Working from home

Anyone who can do so should work from home.

Why the contribution is important

It will reduce people using public transport and potentially spreading virus- also working in close proximity to others in offices etc regularly is a major risk to spreading the virus.

by Teacher2020 on May 05, 2020 at 01:08PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.8
Based on: 53 votes

Comments

  • Posted by PeachesHumph May 05, 2020 at 13:21

    Fully agree with this, anyone who can work from home should, it will reduce footfall on public transport, it will make it easier for people to practise social distancing if they can’t work from home. Reduce vehicles on the road so hopefully keep accidents etc down so not burdening the health / emergency services even more

  • Posted by ProtestTheHero May 05, 2020 at 13:22

    Where possible, this should be encouraged with financial incentives and promoted at employer level as a way to reduce the long-term spread of the virus. Many professions require ten daily journeys on crowded public transport, so people can sit in an office and email the people sitting next to them. This should be consigned to history for all professions where the workplace isn't an essential component of the ability to do your job (e.g. manufacturing, healthcare).

  • Posted by Switchqueen May 05, 2020 at 13:26

    Companies with employees working from home should be encouraged to let them do so indefinitely, possibly just having one or two days a week on location.

  • Posted by Ed May 05, 2020 at 13:36

    Those who can work form should stay at home.
    Those who cannot can return to work, this will ensure at least a level of social distancing outside and in shops.
    Those that can work from home can look to return to work after the summer perhaps.

  • Posted by Clayton41 May 05, 2020 at 13:47

    Yes as many people as possible until end summer

  • Posted by sy278 May 05, 2020 at 14:51

    Agreed. It should be mandatory for those who can do so and employers should be responsible for this. It should also continue until the vaccine is completely distributed or until the R number is down to at least 0.5, or preferably less.

  • Posted by Fletch May 05, 2020 at 14:52

    If people can work from home then they should continue to work from home, this will ensure that footfall is kept down as much as possible. That could potentially mean that only say half the population are out and about on public transport. Technology is getting better and better and many organisations have issued their staff with laptops and phones and we have Microsoft Teams for video calls. Businesses must make full use of technology and equip their staff with the equipment to work from home if possible. This will keep as safer, reduce the strain on public transport and services, cut harmful emissions and give people a much better work life balance.

  • Posted by katey May 05, 2020 at 14:57

    Wherever possible,this should be encouraged for evermore, even if only for a day or two per week.

  • Posted by jh24 May 05, 2020 at 15:41

    Completely agree, everyone who can work from home should be allowed too. Currently some work places are abusing the “key worker” status to force people to come to work.

  • Posted by Scotelka May 05, 2020 at 17:04

    Absolutely agree. Allowing working from home for businesses that can do this is a great opportunity: to reduce the spread of the virus, to limit the pollution, to allow others to travel safely. Big offices with thousands of employees have technology and resources to enable this, having in mind that these businesses would struggle to enforce proper social distancing rules, when you meet hundreds of people on a daily basis, working in such environment. In such clusters virus would spread quicker as well, if normal work was reintroduced too early.

  • Posted by Kirklistonjohn May 06, 2020 at 02:14

    Remote teaching should be increased but be more focused and teacher led - especially create the opportunity for one to one video links for tutorials between teacher and pupil.
    This would take the weight of parents especially key workers and those working at home and tap in to the vast teacher at home resource.

  • Posted by marge5867 May 06, 2020 at 08:20

    This should definitely be considered as a longer term working model where possible and where it can reduce unnecessary travel and increase productivity. I agree it could be looked at long term even for part weeks in a rota. This would also reduce office space that a business would require.

  • Posted by YT May 06, 2020 at 11:08

    Working from home for office-based workers should be encouraged for as long as necessary. This is key area where infection spread can be minimised with little to no effect on businesses. Many workers as as productive, or more so, at home with less distractions.

  • Posted by Cam60 May 06, 2020 at 15:26

    Woking from home should continue and I expect companies will see that the vast majority of their staff are as productive, if not, more productive. Also for employees it removes commuting time, commuting costs and gives them more personal time. Going forward, I suspect companies will push for more home working and also less business travel if they see no productivity impact. Will also allow businesses to have smaller office space requirements, less staff absences and possibly happier staff.

  • Posted by Krhj2020 May 06, 2020 at 18:39

    I think it should be mandated by SG that all employees than can continue their business with employees at home continue to do so until we are out the other side of this. It will cut down on unnecessary travel and allow more travel distancing for those that must return to work

  • Posted by GraemeN May 08, 2020 at 08:15

    Help businesses to understand benefits and pitfalls, how to improve benefits, how to build confidence and trust in employees working remotely. This could be surveys of recent productivity, how are people coping in large and small households, what technologies work, cyber security issues. Also, help employees along the same lines, and how to separate work from other life, how to work with kids and others, dealing with neighbours and noise.

  • Posted by IM2612 May 08, 2020 at 08:16

    Working from home would help solve two problems - one it will help reduce the spread of Covid 19 and two, it would reduce pollution through the reduction of car journeys etc to and from work each day. A win win against both virus and climate warming. Employers could be encouraged to allow for this through reduced wage/salary in line with travel costs saved by employee. Working from home where possible benefits people, families and the environment alike. It should become a statutory standard right for any employee wherever possible.

  • Posted by BOsborne May 08, 2020 at 08:32

    As a person with chronic illness the ability to work from home has been a gift. My wellbeing has never been better than it is now and it’s directly because of being ‘allowed’ to work from home (company always had the capability but it wasn’t ‘the done thing’). I can see a huge benefit to the work sector in making it mandatory for companies to allow home working where the job can be done from home - it would allow the many people like myself to contribute more to the workforce. Many people with chronic illness have limited mobility & being able to work from home would open up so much more possibility for them in the workforce.

  • Posted by JohnED May 11, 2020 at 21:49

    Many people have managed to continue to work from home during the Covid Measures. However though for some this is a costing saving, for others it is a cost burden, with additional electrical, heating and broadband costs. Some form of relief or one of payment should be made to homeworkers to offset these additional costs.
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