Changes to Working Patterns as a Result of Covid

[i8hibsh]

3 minutes ago, Smithee said:

 

Their rent hasn't gone up though, they're paying the same rent working from home or not, so you can't count it as an expense.

I'll be saving a fair bit from the commute to my last job, not to mention my vending machine habits and petrol station splurges. My PC's on during the day anyway so even my excess leccy use will be minimal.

 

 

Employees are quids in - no doubt.  Companies not so much though - people think it but it is not reality.  Not sure what ways my company (for example) is saving money except on insurance (they don't insure soemone from working from their own home).  Even things like paper don't count as we are paperless anyway and have been for years.

 

It is the knock on effect of people wfh Smithee.  Quite rightly you will only care about your own pocket (who doesn't) but all the places that are 100% dependant on the working footfall are ****ed.  We desperately need to start shoehorning people back in to the offices.

[westbow]

11 minutes ago, Smithee said:

 

Absolutely, there's going to be a crash in the value of city property. Again, I was listening to a thing on the radio about this the other day. They reckon about 45% of jobs in the UK can be done from home and that of those about half would want to have some sort of WFH arrangement, normally a 2/3 split either way. That's an awful lot of companies looking to downsize or renegotiate and that will force the market down

Yeah, the technology has been there for years and lockdown has accelerated what was going to happen anyway.

I read a few years ago that silicon valley companies experimented with working from home but had issues with weekends stretching to 4 days and a lack of business  serendipity happening due a lack of people coming together.

Edited June 7, 2021 by westbow

[Unknown user]

12 minutes ago, westbow said:

You can claim for home expenses. It is on HMRC website.https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/claim-tax-relief-expenses/claim-online

Tidy, I reckon an ounce a month should cover it

[westbow]

12 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

Employees are quids in - no doubt.  Companies not so much though - people think it but it is not reality.  Not sure what ways my company (for example) is saving money except on insurance (they don't insure soemone from working from their own home).  Even things like paper don't count as we are paperless anyway and have been for years.

 

It is the knock on effect of people wfh Smithee.  Quite rightly you will only care about your own pocket (who doesn't) but all the places that are 100% dependant on the working footfall are ****ed.  We desperately need to start shoehorning people back in to the offices.

The majority of staff that want to come into work are there for the social side. Usually a bit younger. I have heard that some space could be repurposed as living areas for these employees. I suppose that could work -subsidised living for younger people toiling to find places to stay. It's not a new idea, would be like a campus.

[Unknown user]

13 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

Employees are quids in - no doubt.  Companies not so much though - people think it but it is not reality.  Not sure what ways my company (for example) is saving money except on insurance (they don't insure soemone from working from their own home).  Even things like paper don't count as we are paperless anyway and have been for years.

 

It is the knock on effect of people wfh Smithee.  Quite rightly you will only care about your own pocket (who doesn't) but all the places that are 100% dependant on the working footfall are ****ed.  We desperately need to start shoehorning people back in to the offices.

 

Do we?
The world changes, I'd put the comfort and happiness of millions of workers above the current snapshot of capitalism myself. For sure it's a shame for people whose businesses can't go on but you're one of the first to give it "I don't see why I should be inconvenienced"
That's life, it's eternal flux, it was a shame for the staff of Virgin when people stopped buying CDs, it was a shame for the staff of Radio Rentals when people didn't want coin operated TVs any more, but the world evolves.

This is a change that actually works for me and many of the people round me for once.

[Harry Potter]

27 minutes ago, Smithee said:

 

Exactly, plus you can get the tunes on, leave the door open, there's decent toilet roll and you don't even have to get dressed. Superb.

Yes have a dab radio in my bathroom, 70s music when bathing and dumping.

[i8hibsh]

1 minute ago, Smithee said:

 

Do we?
The world changes, I'd put the comfort and happiness of millions of workers above the current snapshot of capitalism myself. For sure it's a shame for people whose businesses can't go on but you're one of the first to give it "I don't see why I should be inconvenienced"
That's life, it's eternal flux, it was a shame for the staff of Virgin when people stopped buying CDs, it was a shame for the staff of Radio Rentals when people didn't want coin operated TVs any more, but the world evolves.

This is a change that actually works for me and many of the people round me for once.

 

 

For me it was a novelty that soon wore off.  You sound like your experience will be more positive so good on you but for me it was mental torture, mentally draining and I was going stir crazy.  You may not be as 'bullish' in a year Smithee.  I'm sure you will have wfh before but all day everyday takes it's toll - it really does.

 

Everyone has a different experience though, kids, partners also wfh, single folk with no kids, people with lovely large houses with gardens and people in pokey flats with no garden.

[Unknown user]

2 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

For me it was a novelty that soon wore off.  You sound like your experience will be more positive so good on you but for me it was mental torture, mentally draining and I was going stir crazy.  You may not be as 'bullish' in a year Smithee.  I'm sure you will have wfh before but all day everyday takes it's toll - it really does.

 

Everyone has a different experience though, kids, partners also wfh, single folk with no kids, people with lovely large houses with gardens and people in pokey flats with no garden.

 

Yeah I'm in a comfortable space with a great view, and you're right, of course I won't suddenly enjoy mundane tasks, and I'll be dragging my arse through the day as normal I'm sure after a while. I think in my ideal world I'd probably like a mix too, but if I had to choose between WFH and commuting to an office there's only one choice, especially with a wee dug coming at the end of the month

[Byyy The Light]

I run a small business (10 employees) and the whole thing has been a nightmare.  Signed a 5 year office lease in October 2019, landlord doubling service charges for Covid protocols (despite nobody being in the office since last February).  The Government subsidy I was eligible (or it made sense for me to claim) has all gone in to my landlord's coffers.

 

Some employees blatantly taking the P*ss on a weekly basis and it's very hard to prove anything despite technology and without me spending my whole day trying to catch them out.  I've no interest in running a business in that way or my job becoming that.  It's all very well to say manage these people out but there are significant costs involved in this, not to mention the costs to try and recruit and then train people to do a job remotely as replacements.

 

On the actual topic of working from home, from a business perspective I'm not a fan of it but would happily be flexible with staff in accommodating a couple of days a week at most.  I also think people under estimate how difficult it is for people who live in small flats or in shared accommodation.  My nephew is 18 and started working full time after school just disappearing, I feel for him as aside from some training for a few weeks he's stuck in the house with his mum and not getting to experience everything that comes with working both on a social and personal development level.

 

It's really easy for people who have a nice house and garden and see the kids off to school etc but for a huge chunk of people this whole thing has been an ongoing nightmare.  That being said it's great to see that there are also a lot of positives happening on the other side of the coin.  Winners and losers as with all things, its just life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Unknown user]

9 minutes ago, Harry Potter said:

Yes have a dab radio in my bathroom, 70s music when bathing and dumping.

I have a google nest mini on the wall, sealed in of course. In fact I have more Homes/Nests than I do rooms.
I also have an nvidia K1 Shield tablet (sealed in again) on the wall for those proper decent baths. I could game on it if I wanted to, but I've never wanted to play Cyberpunk in the bath yet

[i8hibsh]

6 minutes ago, Byyy The Light said:

I run a small business (10 employees) and the whole thing has been a nightmare.  Signed a 5 year office lease in October 2019, landlord doubling service charges for Covid protocols (despite nobody being in the office since last February).  The Government subsidy I was eligible (or it made sense for me to claim) has all gone in to my landlord's coffers.

 

Some employees blatantly taking the P*ss on a weekly basis and it's very hard to prove anything despite technology and without me spending my whole day trying to catch them out.  I've no interest in running a business in that way or my job becoming that.  It's all very well to say manage these people out but there are significant costs involved in this, not to mention the costs to try and recruit and then train people to do a job remotely as replacements.

 

On the actual topic of working from home, from a business perspective I'm not a fan of it but would happily be flexible with staff in accommodating a couple of days a week at most.  I also think people under estimate how difficult it is for people who live in small flats or in shared accommodation.  My nephew is 18 and started working full time after school just disappearing, I feel for him as aside from some training for a few weeks he's stuck in the house with his mum and not getting to experience everything that comes with working both on a social and personal development level.

 

It's really easy for people who have a nice house and garden and see the kids off to school etc but for a huge chunk of people this whole thing has been an ongoing nightmare.  That being said it's great to see that there are also a lot of positives happening on the other side of the coin.  Winners and losers as with all things, its just life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel for you man. Without the slightest shadow of doubt it is the small business that has been ****ed over the most.  The massive multi nationals have went from strength to strength through all this and our governments have jumped through hoops to make this happen.  They have sat back idley and watched small businesses get shafted with zero ****s given.

[Unknown user]

7 minutes ago, Byyy The Light said:

I run a small business (10 employees) and the whole thing has been a nightmare.  Signed a 5 year office lease in October 2019, landlord doubling service charges for Covid protocols (despite nobody being in the office since last February).  The Government subsidy I was eligible (or it made sense for me to claim) has all gone in to my landlord's coffers.

 

Some employees blatantly taking the P*ss on a weekly basis and it's very hard to prove anything despite technology and without me spending my whole day trying to catch them out.  I've no interest in running a business in that way or my job becoming that.  It's all very well to say manage these people out but there are significant costs involved in this, not to mention the costs to try and recruit and then train people to do a job remotely as replacements.

 

On the actual topic of working from home, from a business perspective I'm not a fan of it but would happily be flexible with staff in accommodating a couple of days a week at most.  I also think people under estimate how difficult it is for people who live in small flats or in shared accommodation.  My nephew is 18 and started working full time after school just disappearing, I feel for him as aside from some training for a few weeks he's stuck in the house with his mum and not getting to experience everything that comes with working both on a social and personal development level.

 

It's really easy for people who have a nice house and garden and see the kids off to school etc but for a huge chunk of people this whole thing has been an ongoing nightmare.  That being said it's great to see that there are also a lot of positives happening on the other side of the coin.  Winners and losers as with all things, its just life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's good that there's an open conversation about this. If your post says anything to me, it's that there should be a choice. Once this is all fairly back to normal people should only be WFH with agreement of both the individual and their employer. If one party doesn't want it, that should be that, the norm is still going in to work every day.

[Unknown user]

Just now, i8hibsh said:

 

 

I feel for you man. Without the slightest shadow of doubt it is the small business that has been ****ed over the most.  The massive multi nationals have went from strength to strength through all this and our governments have jumped through hoops to make this happen.  They have sat back idley and watched small businesses get shafted with zero ****s given.

 

You vote tory don't you?

[i8hibsh]

Just now, Smithee said:

 

You vote tory don't you?

 

 

My love for the Tories is long gone.  Yes, I did last month for tactical reasons but they are all a bunch of ***** in Westminster and Holyrood and I have nothing but contempt for our entire political system and almost every decision made on our behalf.

[westbow]

11 minutes ago, Byyy The Light said:

I run a small business (10 employees) and the whole thing has been a nightmare.  Signed a 5 year office lease in October 2019, landlord doubling service charges for Covid protocols (despite nobody being in the office since last February).  The Government subsidy I was eligible (or it made sense for me to claim) has all gone in to my landlord's coffers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All those upfront costs to start a business aswell- yikes. Sucks you didn't have a lease break clause after a year. Any grants i got went to the landlord too. All in this together my arse. Had twenty great years being self employed but, owning businesses that largely depend on tourism means five winter seasons in a row. Negative income since the start of 2020 fair drains the savings account.

[Byyy The Light]

5 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

I feel for you man. Without the slightest shadow of doubt it is the small business that has been ****ed over the most.  The massive multi nationals have went from strength to strength through all this and our governments have jumped through hoops to make this happen.  They have sat back idley and watched small businesses get shafted with zero ****s given.

 

Cheers mate.  I'm pragmatic about the situation, I know a few businesses my size who are run by mates who have had their best years ever. Just unfortunate for me that I'm on the wrong side of it.  Wouldn't usually go in to detail about it but just saw a few comments saying that everything is rosy and people can downsize or do away with their offices etc. In reality it's not that easy.

 

Government need to look at commercial property generally and how some of these guys operate.  It's all legal but it's questionable to say the least.  Not that it would ever happen for very obvious reasons. 

 

 

[Byyy The Light]

1 minute ago, westbow said:

All those upfront costs to start a business aswell- yikes. Sucks you didn't have a lease break clause after a year. Any grants i got went to the landlord too. All in this together my arse. Had twenty great years being self employed but, owning businesses that largely depend on tourism means five winter seasons in a row. Negative income since the start of 2020 fair drains the savings account.

 

Been running my business for over 10 years, it was a lease extension so we have a break after 3 years.  Still no use to me with revenue down 70%. Hard not to think that the Government knew that all this grant money was going to get ploughed straight to commercial property millionaires and billionaires.  

 

Feel for you, its horrible to see the affect this has had on perfectly good solid businesses.  Hopefully this vaccine will do the trick for everyone who has been struggling through. Best of luck.

 

 

[Governor Tarkin]

1 hour ago, Smithee said:

 

Exactly, plus you can get the tunes on, leave the door open, there's decent toilet roll and you don't even have to get dressed. Superb.

 

If I leave a couple of doors open I can watch folk ****ing themselves up on the artificial ski slope at Hillend. 👍

[Unknown user]

32 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

My love for the Tories is long gone.  Yes, I did last month for tactical reasons but they are all a bunch of ***** in Westminster and Holyrood and I have nothing but contempt for our entire political system and almost every decision made on our behalf.

You're complaining about what the Tories stand for a month after voting for them though

[Unknown user]

1 minute ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

If I leave a couple of doors open I can watch folk ****ing themselves up on the artificial ski slope at Hillend. 👍

I can see boats on the forth 👍

[Governor Tarkin]

1 minute ago, Smithee said:

I can see boats on the forth 👍

 

What a life...

 

[i8hibsh]

Just now, Smithee said:

You're complaining about what the Tories stand for a month after voting for them though

 

 

What we have now is not anything like what the Tories stand for that is my point.

 

I still see the world from the right and my political beliefs, leanings and stance has not budged one bit.  The Tories today have nothing in common with the Tories I used to feel part of.

[i8hibsh]

3 minutes ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

If I leave a couple of doors open I can watch folk ****ing themselves up on the artificial ski slope at Hillend. 👍

 

 

I can see Tynecastle

 

[Taffin]

Working from home is much better than the office. I'm lucky, I spend a big chunk of time out and about for work but the 'office' time is much more enjoyable and productive at home than in the office.

 

People who like the office are weird imo. 😂

[i8hibsh]

Just now, Taffin said:

Working from home is much better than the office. I'm lucky, I spend a big chunk of time out and about for work but the 'office' time is much more enjoyable and productive at home than in the office.

 

People who like the office are weird imo. 😂

 

 

To me, people who want to spend all day every day in the same 4 walls are weird but each to their own.  I hear stories of married men happpy they are wfh.  Who the **** would wish to spend all day with their wife/husband etc?

 

It is essential in every way to 'get out', have some time away etc.

 

I walk in to work and walk home, go a wee walk at lunch, have a massive monitor, a cold water filter machine, steps to climb and fresh air to have.

 

I found myself constantly getting anxious when wfh and cleaning shit that didn't need cleaned.  I was constantly cleaning as you would have all day to think about shit that you had not cleaned before etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Locky]

I've been working from home for over a year now, and thankfully my work are really not fussed about getting us back any time soon.

 

We've voted through a contract change a few months ago with various changes, but biggest one as a result of Covid-19 is the right to work from home at least 2 days a week going forward. Ideal for me getting the bairn on a Friday and what not. 

 

I personally dunno if I'd like the 4 over 7 instead of 5. Great having 3 days off, but working longer shifts on your days in means less scope for doing stuff in the evenings and depending on the job you do, you'd probably spend the 1st day off just knackered. If it works for the individual though, I really don't see why companies should stand in their way.

[Taffin]

8 minutes ago, i8hibsh said:

 

 

To me, people who want to spend all day every day in the same 4 walls are weird but each to their own.  I hear stories of married men happpy they are wfh.  Who the **** would wish to spend all day with their wife/husband etc?

 

It is essential in every way to 'get out', have some time away etc.

 

I walk in to work and walk home, go a wee walk at lunch, have a massive monitor, a cold water filter machine, steps to climb and fresh air to have.

 

I found myself constantly getting anxious when wfh and cleaning shit that didn't need cleaned.  I was constantly cleaning as you would have all day to think about shit that you had not cleaned before etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's why it's good working at home.

 

I've time to run before work. I can go for a good walk at lunch in the fields or along the canal rather than around a trading estate/retail park or I can go to the driving range or if I'm staying indoors, play some Xbox. At 5pm I can be out the door for a run and still be back in time to cook a decent meal. 

 

Everything outdoor activity you can do from the office, you can do from home...but quicker giving you more time 'get out' and usually in a nicer setting.

 

8 hours a day inside with people you don't really like or 8 hours a day inside listening to music, good cheap coffee, good food and then the time saved getting ready (ironing, polishing shoes etc) and the commute recharged back into your free time. What's not to like?!?

[DETTY29]

Not sure of the impact of covid 'burnout, boredom' but at the start of the pandemic it was discussed on R.Scotland of the impact of WFH pre pandemic and employees worked longer hours or harder to prove to management they weren't skiving.

 

 

[westbow]

51 minutes ago, Byyy The Light said:

 

Been running my business for over 10 years, it was a lease extension so we have a break after 3 years.  Still no use to me with revenue down 70%. Hard not to think that the Government knew that all this grant money was going to get ploughed straight to commercial property millionaires and billionaires.  

 

Feel for you, its horrible to see the affect this has had on perfectly good solid businesses.  Hopefully this vaccine will do the trick for everyone who has been struggling through. Best of luck.

 

 

I'm in a similar situation, five years into second 10 year lease. Got a rent review in December, as it is a 5 yearly it could be a belter as prices have rocketed where I am. Don't suppose they will take into account a once in a lifetime sustained loss in trade either. Tempted to sell the remainder of the lease because they could be a pain with delapidations at the end of the contract.

[Stu_HMFC]

19 hours ago, Smithee said:

I start a new job working from home on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to the change, I like my house much better than any office, and I can have a wee joint and great coffee through the day. Superb.

Result!

[neilnunb]

I absolutely love WFH. My current contract ends at the end of this month, it may get extended but not too bothered if not, so I can't see me back in the office for a good while yet as once this ends I'm taking some time out. 

 

Avoiding colleagues has been great. I've changed teams a couple of times and never put my camera on for zoom meetings so almost all my team have no idea what I look like 🤣

 

Then there's being able to sit in my pjs most days. Bliss.

 

Must have saved well over £4,000 on travel expenses too. 😁  

 

The only downside has been late last year I got moved from 3 days per week to 5 days and I do miss the long weekends, even if we couldn't do much with them.

 

I know the circumstances surrounding it have been shite but in terms of my work life, it's been ****ing great!

 

 

[JimmyCant]

I was made redundant shortly after lockdown. I now work at home doing various things for the NHS, currently the vaccination programme, next will be the vaccination passport programme. That’ll take me up to the middle of next year and hopefully some other NHS project. Working for the NHS is the dugs baws and I highly recommend it to anyone.
 

Working from home is also great. Requires a bit of discipline and a workspace away from distractions (no weed in this house) but I wouldn’t take another job that involved commuting into an office. It’s so 2019.

 

As an aside I was in town the other day for the first time in over a year. The city centre is like a ghost town. Every second or 3rd shop has gone, lying empty. Huge offices at The Gyle/Edinburgh Park lying empty and mothballed. Some aspects of life are never going to be the same. Some good things here to stay. Some bad things causing devastating impact for years.

Edited June 7, 2021 by JimmyCant

[husref musemic]

(with the exception of those who have to be on site to work)

 

in years to come they'll laugh at the millions who got in there car ten hours a week, burning fuel, in slow lines of traffic to sit at a 'computer desk' & chat face to face every day.

 

i suppose similar conversations were had when the telephone came along.

[Nookie Bear]

I can see working practices gradually returning to pre-Covid levels for most - especially amongst the lower level office workers.

 

Companies will be saying that being in the office helps communication and "sharing of ideas" but it's all about keeping an eye on staff, noticing when they are two minutes late or forgot to raise their hands to go to the toilet.

 

Management will still be "working from home" when they feel like it.

[Marvin]

Discussions taking place with us homeworkers. Talk of hybrid working where we spend at least one day in the office and the rest of the week at home. 

 

[milky_26]

4 minutes ago, Marvin said:

Discussions taking place with us homeworkers. Talk of hybrid working where we spend at least one day in the office and the rest of the week at home. 

 

that is how it is looking for me, probably 2-3 days in the office and the rest at home. subject ot what i am doing

[Marvin]

2 hours ago, milky_26 said:

that is how it is looking for me, probably 2-3 days in the office and the rest at home. subject ot what i am doing.

 

because I'd normally have a train to pay for I told them I'm not prepared to do more than 2 days in the office because it's not very cost effective and in the long run I'd be worse off.

[A Boy Named Crow]

On 07/06/2021 at 22:54, i8hibsh said:

 

 

Employees are quids in - no doubt.  Companies not so much though - people think it but it is not reality.  Not sure what ways my company (for example) is saving money except on insurance (they don't insure soemone from working from their own home).  Even things like paper don't count as we are paperless anyway and have been for years.

 

It is the knock on effect of people wfh Smithee.  Quite rightly you will only care about your own pocket (who doesn't) but all the places that are 100% dependant on the working footfall are ****ed.  We desperately need to start shoehorning people back in to the offices.

You're not thinking big enough, chief. City centres need to be reinvented as places for people to live, socialise, be entertained etc seven days a week. Forget the blocks of office space that is mostly utilised 9 to 5 Monday to Friday. People have tried flexible home working arrangements, and like it. 

 

Cafes, sandwich shops and the like will suffer, but these businesses will be replaced by others in the entertainment sector. 

 

It'll be great 

[Byyy The Light]

11 minutes ago, BarneyBattles said:

Spot on. This was coming regardless of Covid. City centre retail was dying due to retail parks and online shopping and now city centre working is going the same way. 

If I had a big pot of cash I’d be going round the country buying all the abandoned bank branches and making them in to community WeWork style shared office space.

 

Gives people the social connection without the commute and a clear place to work rather than the couch or a kitchen table. Hopefully give local sandwich shops etc communities to set up in. 

[A Boy Named Crow]

52 minutes ago, Byyy The Light said:

If I had a big pot of cash I’d be going round the country buying all the abandoned bank branches and making them in to community WeWork style shared office space.

 

Gives people the social connection without the commute and a clear place to work rather than the couch or a kitchen table. Hopefully give local sandwich shops etc communities to set up in. 

I thought this as soon as office working from home became the norm. Why go into an office to spend the day with cretins you can't stand, when you could do your office job with your mates doing their office jobs?

[JudyJudyJudy]

On 07/06/2021 at 15:11, Smithee said:

I can see boats on the forth 👍

My view from my hone work office is like a scene from the film “ Rear window “my “ office “  Looks on to a back green and it’s all enclosed in a rectangle so windows every where . Tend to see a few others are their “ office “ each day 

[Unknown user]

1 hour ago, A Boy Named Crow said:

I thought this as soon as office working from home became the norm. Why go into an office to spend the day with cretins you can't stand, when you could do your office job with your mates doing their office jobs?

 

Security. No company's going to let you share your work space with people unauthorised to access your data.

Having said that it's a business I've got my eye on - serviced single offices for home workers who don't have the space

[Greedy Jambo]

Moaning about people not turning up for work while sitting on JKB at work NAP

[Taffin]

9 hours ago, Smithee said:

 

Security. No company's going to let you share your work space with people unauthorised to access your data.

Having said that it's a business I've got my eye on - serviced single offices for home workers who don't have the space

 

Isn't that precisely what they're doing having you work from home?

[Unknown user]

Just now, Taffin said:

 

Isn't that precisely what they're doing having you work from home?

Fair comment, but you wouldn't be allowed to be within earshot or sight of yous screen.

[Taffin]

2 minutes ago, Smithee said:

Fair comment, but you wouldn't be allowed to be within earshot or sight of yous screen.

 

That's simply unavoidable for many people who've been working from home over the last year. Flatmates, parents, kids, partners will all have been within earshot and sight of screen for large parts of the day. 

 

Many people work on trains, on planes, in hotels and shared working spaces already. I'm not sure it would really be anything new, just on a larger scale.

[Unknown user]

1 minute ago, Taffin said:

 

That's simply unavoidable for many people who've been working from home over the last year. Flatmates, parents, kids, partners will all have been within earshot and sight of screen for large parts of the day. 

 

Many people work on trains, on planes, in hotels and shared working spaces already. I'm not sure it would really be anything new, just on a larger scale.

 

If my employer called me and overheard someone in the background I'd be let go immediately, but I am dealing with sensitive data to be fair. I wouldn't have been able to take the job without declaring how many people live here and showing the space, but I guess they're not all the same.

[Greedy Jambo]

1 hour ago, Smithee said:

 

If my employer called me and overheard someone in the background I'd be let go immediately, but I am dealing with sensitive data to be fair. I wouldn't have been able to take the job without declaring how many people live here and showing the space, but I guess they're not all the same.

 

Quite interested in this "sensitive" data now, to be fair. 

Have you got a top secret Q clearance? 

 

[A Boy Named Crow]

4 hours ago, Taffin said:

 

That's simply unavoidable for many people who've been working from home over the last year. Flatmates, parents, kids, partners will all have been within earshot and sight of screen for large parts of the day. 

 

Many people work on trains, on planes, in hotels and shared working spaces already. I'm not sure it would really be anything new, just on a larger scale.

It's an interesting point they make though.

 

A possible way to mitigate the security risks is to finally, finally bin the "meetings culture" that is so common in most work places. Cut the number of phone calls right down for sensitive stuff, and replace the meeting with an email,  that would always have sufficed anyway. You can put a privacy film on your monitor so it can't be easily read by others too. 

 

There are solutions to a lot of these problems, there just needs to be the will to do it. I think the savings on rent will motivate a lot of organisations. 

[Taffin]

11 hours ago, Smithee said:

 

If my employer called me and overheard someone in the background I'd be let go immediately, but I am dealing with sensitive data to be fair. I wouldn't have been able to take the job without declaring how many people live here and showing the space, but I guess they're not all the same.

 

I'm intrigued as to what you do now! I'm imagining some kind of super spy...or finance.

 

6 hours ago, A Boy Named Crow said:

It's an interesting point they make though.

 

A possible way to mitigate the security risks is to finally, finally bin the "meetings culture" that is so common in most work places. Cut the number of phone calls right down for sensitive stuff, and replace the meeting with an email,  that would always have sufficed anyway. You can put a privacy film on your monitor so it can't be easily read by others too. 

 

There are solutions to a lot of these problems, there just needs to be the will to do it. I think the savings on rent will motivate a lot of organisations. 

 

Yeh the risks can definitely be mitigated. I don't think most people are in a position like Smithee though where it's quite so secretive. For example, there's not much value to anyone else if they get a glimpse of my shoddy Visio work flows 😂