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Messy  
#1 Posted : 09 January 2021 23:09:47(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Messy

I am currently working from home 4 days and in the office 1 day a week as my employer is based in Central London and only accessible by public transport
However I am working on two very large projects that utilise huge plan drawings. It is becoming increasingly difficult to work remotely as there only ac restricted number of plan copies

The Project Manager lives a 12 mile drive from me and is happy for me to visit him at home for project meetings. He has a log cabin office in his garden but toilet and water (kitchen) are in his home.

I know I can go to work in my office if I cant work from home, but can I go to a colleagues house? Its driveable and I will only see him and his dog, so its safer than a tube ride to Central London- but is it legal??????
John Murray  
#2 Posted : 10 January 2021 08:24:56(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
John Murray

Unlikely.

Unless you meet in the garden and maintain an unsociable distance.

Buy a porta-potty and a thermos flask.

Alan Haynes  
#3 Posted : 10 January 2021 09:30:43(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Alan Haynes

You can't meet in the garden - only in a public space.

Logically, it would be safer to meet at your colleague's place, rather than travel into London on public transport, but it would be against the rules. AND now that they are likely to further tighten up enforcement it could be an expensive option.

Edited by user 10 January 2021 10:11:17(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

peter gotch  
#4 Posted : 10 January 2021 11:47:16(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
peter gotch

HI Messy 

Whatever the rules are there are always going to be scenarios where the rules seem inappropriate.

Going to your colleague's house would seem safer than public transport into London and I think would be legal if there was access to toilet and welfare facilities - making John's suggestions less daft than they might sound on first reading!

However, my thought is why there is a restricted number of copies of the drawings. This could be down to cost - in which case deciding to get someone to print off more and get them to you is a commercial decision. Could be other reasons such as security rules, in which case may be the solution is to ask whether those rules could be suspended in a time of emergency.

Or may be someone could split the drawings into more manageable sections that you could view on screen or even get printed out and stuck up together on the wall. (Assumes you have the wall space!)

Kate  
#5 Posted : 11 January 2021 07:41:37(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Kate

I don't see how this is illegal, provided the relevant parts of your colleague's premises are treated as a workplace and provided with the usual precautions such as hand sanitiser, cleaning and distancing arrangements and this is documented in a risk assessment.

In England, the law is that you must not leave home without a reasonable excuse, and reasonable excuses include for the purposes of work, when it is not reasonably possible to do that work from home.

Socialising in your colleague's home would be illegal. (So perhaps better not to have a coffee and a chat.)  I don't why working there for good reason would be illegal.  Working in other people's homes is certainly allowed in other cases such as for tradespeople.

The relevant bit of the regs is here, see 1 (5): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1374/schedule/3A

thanks 1 user thanked Kate for this useful post.
CptBeaky on 11/01/2021(UTC)
CptBeaky  
#6 Posted : 11 January 2021 09:04:25(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
CptBeaky

Given that social media "influencers" are still doing all sorts of rule breaking things under the guise of work, I can't see why this would be illegal if, as Kate states, you only engage in business during your visit.

If someone is working from home, than that is their place of work. You are allowed essential visitors to your place of work.

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