Will Workers Ever Return To The Office In The Numbers We Had Before?

[youngmafbog]

Johnson is still banging on about this, even though few civil servants are returning.

What did he expect? Months of scaring people witless to control them is not going to go away, couple that with the millions to bring it 'covid safe' why would a company entertain this?

Then the workers, commuting to London is a nightmare - I did it for quite a few years. 2.5 hours each way on top of a full working day and you have no life, and the cost was astronomical. Now you wouldn't be able to mix, probably be eventually forced into a face nappy to get a cuppa or go to the bog, huge queue for the lifs (they were bad enough anyway at peak times) Who would want to go back?

[tomus42]

I hope not. It's always been ridiculous that we all have to trudge to the office where the company we work for is registered to switch on a computer, when we could just switch on a computer at home and do the same job.

If you think this will be some eye opening moment for all the big companies when they suddenly realise they could employ people in India to switch on a computer, just as easily as they could employ someone in british suburbia to switch on a computer just as easily as they could employ someone in the City of London to switch on a computer, you're a bit naive and behind the times I'm afraid. I think they realised that a few decades ago.

[Theland]

And when all the jobs have been outsourced, who will have any money to buy the goods and services in this country?

As for the diesel/oil/gas phasing out, where is all the electricity going to come from?
Hamster wheels?

[tomus42]

//And when all the jobs have been outsourced, who will have any money to buy the goods and services in this country?//

No-one I suppose, but that's market forces for you. If it happens, it happens.

[Jackdaw33]

Call centres were the first to latch on to this. After having retired I got myself a job as a supervisor in a call centre in Newcastle for National Rail Enquiries. I thoroughly enjoyed it and we were often praised for our standard of service. Alas the powers-that-be realised that they could pay an agent in India 10% of what they had to pay a British one. Everything was duly moved off-shore, to the perpetual detriment of service quality. 2000 jobs went in the process.

[Jackdaw33]

I would agree if they were speaking broad Geordie, but we spoke refined Geordie.

[Spicerack]

Ah missed me train cos ah divvint ken what they was oonaboot, bonny lad.

[Jackdaw33]

"Ken" is Scottish." The Geordie equivalent is 'knaa'.

[youngmafbog]

The argument saying all jobs will go abroad is false. Companies have already been down this route and it doesnt work unless complimenting teams in the UK/USA/Europe.

What might happen is that companies will reduce salaries, particularly of London workers. Currently they are paid a premium generally, this is most likely to change. As people are saving thousands on commuting and many hours too companies will want their share of that especially if they have to purchase/maintain equipment in homes.

Another development I have thought of, for med to large companies, is to create regional centres. Some have done it to some degree but only in one or two places outside London. It would be quite cheap and easy to setup small centres on Industiral estates in most Towns. That way staff required to be on premises, for say GDPR and security reasons could be closer to home.

Just think, all that carbon saved. Genghis wanted less traffic now he has it!

[mushroom25]

// Just think, all that carbon saved. //

not so sure about that. workers who once commuted to a city centre by train, now having to visit a regional centre which will doubtless be on a "big shed" industrial park next to a motorway junction, accessible only by car.

[Spicerack]

Strike a light. Had an answer removed for being racist........to Geordies. ;-)

[fiveleaves]

I can do my job effectively from home. Have been so since March. Why would I want to commute to an office?

[andres]

I feel sorry for the young if it means more will be working from home.Just imagine how they will feel. About to set out on their journey into the big ,wide world. Exams or degrees behind them and all they have to look forward to is sitting at home working on a computer. That's alright for some people who are tired of travelling long distances to work and have probably worked alongside others in an office for years . Not much of a life for the young.

[Buenchico]

I'm come to this thread late but some people here might be interested in this opinion piece from one of the journos on our local rag. (Paul Geater can be guilty of some very idle journalism at times but this particular piece is, I feel, extremely well-written and addresses the issues raised in this thread very well):
https://www.eadt.co.uk/ea-life/ipswich-must-change-1-6810042

[New Judge]

Something puzzles me.

There are some pretty bright people at the top of UK businesses. They're sharp, astute and can normally spot "easy wins" for their companies to improve the bottom line. If switching their staff to home working is such a great idea involving such enormous savings for the company and their staff can be just as productive following the switch, how come none of them have made the change on any great scale or with any conviction before now? I have my own ideas, but I'd like to hear others first.

[woofgang]

yes Buenchico, good article. I think that people will have to find new ways to make and have social links and expect less of it from their employment. Actually "normal" is a bit of a mirage anyway. Stuff is changing all the time. Its only when the change is acute and drastic that people really notice. Do you remember a discussion pre covid...maybe as long as a year ago about the environment and the need to reduce people's use of planes? There was a lot of "can't won't shan't" yelling and yet boom! here we are. Agreed we may not stay as we are regarding air travel but it didn't take much to get us here did it?

[Prudie]

Having done it a bit over the last 5 months and having many colleagues who have done it permanently (since lockdown) I could add many things on both sides of the argument but one thing I will say - apart from the odd few the vast majority are not as efficient at home simply because there's no-one to keep tabs on you. That may be an unpopular view but I would be the first to admit when I am WFH I take far more breaks, put the washing on, potter about, make personal calls, take a longer lunch break etc etc. I don't see it as a more efficient long term solution at all.

[woofgang]

Prudie, do you get as much work done? Its easy enough to measure and monitor work done.

[Prudie]

No because a lot of my work is ad hoc and comes about from people coming to my office door and asking for stuff or involves actually handling things physically such as paperwork, I also normally attend a lot of meetings that aren't taking place. I don't do this at home. I am basing this on people whose main work is in an office environment.

[woofgang]

so not you but people who would do the same thing if they went to the office as they are doing at home? Absolutely dead easy to monitor and manage. I had to do something similar when my community teams all got mobile phones and didn't have to return to base so often. It was a paper based system but it worked.