and I've seen him twice a week on average via Zoom. It didn't actually strike me at the time that it was the first in person meeting. Turns out Zoom is pretty much as good as in person, for me at least.
Candellara said:
Lord Marylebone said:
I’m not sure the business you work for is a glowing beacon of modern employment.
I guess there's a modicum of truth in that as i come from an era where the company is graciously providing one with employment rather than the staff member doing you a favour by working for you. "Modern employment" or the tail wagging the dog? I must stress that this of course is a minority of staff members but as you mention call centre's etc - i know full well that you have staff issues so it'd be wrong to suggest that all members of staff at all times are 100% committed to their jobs.Most of the staff where i work are extremely long standing members of the team with most having received their ten year watch and are remunerated very handsomely but that said, no one is indispensable from the very junior members of the team through to the most senior. Everyone likes to thing they are but the reality is that the wheels keep turning and on business goes.
I guess times are changing with the amount of Covid redundancies so hopefully staff will start learning to appreciate their employment / employers a little more.
Edited by Candellara on Friday 14th May 14:40
Halmyre said:
Bradley Hardacre as I live and breathe.
No. Owners are ex senior armed forces so it's just extremely disciplined. Woe betide should anything be out of place or someone arrives late for work. It's just the way it is. I quite enjoy it actually. Not everyone can cut it though. Bullett said:
The 22yo in the call centre is very easy to manage remotely.
Call centre workers are monitored and managed to within an inch of their lives. They have schedules they must stick to, you can easily count the calls they have handled, and the outcomes analysed.
Mostly automatically.
It can actually work better, a lot of call centres have a morning and afternoon peak. It's not practical to have people come in then go home to come back later but I can do that with homeworkers, 2 hours in the morning 2 in the afternoon for example.
Several of the largest I work with have already stated they have no intention of returning to everyone in the building working.
Very much this. My other half is a manager at one of the biggest call centres around here. She's been working from home since March last year and she's constantly on calls telling her staff about their stats. Wrap time, availability times, etc. are all logged and managed. I'd hate to work in a big call centre as it really is big brother type monitoring. Call centre workers are monitored and managed to within an inch of their lives. They have schedules they must stick to, you can easily count the calls they have handled, and the outcomes analysed.
Mostly automatically.
It can actually work better, a lot of call centres have a morning and afternoon peak. It's not practical to have people come in then go home to come back later but I can do that with homeworkers, 2 hours in the morning 2 in the afternoon for example.
Several of the largest I work with have already stated they have no intention of returning to everyone in the building working.
toon10 said:
Bullett said:
The 22yo in the call centre is very easy to manage remotely.
Call centre workers are monitored and managed to within an inch of their lives. They have schedules they must stick to, you can easily count the calls they have handled, and the outcomes analysed.
Mostly automatically.
It can actually work better, a lot of call centres have a morning and afternoon peak. It's not practical to have people come in then go home to come back later but I can do that with homeworkers, 2 hours in the morning 2 in the afternoon for example.
Several of the largest I work with have already stated they have no intention of returning to everyone in the building working.
Very much this. My other half is a manager at one of the biggest call centres around here. She's been working from home since March last year and she's constantly on calls telling her staff about their stats. Wrap time, availability times, etc. are all logged and managed. I'd hate to work in a big call centre as it really is big brother type monitoring. Call centre workers are monitored and managed to within an inch of their lives. They have schedules they must stick to, you can easily count the calls they have handled, and the outcomes analysed.
Mostly automatically.
It can actually work better, a lot of call centres have a morning and afternoon peak. It's not practical to have people come in then go home to come back later but I can do that with homeworkers, 2 hours in the morning 2 in the afternoon for example.
Several of the largest I work with have already stated they have no intention of returning to everyone in the building working.
hyphen said:
But won't it require a dedicated room and assurances not overheard by anyone else in the property? As per Privacy laws and data sharing.
Also I’d say operator was a bank operative needs toilet forgets to escape out of customer info screen and to lock computer. Sibling/someone else in the house takes pics of customer info job done. Or if a criminal type worked out person x working at home had this data/threaten them and their family to put in a hidden camera so that they can capture the data and use in a criminal way.
All sounds a bit far fetched.
We have staff (financial institution) who's working environment and activities are closely controlled and monitored by regulatory bodies. We just found solutions to the challenges to keep them safe, working and within the restrictions of law. There have been no major issues for us.
We have staff (financial institution) who's working environment and activities are closely controlled and monitored by regulatory bodies. We just found solutions to the challenges to keep them safe, working and within the restrictions of law. There have been no major issues for us.
Having worked every day since last march, I'm hoping the company directors get all the office staff back this week. I mean, come on, it's a joke. When you call anyone, they never answer the phone. They are either at Tesco or out in the garden.
Having worked from home in previous jobs, I know how it works so they all think we fell off the moon last week.
Its about time companies put their foot down and got these lazy people back in the office where they can be monitored properly and productivity can get back to where it was before all this nonsense started.
I want my shares back where they were at the start of 2020.
Having worked from home in previous jobs, I know how it works so they all think we fell off the moon last week.
Its about time companies put their foot down and got these lazy people back in the office where they can be monitored properly and productivity can get back to where it was before all this nonsense started.
I want my shares back where they were at the start of 2020.
austina35 said:
Having worked every day since last march, I'm hoping the company directors get all the office staff back this week. I mean, come on, it's a joke. When you call anyone, they never answer the phone. They are either at Tesco or out in the garden.
I have found the complete opposite. People seem to be 'available' way more since working from home - easier to schedule meetings and Teams icons are far more often green than yellow.ro250 said:
Truckosaurus said:
Podie said:
Yep, like a quasi carnet type thing where you buy x number of tickets for a fixed price and can use them wheenever.
That's what I do (did) with my South West Railway Smartcard - buying 10 tickets at 5% discount on the list price - automatically does refunds/compo for delays as well.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/05/15/mi...
We're being offered hybrid working from September which is effectively by local agreement with your line manager.
I've WFH pretty much full-time since Covid kicked off. I'm now a desk jocky with people/projects spread accross the UK and overseas, business is Engineering/Science R&D. Despite all the restrictions 19/20 was a bumper year. Those who needed to be in to do hands on work were there the rest sent packing and turns out WFH wasn't just people sat in front of day time TV doing a bit hear and there getting distracted from their work.
We'll still maintain locations across the country but think for the likes of me it will be a case of loosing your desk and booking a desk ahead on the day(s) you need/want be in. I don't have a long commute so I've not made my mind up how I'll operate in future. I don't mind WFH but miss seeing some work mates etc.
I've WFH pretty much full-time since Covid kicked off. I'm now a desk jocky with people/projects spread accross the UK and overseas, business is Engineering/Science R&D. Despite all the restrictions 19/20 was a bumper year. Those who needed to be in to do hands on work were there the rest sent packing and turns out WFH wasn't just people sat in front of day time TV doing a bit hear and there getting distracted from their work.
We'll still maintain locations across the country but think for the likes of me it will be a case of loosing your desk and booking a desk ahead on the day(s) you need/want be in. I don't have a long commute so I've not made my mind up how I'll operate in future. I don't mind WFH but miss seeing some work mates etc.
austina35 said:
Having worked every day since last march, I'm hoping the company directors get all the office staff back this week. I mean, come on, it's a joke. When you call anyone, they never answer the phone. They are either at Tesco or out in the garden.
Having worked from home in previous jobs, I know how it works so they all think we fell off the moon last week.
Its about time companies put their foot down and got these lazy people back in the office where they can be monitored properly and productivity can get back to where it was before all this nonsense started.
I want my shares back where they were at the start of 2020.
Not sure if this is a real, or a satire post.Having worked from home in previous jobs, I know how it works so they all think we fell off the moon last week.
Its about time companies put their foot down and got these lazy people back in the office where they can be monitored properly and productivity can get back to where it was before all this nonsense started.
I want my shares back where they were at the start of 2020.
What you're facing is a serious problem with management, which likely comes from inadequate / incompetent mid to senior level management having not implemented the right technology or ways of working to adapt to this brave new world.
The days of victorian-style 9-5 attendance and monitoring is thankfully over for many. Perhaps it's different for me in Consulting, certainly not heard any different from friends in law, finance etc.
I can see how remote management would be more of a problem in less professional environments though.
Welshbeef said:
hyphen said:
But won't it require a dedicated room and assurances not overheard by anyone else in the property? As per Privacy laws and data sharing.
Also I’d say operator was a bank operative needs toilet forgets to escape out of customer info screen and to lock computer. Sibling/someone else in the house takes pics of customer info job done. Or if a criminal type worked out person x working at home had this data/threaten them and their family to put in a hidden camera so that they can capture the data and use in a criminal way.
nunpuncher said:
Candellara said:
No. Owners are ex senior armed forces so it's just extremely disciplined. Woe betide should anything be out of place or someone arrives late for work. It's just the way it is. I quite enjoy it actually. Not everyone can cut it though.
That sounds like hell..Strangely it was the ex-military person that couldn't handle it, he got sucked into a batman(?) role.
austina35 said:
Having worked every day since last march, I'm hoping the company directors get all the office staff back this week. I mean, come on, it's a joke. When you call anyone, they never answer the phone. They are either at Tesco or out in the garden.
Having worked from home in previous jobs, I know how it works so they all think we fell off the moon last week.
Its about time companies put their foot down and got these lazy people back in the office where they can be monitored properly and productivity can get back to where it was before all this nonsense started.
I want my shares back where they were at the start of 2020.
I am presuming this is a joke… but just incase it’s not; if you think you need to be able to see you staff to get them to do work then don’t be a manager, please just don’t. Having worked from home in previous jobs, I know how it works so they all think we fell off the moon last week.
Its about time companies put their foot down and got these lazy people back in the office where they can be monitored properly and productivity can get back to where it was before all this nonsense started.
I want my shares back where they were at the start of 2020.
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