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As businesses open back up...
https://mail.chicagofanatics.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=121843		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  IMU [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 12:55 pm ]
Post subject:  As businesses open back up...
...for those of you in management or ownership positions, how are you treating or plans of action do you have for dealing with workers or colleagues that feel things are opening up too quickly and prefer the work-at-home setup for the near future? Our business is close to operating close to normal, outside of some social distancing protocols, having hand sanitizer everywhere and wearing masks when in certain meetings or with customers. But we've not made any official proclamations about coming back to the office and are still 'work wherever you feel most comfortable.'

I've already had several colleagues vocalize a resistance to coming back, including someone in my department. Since we currently office-optional, it is fine of course, but I feel like this will become an issue in the next few weeks. It is a position that 'can' work from home, sure, but not at 100% efficiency due to the strains working remotely can put on collaboration.

And if you're on the other side of it...how will you be approaching your company when they say it is time to come back and you don't feel ready?
Author:  Franky T [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 1:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
We decided to just follow the guidelines and are now back to 50% in office. We just kind of made a schedule and told them these are the days you are expected to be in the office. It is flexible if day care issues pop up, or someone needs to be in the office for whatever reason, etc. We also bought a scan thermometer and check temperatures when people come in in the morning. Masks are optional unless meeting with a client.

Edit: I should add if someone is really uncomfortable coming in we would work with them because WFH has been as smooth as can be. But no one has.
Author:  BigW72 [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 1:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
I wish I had this problem, but I'm WFH until September 1. My company has taken a very conservative position on this....especially since the IT network and Infrastructure has proven very capable of supporting remote workforce.

I look at it very differently.....and I was faced with this early on in March when it started. I had to travel to York, PA on March 15. it was clear at the time my trip was going to be cut short and I was going to be turning around quickly and coming home....making it kind of a waste. But....I had my orders and there was no change in company policy, so I went. The night I got there, it was declared travel to be done by the company. As predicted.....I got on the next flight home and that was that. so, I wasn't entirely comfortable going, but I went....not my decision.

If someone presently is afraid to go back to work, they have some issues. I'd say they also have delusions of what it means to be an employee v. what it means to own your business. But that's just my opinion :lol:

One on my team might give me a hard time when it comes time to come back, but I know him well enough.....he just needs to vent before reluctantly complying :lol:
Author:  Caller Bob [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 1:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
I would come back 5 days a week, except the bullshit masks we are supposed to wear at our desks, so I think I will go back 2-3 days a week in the office.
Author:  Frank Coztansa [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 1:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Franky T wrote:
We decided to just follow the guidelines and are now back to 50% in office. We just kind of made a schedule and told them these are the days you are expected to be in the office. It is flexible if day care issues pop up, or someone needs to be in the office for whatever reason, etc. We also bought a scan thermometer and check temperatures when people come in in the morning. Masks are optional unless meeting with a client.

Edit: I should add if someone is really uncomfortable coming in we would work with them because WFH has been as smooth as can be. But no one has.
This seems to be reasonable. Also maybe a fair bit of warning ( a week at least) if possible on when people are going to be expected to return to the office full time. Obviously if somebody is legit sick or has any Covid symptoms, they need to WFH or not work at all, period.

There is going to come a time where MANY will face a "come to the office or don't get paid" choice. Maybe thats when IL goes into Phase 4 at the end of this month, I don't know.

I don't think there is a true right or wrong answer, but employers have to compromise a bit, employees have to be ready to return to the office at least on a part time basis, and communication between all must be crystal clear. If somebody is milking the WFH thing, they cannot use the "Oh I didn't see your email/hear your voicemail" excuse like, ever.
Author:  sjboyd0137 [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 1:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
We are looking to at least the end of the month before they start phasing people back in. There are guidelines about wearing stupid ass masks when not at your desk, no interaction in person between the shop and the office....the best part is that if you don't get a spot in the small front office lot, you have to park in back, but cannot cut through the warehouse...you get to walk around the building :lol:

We are looking at the end of the month at a minimum because they're buying plexiglass to install on the common cube walls, and they have to figure out how to reconfigure everyone :roll:

Whatever. I'm hoping the company provides these dumbass masks because I have zero interest in buying one.
Author:  IMU [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 2:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
I'd like to think our infrastructure and policies are the best they could be in 2020 to support mass WFH but they are not. We are still in the middle of implementing Teams, and I am in an industry with a lot of old dogs. My colleagues are some of the best in the business in what they do, but how they do it is old school. For every new process or tool we successfully teach them about, three new things take its place. For example, we only recently got most of our sales staff on WhatsApp for working with international companies.

Our company has always been fairly laid back. (get the work done, and done well, and when you're in the office and what pants you're wearing don't really matter) But to what extent this permanently alters our company and our policies...I don't yet know.
Author:  Chet Coppock's Fur Coat [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 3:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
We had a full staff national webinar last week. We have been full WFH since midmarch other than somebody going in to each office once in a while to pick up mail or check on c'mon use computers being used remotely.

1. A couple of larger urban offices will open in mid July for people who have lousy WFH infrastructure and really want to get back to the office. Priority will be given to those folks and there will be capacity limits.

2. Other offices will open at some point in August for those who want to come in, but probably with rationing of days to prevent crowding.

3. If you fly, you have to WFH for the next two weeks.

4. Work travel still prohibited through July 31, discouraged through at least September 30. Travel direct expense savings (air, hotel, rental cars, Ubers) will be funneled to all staff as occasional company-wide paid half days off on specific days.

5. Our real estate rental strategy is being evaluated, although we just had a flurry of leases renewed in the last year and a half.

The reality is that a few people are working in their offices once in a while for a half day, but not saying anything. But that is truly voluntary.
Author:  FavreFan [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 3:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Only about 20 people at my company. We created a Teams channel for everyone to let everyone else know when they will be in and out. Owner wants to keep it under 10 at any given point. Probably gonna do this for at least another month or so and go from there.

I've gone in a couple days a week the last few weeks mostly just to get out of my apartment.
Author:  Chet Coppock's Fur Coat [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 3:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Teams has been a huge help. We had rolled it out last fall but very few people had used the video piece because they tend to shove their laptop into a docking station and use external monitors. COVID got almost everyone used to using Teams (internal only) and GoToMeeting (external) with video.
Author:  Kirkwood [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 3:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
No firm date. Possibly July. People uncomfortable won't be forced. CEO is big proponent of collaboration and in-person camaraderie but understands this is a very unique situation.

Agree with CEO. Definitely miss the office.
Author:  Peoria Matt [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Wife's company is looking like they wont be going back before Thanksgiving (if at all) and she said her office is gone so there's nowhere to go anyway.
Author:  denisdman [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 6:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
We have over 10,000 people working from home. Nobody is back in the office. They are doing it in three phases with volunteers going first, about 10% of the company. They aim to get up to 30% in phase two. I am considering permanently working from home. There are a lot of people worried because they have kids at home with no day care, obviously not an issue for me.

I just love not having a commute and working flexibly. I literally get up whenever, 7:00 or 8:00 and log on. Shower and eat whenever. I logged off today at 3:30 and was in the water by 3:45 checking emails as needed.
Author:  IkeSouth [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
boomers hate going to work lol but love bitching that millenials hate going to work
Author:  Jaw Breaker [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 6:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
It will will tricky to know which employees are truly uncomfortable and which ones are liking the WHF so much they don't want to come back.
Author:  casual fan [ Mon Jun 08, 2020 7:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
My office is only 10 people when “full”. All of WFH so far was me and 1 other person in the office, with a few others that would stop in for an hour or 2 as needed. When we hit Phase 3, boss decided to basically continue as we had been. A few more “stop ins”, but not much difference. We only have 14 people, and there are 4 I haven’t seen since beginning of March.
Author:  FavreFan [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Got this email this morning:

Quote:
Our team has done a great job maintaining productivity and effectiveness over the lockdown period. While it has become clear that our company can continue operating as we work from home and communicate via Teams, it has also become clear that collaboration, problem solving, process and product development and deeper communication benefit from in person interaction. Toward the goal of increasing our effectiveness and success as a company we will move toward a gradual return to normal business operations over the coming weeks.

· Effective 6/15 the office will be open for business, M – F, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm.

· We will continue to observe summer hours.

· Staff with individual offices are free to be in the office during all operating hours.

· Ops Staff members who share an office will be limited to one person / office.
· Dev Team members will be limited to 50% of the team in the dev office at any time.

· All team members are encouraged to transition to a minimum of two days per week in the office.

· All team members are encouraged to coordinate schedules with others to take advantage of office time for collaboration, problem solving, process and product development.

· Operating space guidelines will be per the below.


Got this email 10 minutes ago:

Quote:
Team,

A significant number of our Team Members have expressed a concern about going back into the office at this time.
While I believe it is important for us to get back to operating an maximum effectiveness, I appreciate and understand peoples’ concerns.
We will suspend returning to the office next week and continue to monitor the situation.


:lol:
Author:  Douchebag [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
I guess FF works for Beta Industries.
Author:  Hawg Ass [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Douchebag wrote:
I guess FF works for Beta Industries.

Shakes Inc.
Author:  Terry's Peeps [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
FavreFan wrote:
Got this email this morning:

Quote:
Our team has done a great job maintaining productivity and effectiveness over the lockdown period. While it has become clear that our company can continue operating as we work from home and communicate via Teams, it has also become clear that collaboration, problem solving, process and product development and deeper communication benefit from in person interaction. Toward the goal of increasing our effectiveness and success as a company we will move toward a gradual return to normal business operations over the coming weeks.

· Effective 6/15 the office will be open for business, M – F, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm.

· We will continue to observe summer hours.

· Staff with individual offices are free to be in the office during all operating hours.

· Ops Staff members who share an office will be limited to one person / office.
· Dev Team members will be limited to 50% of the team in the dev office at any time.

· All team members are encouraged to transition to a minimum of two days per week in the office.

· All team members are encouraged to coordinate schedules with others to take advantage of office time for collaboration, problem solving, process and product development.

· Operating space guidelines will be per the below.


Got this email 10 minutes ago:

Quote:
Team,

A significant number of our Team Members have expressed a concern about going back into the office at this time.
While I believe it is important for us to get back to operating an maximum effectiveness, I appreciate and understand peoples’ concerns.
We will suspend returning to the office next week and continue to monitor the situation.


:lol:


:lol:

All it takes it one.
Author:  Douchebag [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
At what point does an employer just say come back to the office or quit?
Author:  FavreFan [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
It's a Power to the People movement in the US DB. Watch the news.
Author:  doug - evergreen park [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
I came back this Monday. It was pretty clear within a few days of WFH that I do not need to be in the office at all to be effective and get designs out the door.

I do want a WFH setup though. I will be pursuing that for sure.
Author:  Frank Coztansa [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Douchebag wrote:
At what point does an employer just say come back to the office or quit?

George: You know what? It doesn't matter, because I quit!

Frank: I guess your mother was right. You never could compete with LLOYD BRAUN!
Author:  shakes [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Hawg Ass wrote:
Douchebag wrote:
I guess FF works for Beta Industries.

Shakes Inc.


I've been in the office the entire time and we brought back our receptionists last week. Alpha and Associates over here motherfuckers!
Author:  Hawg Ass [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
shakes wrote:
Hawg Ass wrote:
Douchebag wrote:
I guess FF works for Beta Industries.

Shakes Inc.


I've been in the office the entire time and we brought back our receptionists last week. Alpha and Associates over here motherfuckers!

:lol:
Author:  BigW72 [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
If my employer said back in the office next Monday....fine, I'd go. My problem (and apparently my employer agrees) is all the regulations on masks and limiting conference rooms. It completely nullifies the benefits of being in the office.

We could all be summoned back, but it's silly when everyone is in a fucking unnecessary bubble.
Author:  RFDC [ Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
shakes wrote:
Hawg Ass wrote:
Douchebag wrote:
I guess FF works for Beta Industries.

Shakes Inc.


I've been in the office the entire time and we brought back our receptionists last week. Alpha and Associates over here motherfuckers!

Keep digging!
Author:  Douchebag [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
BigW72 wrote:
If my employer said back in the office next Monday....fine, I'd go. My problem (and apparently my employer agrees) is all the regulations on masks and limiting conference rooms. It completely nullifies the benefits of being in the office.

We could all be summoned back, but it's silly when everyone is in a fucking unnecessary bubble.

I thought you mentioned working in Wisconsin. There's literally no rules there.
Author:  BigW72 [ Wed Jun 10, 2020 10:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: As businesses open back up...
Douchebag wrote:
BigW72 wrote:
If my employer said back in the office next Monday....fine, I'd go. My problem (and apparently my employer agrees) is all the regulations on masks and limiting conference rooms. It completely nullifies the benefits of being in the office.

We could all be summoned back, but it's silly when everyone is in a fucking unnecessary bubble.

I thought you mentioned working in Wisconsin. There's literally no rules there.

yes, Milwaukee....but we're a global company.
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