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Working from home vs people wanting to be in the office
Rank: Forum user 
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I know the current guidelines say businesses should make working from home the first option and should consider who should be in the office. When this guidance came out we assessed our workers and found a handful that couldn’t really work at home due to technical issues etc so they are back in the office. I am there too to supervise. The guidance is still to work from home where possible but we have a number of workers who are beginning to really struggle working at home in terms of wellbeing but there doesn’t seem to be any guidance in what to do in that situation. Our head of HR talks about the magical 1st September and opening then but I know there are people who won’t be ok working from home till then. What have others done in terms of interpreting the guidance and with people who want to be in the office? How can we allow these people into the office and still maintain our legal duty of care? Isn’t it going against the guidance?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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1st September? Not heard that one.
Persons shielding in England will be free on 1st August under the latest edict by HM Gov. So long as you follow the guidance on hygiene and distancing within the office nothing to stop people returning. Guidance is exactly that - not mandate, not regulation i.e. NOT absolute. Care to be that first employer sued for mental health issues insisting your employees MUST remain at home staring at the inside of the same four walls? Some people are happy home working and activley seek such employment MOST of society however are social animals so being locked in their own personal prison is not something they would choose as a career. You have obviously missed the various news reports where Bojo is saying it is time we were back at work.
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Rank: Super forum user
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1st September? Not heard that one.
Persons shielding in England will be free on 1st August under the latest edict by HM Gov. So long as you follow the guidance on hygiene and distancing within the office nothing to stop people returning. Guidance is exactly that - not mandate, not regulation i.e. NOT absolute. Care to be that first employer sued for mental health issues insisting your employees MUST remain at home staring at the inside of the same four walls? Some people are happy home working and activley seek such employment MOST of society however are social animals so being locked in their own personal prison is not something they would choose as a career. You have obviously missed the various news reports where Bojo is saying it is time we were back at work.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Apparantly there is an announcement tomorrow (Friday) removing the work from home if you can and public transport for essential travel only guidance. We have opened a couple of offices but as a charity the cost to make all our locations Covid safe is high, and sometime difficult and we could not get all our staff back anyway if we are adhering to social distancing. We have started to get some staff who are really struggling back to the office but we have a 4-6 week lead time to reopen offices for safety tests (L8 etc) and input measures for C19. 01 Sept is mentioned as schools should be going back then so staff will be able to return to normal possibly I think. We were working on that date.
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 1 user thanked hopeful for this useful post.
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Rank: Forum user
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I’ve not missed them at all. I am just looking for ways to prove to our head of HR that we should be letting people back. But today the news said Sir Patrick Vallance said BoJo is wrong!! There’s so much conflicting information.
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Rank: Forum user
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Thank you Hopeful. Where did you hear about the announcement?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Sir Patrick is fortunately for society not the elected Prime Minister, nor a First Minister of the devolved assemblies - like many reading these forums he is merely an advisor - life would be impossible if medical "experts" had their way by example mass medication through flouridation of the water supply, mass vaccination, no sugar in food, mandatory daily excercise, no salt in food, no drinking, no smoking, masks everywhere, FP50 sun protection... Sir Patrick as the ultimate H&S "bod" would then question his advice having duly wrapped society in cotton wool as to why they all died from heat stroke, asphyxiation and a surpresssed immune system. As to schools - students will not need to socially distance but staff will? Staff will need to wear masks when working closely with students?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Sir Patrick is fortunately for society not the elected Prime Minister, nor a First Minister of the devolved assemblies - like many reading these forums he is merely an advisor - life would be impossible if medical "experts" had their way by example mass medication through flouridation of the water supply, mass vaccination, no sugar in food, mandatory daily excercise, no salt in food, no drinking, no smoking, masks everywhere, FP50 sun protection... Sir Patrick as the ultimate H&S "bod" would then question his advice having duly wrapped society in cotton wool as to why they all died from heat stroke, asphyxiation and a surpresssed immune system. As to schools - students will not need to socially distance but staff will? Staff will need to wear masks when working closely with students?
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Rank: Super forum user
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Originally Posted by: jennielouises  Thank you Hopeful. Where did you hear about the announcement?
The BBC and this morning it is all over 5 Live. Although they are not sure what will be said as there is lots of conflicting information.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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You called it Hopeful There you have it
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