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Nigel Over
over 4 years ago

No change for us. When moving to a staffed charity we decided early on that we wanted an agile, fully flexible family friendly work from home culture. That is what we had in place for the Management Team starting on 1st April during Covid-19 and it is working well for us.

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Boudicca
over 4 years ago

it is not my choice to work from home nut will not be given a choice, my work place is working towards a minimum number of people returning to office-based working

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Gordon
over 4 years ago

My mobility problems mean I used to have to drive to work. I will no longer have to do that. It will save money on fuel and parking and be better for the environment. There is a mental health issue, not seeing people and interacting.

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Mohammed Razaq
over 4 years ago

I prefer working from an office with colleagues around and meeting people face-to-face however, I feel that some meetings can be held virtually to save time and money on travel.

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Catherine Henderson
over 4 years ago

I'll be combining working from home with using co-working space at The Melting Pot. More than ever we'll need the ideas and stimulation of other third sector and social enterprise colleagues - and that needs to go beyond online events, zoom chats etc. Ultimately i've missed the feeling of 'community' that comes from actually being in the same physical space as others, rubbing shoulders (from a social distance) with other folk!

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Claire Carpenter
over 4 years ago

I will take and encourage an 'ecosystem of spaces' approach to how/where and when my organisation/ team (The Melting Pot) works. I know that some stuff is best done face to face and that relationships have historically been built on such interactions. How we adopt to a virtual world has yet to be proven for building new relationships of trust. And lets face it, sometimes a fresh face and/or space is all thats needed to stir inspiration at work. Besides, the question is floored - we'll be 'living with Covid' for some time, so when will be life 'after' the pandemic?...

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Helen
over 4 years ago

Most definitely not - working from home for me has had an adverse effect on my work/life balance. There is no down time - even on days off the work is in your face - no escaping from it. Have missed the company and support from work colleagues

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Anne- Marie
over 4 years ago

In support of the officeBefore rushing to vote in this poll I’d like to make the case for the benefits of a more social approach to work.An easier life with no commute, no boss in the room, no interruptions from colleagues or clients and zoom calls in pyjamas can be tempting I know. Your company will save cash too. But what impact will long term home working have on us all as employees, as colleagues and most importantly as citizens. How would it affect our communities, our sector and the people who rely on our services?Like many I’ve enjoyed a few months of home working but as a building manager I recently returned to an almost empty office. As well as the mental health boost from getting back into a routine I was reminded why it is important to get out of my comfortable flat and re-join the rest of the world. And it has nothing to do with making money – we are not for profit so I can assure you my intentions are purely social!Going to work makes me see and be with a diversity of people I would not come across if I stayed at home and that’s important. My office is a shared place for the third sector. 20 Charities work together to provide services to a range of people including those with learning difficulties, with mental health problems, the visually impaired, disabled, elderly, child carers, victims of domestic abuse, homeless, refugees and long term unemployed. In normal times we welcome around 500 staff, tenants and visitors in to our buildings every day. The need for a strong third sector is laid out before our very eyes day in, day out. If we all remained in our own homes, working and socialising with people like ouselves would the needs of those less privileged in our society become a bit less pressing and a bit more theoretical? With no sight of the inequalities needing remedy would it be out of sight out of mind?After a long day I’ll travel home by bus. I occasionally enjoy a chat with the many elderly travellers who really rely on the bus to get around. Lately the buses have been so empty I fear that the struggling public transport system will only get worse due to lack of use. Services will be cut and those without access to a car will struggle even further. Bikes are great if you have good eyesight and are fit and healthy with the confidence to be on the road and a place to live that can house a bike.And then there are the local businesses. Like many I will pop out at lunch time to the local independent shops, cafes and social enterprises in the area that create local employment. Sadly a few have already gone under. Continued home working will lead to more local closures. That’s ok if you want everything brought to your home by stressed out underpaid delivery drivers.And what of our new colleagues? Those joining our organisation and trying to establish relationships with colleagues via a video screen? Does it matter that we will meet fewer friends at work? What of those moving to a new town for work? Will we see a huge increase in loneliness which is already a significant problem especially amongst young people.?What people have enjoyed working from home I believe, is having more time with family and friends. I totally get that. We are chronically time starved because of having to work ever-longer hours to pay increasing mortgages and rent for properties, which are only just about affordable if they are in remote locations far away from workplaces. If we are going to make positive changes let’s make homes affordable and working hours shorter. But let’s not give up on working socially and forming those important human bonds with people from all walks of life and learning to be tolerant of others.Folks we are social animals. Getting out of your house and making the effort to get to work (sustainably) to mix with society in all its forms, to give and share your time and your skills with people who are like you and those who are not will in my opinion not only make you a better citizen it will make for a better and fairer society too.

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LOUISE DEMPSEY
over 4 years ago

As a mental health organisation, we see the impact of loneliness, isolation and lack of routine and purpose every day. While working from home still provides purpose and routine, face to face human interaction is so very important. As a society we're already spending far too much time using digital technology to interact. This has to be balanced with human face to face interaction.

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