Workplaces and employer attitudes Megathread

Akabusi

All the best measures by companies to make office areas safer will be negated if people have to travel on crowded public transport to get to the office.

gnf_ireland

I expect large companies to bring people back in phases - starting with those who are struggling remotely due to connectivity or logistical reasons
- next is likely to have people in 2 days a week to provide a level of social normality
- full new working arrangements, whatever they may be

I think more companies will accept more remote working arrangements in the medium term but not sure it will become the norm just yet !!

splashuum

Akabusi wrote: »

All the best measures by companies to make office areas safer will be negated if people have to travel on crowded public transport to get to the office.

True, unfortunately

Fred Cryton

There are a lot of people who will take a mile if you give an inch. I can see one colleague today disappeared around 11:30 and didn't re-appear until 2:30. That's a 3 hour lunch!

Main reason the companies will push to get people back into office is control and productivity. Many Irish people are sly slackers.

Akabusi

Fred Cryton wrote: »

There are a lot of people who will take a mile if you give an inch. I can see one colleague today disappeared around 11:30 and didn't re-appear until 2:30. That's a 3 hour lunch!

Main reason the companies will push to get people back into office is control and productivity. Many Irish people are sly slackers.

Yes you need trust for remote working, however, maybe he is getting all the required work done and can afford to take a 3 hour break or maybe he will log back in later when the kids are down to finish the work. If someone is slacking, they will be found out soon enough.

pinktoe

Fred Cryton wrote: »

There are a lot of people who will take a mile if you give an inch. I can see one colleague today disappeared around 11:30 and didn't re-appear until 2:30. That's a 3 hour lunch!

Main reason the companies will push to get people back into office is control and productivity. Many Irish people are sly slackers.

Depends on the work and the people I suppose.

In the company I work for, I took the option of working from home a couple of years ago. You get the work for the week and if you put your mind to it, you would be finished on a Wednesday. Nothing more is added to your workload.
I don't know when I last worked a Friday unless it was to meet a client. So that motivates us to get work done and frees office space. Around 20% took the work from home option.

I see it as a major advantage I get an extra 90min sleep in the morning, better food etc.

Obviously it's not for everyone. Somepeople need structure, socialising, gossip etc, and some people would take the piss and constantlyhave excuses for late work

Harry Palmr

Akabusi wrote: »

All the best measures by companies to make office areas safer will be negated if people have to travel on crowded public transport to get to the office.

This is the elephant in all the rooms isn't it?

Beasty

Threads merged

jrosen

gnf_ireland wrote: »

I expect large companies to bring people back in phases - starting with those who are struggling remotely due to connectivity or logistical reasons
- next is likely to have people in 2 days a week to provide a level of social normality
- full new working arrangements, whatever they may be

I think more companies will accept more remote working arrangements in the medium term but not sure it will become the norm just yet !!

My husbands company are already logging and tracking those with poor productivity and they are being highlighted as first back when the implement their phased return.

PhilOssophy

I think working from home has been pushed forward about 5 years. Companies who now realise how unimportant being at a desk is, could save themselves money by allowing hot-desking, reduced commute, reduced pressure on public transport, etc.
Personally, I would like 2 days a week in the office, 3 days WFH. Mix it up a bit.
But if somebody said the working environment was from home for the foreseeable, I don't really care too much.

ixoy

PhilOssophy wrote: »

I think working from home has been pushed forward about 5 years. Companies who now realise how unimportant being at a desk is, could save themselves money by allowing hot-desking, reduced commute, reduced pressure on public transport, etc.

I'd like to think so but are companies satisfied they're getting the performance? Aside from those who take the piss, there's also going to be people who are less productive because they have to look after their kids. Their employers are hopefully taking that into account, when assessing working from home, and not thinking: "Oh look, loads of people didn't work that well. Oh well - back into the office!"

bucketybuck

Akabusi wrote: »

Yes you need trust for remote working, however, maybe he is getting all the required work done and can afford to take a 3 hour break or maybe he will log back in later when the kids are down to finish the work. If someone is slacking, they will be found out soon enough.

If he can do all the work and afford a 3 hour break then I would seriously reevaluate his job spec.

gnf_ireland

jrosen wrote: »

My husbands company are already logging and tracking those with poor productivity and they are being highlighted as first back when the implement their phased return.

Does not surprise me at all - it’s not like companies and managers cannot see the productivity over a 4 week period

gnf_ireland

Fred Cryton wrote: »

There are a lot of people who will take a mile if you give an inch. I can see one colleague today disappeared around 11:30 and didn't re-appear until 2:30. That's a 3 hour lunch!

Main reason the companies will push to get people back into office is control and productivity. Many Irish people are sly slackers.

Depending on circumstances, there could be very legitimate reasons for this behaviour - especially in the current environment. We are in exceptional time’s and some people need to manage work, childcare and school work during their day. Maybe the person logged in at 6am and will be there until 10am because their partner had to spend a few hours doing their job too. How selfish of them !!! Or maybe they were doing some school work with a child - ah the cheek !!!

Most employers I know are flexible at this time and understand that flexibility is key to surviving as long as the work gets done.

I disagree Irish are slackers and you will find international reports that they are the most productive nation in the world.

But employers (and colleagues) need to grow up and look at outputs not hours clocked in !!

I think the big challenge is some companies feel the need to control employees and then complain that they lack flexibility and innovation. If a company I was in does not trust me to work remotely from time to time, that is my trigger to leave as the culture has gone from trust to control

gnf_ireland

ixoy wrote: »

I'd like to think so but are companies satisfied they're getting the performance? Aside from those who take the piss, there's also going to be people who are less productive because they have to look after their kids. Their employers are hopefully taking that into account, when assessing working from home, and not thinking: "Oh look, loads of people didn't work that well. Oh well - back into the office!"

I think so much depends on the management team and culture within the company. I have been lucky enough to have a regular balance between remote and onsite work over the last 12 odd years. But I also have an office in the house and my children understand when I am in there I am working ! But I fully accept this is not possible for everyone.

What I do see happening is the continual move towards hot desking - as much to support social distancing as anything else - and more people working remotely a day or two a week. But I think it’s a long way from more regular remote working arrangements

PhilOssophy

Trust is a 2-way street, as an employee you should be given it but then you have to retain it.
(From an employee, not a manager!).

splashuum

https://www.thejournal.ie/mass-gatherings-august-5080226-Apr2020/

Mass gatherings on 5,000 banned until August. I wonder will workplaces who host a similar amount of employees be banned from opening?

JTMan

splashuum wrote: »

https://www.thejournal.ie/mass-gatherings-august-5080226-Apr2020/

Mass gatherings on 5,000 banned until August. I wonder will workplaces who host a similar amount of employees be banned from opening?

You can bet that the 'work from home where possible' restriction will be one of the last restrictions to be lifted along with mass gatherings. Hence, "end of August" provides a possible timeline of when people, who can work from home, will start returning to the office.

CinemaGuy45

splashuum wrote: »

https://www.thejournal.ie/mass-gatherings-august-5080226-Apr2020/

Mass gatherings on 5,000 banned until August. I wonder will workplaces who host a similar amount of employees be banned from opening?

Im my job a few people have been out sick with the thing they have recovered and are now back and work and there is no spread.

Work is not a mass gathering people behave very differently in work compared to a social or sporting event.

Keeping our paws clean not touching our faces and not being on top of each other has worked in my workplace.

People will just have to accept that social events and getting pissups will be the last thing to come back as this is where the spread can really go wild.

JTMan

I saw this on Twitter and agree:

When business opens, many employees will ask to stay remote - due to new lifestyle preference & health concerns.

Companies will be forced to accommodate for 1-2 years.

As teams are forced to embrace remote work for multiple years, remote will become a default option.

Previously going to the office was the default option. In the new world, remote will be the default option.

jester77

JTMan wrote: »

I saw this on Twitter and agree:



Previously going to the office was the default option. In the new world, remote will be the default option.

That's nice in a good way, it will mean you are not tied to a general location when looking for a job, same for employers looking for candidates. If you have the skills as an employee, then you will be in a good place after this clears up.

MidnightHawk

Is your employer allowed to cut your salary because of the COVID 19 without any formal notice?

Or is there a formal process for this?

LeYouth

If they can't afford to pay you they would probably do this as a measure to keep you on.

But what do i know, pobably better to post in the mega thread or Beasty will get you.

I don't usually feel sorry for moderators but that guy is probably going grey moderating this coronavirus forum.

MidnightHawk

LeYouth wrote: »

If they can't afford to pay you they would probably do this as a measure to keep you on.

Thanks, but it doesn't really answer my question. I understand why they do it, but is there a process to follow for this? Technically this is changing the work contract, and cannot be done unless both parties agree to this. It might also change the nature of engagement (for instance, staff may opt to reduce time in the office).

martin101

I work in a fairly big office in the inner city. We have been in over the whole lockdown due to being "essential" workers. Over the last week or two the office is getting fuller, most have worked from home but are slowly coming back. I came in on Monday after being off a few days and a woman sat herself in front of me. She was no more than 3 feet away and I said are you actually going to stay there. She said yeah and wasn't moving. So I said fine I'll move to a free desk that is 2 meters from anyone. When I moved my boss came over to me and ask what did I think I was doing? I said I'm moving due to social distancing and all. And she said oh yes that's fine. As the week went on more and more people have come back into the office. What they are doing now is leaving people who won't complain all together and the people like myself who want to social distance are kept away. What I'm wondering is what will happen when all the rest of the staff come back. Will we be told just to sit side by side again like the office was before all this or will they have another plan. I was fairly shocked at how close some people where together. Think the managers are just trying to get as many back as possible and leave the people side by side who don't mind being so close to each other.

sterz

martin101 wrote: »

I work in a fairly big office in the inner city. We have been in over the whole lockdown due to being "essential" workers. Over the last week of two the office is getting fuller, most have worked from home but are slowly coming back. I came in on Monday after being off a few days and a woman sat herself in front of me. She was no more than 3 feet away and I said are you actually going to stay there. She said yeah and wasn't moving. So I said fine I'll move to a free desk that is 2 meters from anyone. When I moved my boss came over to me and ask what did I think I was doing? I said I'm moving due to social distancing and all. And she said oh yes that's fine. As the week went on more and more people have come back into the office. What they are doing now is leaving people who won't complain all together and the people like myself who want to social distance are kept away. What I'm wondering is what will happen when all the rest of the staff come back. Will we be told just to sit side by side again like the office was before all this or will they have another plan. I was fairly shocked at how close some people where together. Think the managers are just trying to get as many back as possible and leave the people side by side who don't mind being so close to each other.

In our workplace it sounds like they're putting together some sort of plan to have teams working in shifts (around 100 in the office). So my guess is that teams will work 2 or 3 days a week in the office and the remainder at home. And safe to say that those teams that will be in the office will not be sitting next to each other like they used to.

martin101

sterz wrote: »

In our workplace it sounds like they're putting together some sort of plan to have teams working in shifts (around 100 in the office). So my guess is that teams will work 2 or 3 days a week in the office and the remainder at home. And safe to say that those teams that will be in the office will not be sitting next to each other like they used to.

That's good but I'm not sure my place will do the same. Think they might chance their arm as much as possible but maybe if enough people say something it will change. My office though nobody speaks up. Most just want the handy life and won't stand up for themselves.

SAMTALK

Our workplace seems to be reverting to old ways. Can see a change in attitude this week

sterz

Maybe we're lucky in that regard as people will speak up but this plan is coming from management so I don't think there will be a need for us to do so.

martin101

sterz wrote: »

Maybe we're lucky in that regard as people will speak up but this plan is coming from management so I don't think there will be a need for us to do so.

You are lucky. My boss said last week and this is no joke. That "anyone without an underlying condition under the age of 55 is bulletproof when it comes to this virus"
Crazy stuff. So when your boss comes out with mad statements like that. Anything is possible.