Workers that don’t have to go into an office are £480 billion better off.

I’ve mentioned this a few times on here. The company I work for is 100% remote and has employees all over the world.

The talk of training being impossible or automatically worse remotely is absolute nonsense. I’ve brought many employees in remotely over the years and never had a problem. The usual workflow is that they shadow for a week through screen sharing while on a call, the same as you would in an office. With software like slack or teams, there’s no reason people can’t ask any questions to the team. Or socialise with anyone in any department.

 

Indeed: if someone wants to work in an office, and is encouraged to do so anyway, then crack on. It isn't anything to do with me.

From my personal point of view, though, if I can never see the inside of an office again, I'd be delighted.

 

The shift to home / mobile working was gradually taking place. Covid has accelerated the change. There is an option for both face to face and remote online activities. Somethings work better for some situations and worse for others. Businesses are adapting. Its like the shift to EV from Petrol or Diesel, suddenly the impact may be detrimental to government in taxes. However there shouldn't be one or the other as the new norm has shifted in one direct right now but im sure a balance will develop over time. Having a registered office for companies is perhaps correct but having offices loaded with people is perhaps something that will change.

 

Software. We’re not known for being social butterflies I suppose.

We have company retreats to somewhere in the world twice a year. We’re not all best mates, but I have my local friends for that. Why do I have to be buddy buddy with colleagues? I often chat to my other mates while working. It doesn’t stop me doing my job. It’s not something I could do if I was in an office.

I’m not saying that it’s for everyone. My entire point of this thread is that it’s stupid for the government to try and force people back. It’s an expensive propaganda campaign, which will accomplish absolutely nothing. People that are wanting to go back will do, people happy working from home will continue to. That money should be used to address the issues companies that rely on office footfall are facing, not a temporary fix.

 

Just caught up with this thread and what I find funny is staunch lockdowners attempting to gloss over this issue of the destruction of the economic micro-climate of city centres with whether or not working from home is better than commuting.

The point is - it’s not relevant whether you yourself buy a butty from Pret every day or whether you have a nicer time working from home, this is about the fact that a city centre had functioning and burgeoning successful economies that employed thousands and now, overnight, suddenly don’t any more .

It’s typical of the mentality of selfish and self-centred lockdowners that they focus on ‘how does it affect the life of me or my loved ones’ as opposed to thinking about the tens of thousands of people this change will put out of work or how many people’s businesses will be bankrupted.

 

Didn’t realise British lockdown,or not affected Italian City centres

 

Why would you want people to make unnecessary journeys helping to destroy the planet? Much more selfish than not wanting to buy an overpriced sandwich usually from organisations that aggressively avoid tax.

 

So it's selfish for someone to say that they don't want to spend thousands of pounds and an extra full week's worth of working time travelling to somewhere they don't need to be but it's not selfish to say that someone else has to do that to artificially prop up another business that no longer has a function. Righto. At least I admit that I want a choice of home working for selfish reasons whereas you seem happy to force people to waste a full day and a quarter's worth of working time every single week, plus paying hundred and hundreds of pounds for the privilege with no concession of how selfish that is.

 

maybe instead of spending your cash in large city centre based places you could spend it on local independent businesses.

 

No, it’s selfish to just worry about whether or not you have to commute to work as opposed to facing up to the problem of tens of thousands of people losing their livelihood.

 

I was referring to the ‘ **** you I’m alright jack attitude, I wouldn’t take it out on someone else because I had to go back into the office.

 

Local independent cafes, takeaways and sandwich shops have been hit ridiculously hard by people working from home.

 

Since the Pandemic hit these shores, I've worked throughout. But instead of six days in the office, it became zero for a long time. And didn't affect my ability to do my job. Obviously, once football returned there were occasions I needed to be in the office. But not six days. So I only go in now when absolute necessary.

Before the next paragraph, I'll first make it clear that our office is mint. I get on with everyone like a house on fire and enjoy spending time with plenty of colleagues, inside and outside working hours.

However, I love that I am no longer chained to the office all week. Because I don't drive, and I live an hour away, I had to take two trains. So I was awake for 6.30am every day, just to get in the office before 9. Because the trains are a shambles. From Bradford between 7 and 7.30am, you can barely squeeze on them, they are that rammed. 50/50 chance of that train getting me into Leeds on time for the train into Barnsley. That's every day. An absolute lottery whether I got in before 9am. And for that fùcking privilege I was paying £300 a month. Not to forget, for much of the last few years, the trains have been out of action or limited in service due to strike action. Ask anybody who knows me to name the thing I hate the most and it'll be one of two things - trains or Leeds United.
On the way home I was back in beautiful Bradford for around 7pm. So I'm basically out of the house Monday to Friday for 12 hours per day. That leaves me no real free time. My weekends are obviously not free because they're a key part of my job. I appreciate I chose to work in this industry, so I don't want sympathy. I love my job. I love work. But I hate commuting for the reasons I've outlined.

I also appreciate / accept I should learn to drive but I honestly hate the idea of it. I've been going to do it for 20 years. And I'm pretty sure it'd still be a ball-ache having to navigate the M62 every day.

Since I've worked more from home, I've felt healthier, I get better sleep, I enjoy more free time, and my work-ethic hasn't decreased. I've definitely saved money too. That has gone on my home during lockdown, and now goes on my partner, our family, on days out, on gifts etc. I still go above and beyond for my employers. I spent a full week working at St. George's Park just the other week. And with the season upon us, I expect I'll be in the office more often.

But yeah. I think having the choice to work from home if it fits /suits, that's a great thing to come out of what has been a very challenging period of our lives.

Helping the environment is all this also. Wonderful.

The Tories will be fuming too, so extra points right there.

You Reds.

 

That’s genuinely not the case outside of city centres. The initial research I’ve seen shows increased spending in suburbs. As the tories tell us the market needs to adapt to survive. My mate runs a cafe in Streatham says she’s never been as busy as she is post Lockdown but knows the trade will go back if people are forced into needless commuting into central London again.

 

Oh I assure you that it is the case. Your one example may be doing well and full credit to them for that but I assure you I have real world experience to say that in general the sandwich shops, cafes and takeaways are on their arse and yes thats outside of city centres

 

Be specific which small independent sandwich shops in say zones 2& 3 outside London are you referring to?

 

Do you think it's wise to start listing the financial position of specific independent shops? I don't.