Working From Home Megathread

Company i work for is having "the talk" with us all next week about their plans for returning - i'm dreading it - happy out with wfh!

I'd say they'll have us all back by Sept 1st - surprised though that companies are saying their plans on it before Mickey gives the details on the planned roadmap at the end of the month!

At this rate, it is only realistic to see offices reopening in the new year. Reopening too early has huge risk involved and for what? Just of optics?

I have a feeling they are just gonna go ahead and do their own thing tbh, took them along time to allow us to wfh as it is!

• Experts are warning that next month is too soon to reopen offices.
• Professor Anthony Staines of DCU said he did not think “with the best will in the world” that all “plans and mitigations” can be in place if the government announces a September reopening later this month.
• We have some of the longest commute times in the world. Risk of outbreaks on public transport if schools, colleges and offices reopen.
• If staff are brought back to work in close quarters the level of disruption will be “astronomical”.
• Professor Jack Lambert of the UCD School of Medicine said the Government had given very little direction on the kind of set-up, especially with masks. (He is 100% right - there is a total lack of clear and consistent guidance as to whether masks should be worn at all times in indoor offices).
• UCD School of Architecture Orla Hegarty said the situation is “a bit of a perfect storm”. “We are not doing anything to make buildings safer. We know what dangerous conditions are, but we are not measuring them.” Prof Hegarty said the Health and Safety Authority was telling employers to ventilate buildings, but many did not know what this meant in practice.
• Meanwhile Musgraves have pushed back a return to February.

Nutshell - Experts are warning September is too soon to reopen and there is a total lack of guidance on what needs to be done to reduce risk in offices i.e. clear guidance on masks and clear specific guidance on ventilation.

Will the government listen?

Looking at the hospital numbers today and NPHET expressing concern today ... I would think that there is no chance that offices will be allowed open in September. None.

It would be total madness to add additional hospitalisation risk when there is no need to add risk, the activity can be done at home.

How I think it will play out ... I suspect that the government will long-finger office reopenings to October/November in the road-map. By the time that comes around, we could easily be facing a Winter wave, which even if mild, will justify extending WFH until Spring.

Please God.

Totally agree.

But I expect a growing emphasis on having proper work-from-home setup and behaviours, if you want any hope of it continuing past then.

During the week, I was watching a senior manager do a presentation, and she had to leave for about 2 minutes because her dog went berserk when the postman rang the doorbell. FFS. By now people should have figured out having their animals either back in daycare or at least out of audio range during meetings, and the doorbell turned off.

More on the Right to Work From Home legislation ...

• Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is expected to publish views from members of the public and stakeholder groups on the right to request remote work next week — with a new law to follow.
• A new law that will set out clearly how WFH requests should be facilitated as far as possible.
• Leo said “After the pandemic people should have a choice; so long as the work gets done and business and service needs are met. That’s the principle I want to apply.”
• Up to one million workers could be covered by new arrangement.
• The new law is also expected to address what would constitute reasonable grounds of refusal of a request to work remotely and how to then manage.

The devil will be in the detail and how companies and HR departments apply this. The legislation clearly will give employees the right to request to WFH and give the employer less scope to say no but will companies find wiggle room? If not, there will be floods of requests under this legislation.

Two of those need a health warning. Staines is an unapologetic Zero COVID zealot and Lambert is a man of loud opinions. I've no idea who the last person is. Best to see what advice and guidance comes out of the real decisions makers this month. It will not be surprising to see the end of September and into early October proposed as an available option.

The main complaint I have seen about pets is that they are not on screen enough in wfh meetings!

Is this not just for public sector though?

Don't recall private sector ever being in the mix with that

Nice amount of empathy from you there. Never change.