Lockdown/Covid Check In
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@nepia said in Lockdown Check In:
Returned to the office yesterday for the first time since June. (Are no longer Lockdown Check In's allowed?)
you're dead to us
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I've been back five days a week for the last couple of months. I'm yearning to WFH, even if it's just a day or two each week.
I enjoy the office vibe and it's nice being around other people but having to trudge into the city everyday is just wearing me down. How did we use to do that every day?
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@kiwiwomble said in Lockdown Check In:
@nepia seriously though, a little jealous, i work announced they were opening up again....but were still enforcing a mask around the office rule, was really disappointed so only expecting to go in on days for xmas parties
If we had students on campus I'd self mask and only leave the office to go to the loo and get coffee/lunch. We have a high % of anti vax students.
Next week I'm only in the office for 1 and a half days, and then the following week I'm down in Melbourne for the week - so not really a proper return.
@barbarian said in Lockdown Check In:
I'm yearning to WFH, even if it's just a day or two each week.
I'm so glad my direct boss fought the CEO and CFO to get us a WFH day. It will definitely be my most productive work day.
On the trudging into work, I have a 20 odd minute walk and I walk everyday (listening to podcasts) anyway so I'm not fussed by that. I made a declaration when I moved from Manly that I'd never take a job that isn't within walking distance from home. Since then my longest commute has been the 45 min walk to Fox Studios which was fine mostly except for mid summer when I'd be drenched in sweat when arriving in the morning.
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yeah, I've gone back into work for a coupe of days a week the last two weeks, still a ghost town, with most people working from home.
I dont mind going into work, but having days working from home as well is apreciated especially for days where meetings can be in non conventional hours.
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@voodoo said in Lockdown Check In:
I'm in 2 days most weeks now, much prefer being at home, mostly so I don't have to put pants on.
Had a lunch at Barangaroo today, was heaving!
That was the first thing I noticed about the city yesterday, how busy it was. And I walked Barangaroo way home and was the same, Xmas parties everywhere. Cockle Bay is quiet though.
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I much prefer working in the office!
While I'm more productive WFH, I dont like it.
Found out today my support/assistant is unvaccinated so from tomorrow he is WFH now until whatever changes allow him back.
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@taniwharugby I find I'm craving the routine of getting into the office. As much to get to the gym as anything else though. At home I am really shit at switching off or taking a break, but avoiding the commute has been great.
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@paekakboyz my drive is pretty good, 30 mins on a bad day, 20 on a good day (about 20km each way) so is neither here nor there.
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@barbarian said in Lockdown Check In:
I've been back five days a week for the last couple of months. I'm yearning to WFH, even if it's just a day or two each week.
I enjoy the office vibe and it's nice being around other people but having to trudge into the city everyday is just wearing me down. How did we use to do that every day?
Before Delta hit I had my work agree to allow me to do 2 days WFH every week. I sold them with "it allows me to get all of my admin type work done uninterrupted and will also provide me a better work life balance if I don't have to commute every day". Like you I just couldn't handle doing 5 days a week in the office with the commuting.
Now that Delta is out I've been at home for months, and they've just said I would need senior management approval if I want to come into the office under either red or orange, which I absolutely will not be seeking as I'm happy at home spending more time with my boys. So I'll be WFH for a fair while yet.
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There is no doubt I am more productive at home for certain tasks - reading a long document, writing a submission, a long period of concentration. But for the business, there is a massive benefit to us being back in the office for chunks of time - overhearing conversations, offline impromptu chats, mentoring juniors. Can't do that at home.
I don't ever see a world where people work 5 days in the office again. It's done. I reckon a 3/2 split works for me, whichever way it leans. I like not commuting and getting that time back, being able to be more flexible in my day for the kids and the dog.
I also think in-person meetings are not going to recover to more than 50% of what they were, even if we spend 4 days in the city - it's just more dead time walking/cabbing across town, longer intros and small talk (getting sparkling waters and coffees), inability to do back-to-backs
The key for us is finding what works for everyone individually, then balancing it with what works best for the growth of the business. I reckon structuring our week as a team to be in the office together 2-3 days makes sense, with the other days being used for task-orientated stuff at home.
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Apart from 7 days right at the start of lockdown when I had to self isolate I have been in the office all along.
I've really enjoyed it. Commute in lockdown is only ten minutes. It's been like WFH but in a more pleasant environment because for the first six weeks I was the only one here. I'd go for walks around the building and got so much more done without staff interruptions. I've been able to leave the office at 5 instead of 6 or 7.
Until last week there was only one other guy but the word came down from on high everyone had to go back to the office. I expressed my misgivings because some staff were uncertain and the business is screwed if anyone gets Covid and we have to shut down but was told effectively to shut up and toe the line.
No one is allowed to WFH. At least half the staff are scared to be here. Mask up all day long. It's quite depressing and I'm back to working 13 hour days.
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@dogmeat said in Lockdown Check In:
Apart from 7 days right at the start of lockdown when I had to self isolate I have been in the office all along.
I've really enjoyed it. Commute in lockdown is only ten minutes. It's been like WFH but in a more pleasant environment because for the first six weeks I was the only one here. I'd go for walks around the building and got so much more done without staff interruptions. I've been able to leave the office at 5 instead of 6 or 7.
Until last week there was only one other guy but the word came down from on high everyone had to go back to the office. I expressed my misgivings because some staff were uncertain and the business is screwed if anyone gets Covid and we have to shut down but was told effectively to shut up and toe the line.
No one is allowed to WFH. At least half the staff are scared to be here. Mask up all day long. It's quite depressing and I'm back to working 13 hour days.
Here's an example of a public service office policy under the traffic light system. We have it pretty good compared to you and I'm only posting this to show how it can be done. It really comes down to the thinking of the management I guess. Some still feel a loss of control when their people and under their noses. Ours changed their thinking quite quickly but I guess that yours have a way to go.
I have removed the detail but at RED if in the office it is face coverings when moving around. If at your workspace you don't need them
• At the RED setting, working from home is encouraged where possible.
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• At the ORANGE setting, workplaces are open with remote working encouraged for vulnerable staff or where staff live with vulnerable people:• At the GREEN setting, workplaces are open:
These are guidelines and at RED you need to justify office attendance (to control numbers)
At Level 2 we have basically been following RED so being in ORANGE now is a bit looser but anyone who said to their boss that they would rather WFH would probably be allowed to.
We are pretty good with remote working full stop and many people either WFH as their primary place now anyway (with expectations to come to office if requested) or have flexible arrangements where groups willset themselves 'anchor' days where everyone comes in.
In this respect Covid has really accelerated the thinking around WFH and when you combine that with a building move to a flexible 'hot desk' type system there is a mindset of flexibility.
Even in the space of 11 months I have gone from having flexibility to wfh if necessary (eg a tradie coming around) to being able to just get wfh cleared and go anywhere to do it (eg I will travel to the SI for personal reasons then wfh some of the days down there) to it now being quite accepted that I could just move down there permanently and wfh as standard with the odd self-funded trips to Wellington.
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@dogmeat said in Lockdown Check In:
Apart from 7 days right at the start of lockdown when I had to self isolate I have been in the office all along.
I've really enjoyed it. Commute in lockdown is only ten minutes. It's been like WFH but in a more pleasant environment because for the first six weeks I was the only one here. I'd go for walks around the building and got so much more done without staff interruptions. I've been able to leave the office at 5 instead of 6 or 7.
Until last week there was only one other guy but the word came down from on high everyone had to go back to the office. I expressed my misgivings because some staff were uncertain and the business is screwed if anyone gets Covid and we have to shut down but was told effectively to shut up and toe the line.
No one is allowed to WFH. At least half the staff are scared to be here. Mask up all day long. It's quite depressing and I'm back to working 13 hour days.
I've been WFH since March. 2020. I don't miss the commutes and the office has only recently permitted us to come back in, but we have to book a space which sounds like hotdesking. And I don't do that. I don't envisage going back in until next year.
One element I have noticed (especially as Mrs Antipodean is contracting to a govt dept) is the wasted time with needless meetings hasn't changed. In fact it seems that Zoom/ Teams meetings have proliferated so people can waste other people's times.
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@antipodean said in Lockdown Check In:
@dogmeat said in Lockdown Check In:
Apart from 7 days right at the start of lockdown when I had to self isolate I have been in the office all along.
I've really enjoyed it. Commute in lockdown is only ten minutes. It's been like WFH but in a more pleasant environment because for the first six weeks I was the only one here. I'd go for walks around the building and got so much more done without staff interruptions. I've been able to leave the office at 5 instead of 6 or 7.
Until last week there was only one other guy but the word came down from on high everyone had to go back to the office. I expressed my misgivings because some staff were uncertain and the business is screwed if anyone gets Covid and we have to shut down but was told effectively to shut up and toe the line.
No one is allowed to WFH. At least half the staff are scared to be here. Mask up all day long. It's quite depressing and I'm back to working 13 hour days.
I've been WFH since March. 2020. I don't miss the commutes and the office has only recently permitted us to come back in, but we have to book a space which sounds like hotdesking. And I don't do that. I don't envisage going back in until next year.
One element I have noticed (especially as Mrs Antipodean is contracting to a govt dept) is the wasted time with needless meetings hasn't changed. In fact it seems that Zoom/ Teams meetings have proliferated so people can waste other people's times.
Remember when "conference calls" were a thing? When you'd get a bunch of people on the PHONE and talk about some stuff? These days everyone has to see your face for some reason, it's bloody annoying.
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this is another reason why work is way better than home
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@taniwharugby I have better coffee at home than work unless I pop out and buy one from somewhere good.
My first of the day is always from home but the second adds up $ wise if at the office. -
@taniwharugby said in Lockdown Check In:
this is another reason why work is way better than home
i have that at home...