Staff at workplace desks ‘resentful’ of those still at home

‘Fractured’ companies offer perks to colleagues aggrieved at having to carry on during virus crisis

WORKERS who have continued to come into the office during the coronavirus pandemic resent their colleagues who work from home and some are being offered extra pay or perks, HR professionals have said.

Those who feel they have taken on extra responsibilities as others work from home or are furloughed have even resorted to launching grievance procedures against their employers, it has emerged. Their anger has even resulted in some companies asking furloughed workers to return early.

On the first working day that employers in England can demand their staff return to the office, it was said that bosses have also had “pushback” from those on the other side of the divide who are refusing to return.

Katie Jacobs, a senior stakeholder lead at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said the workplace had been “fractured” by different experiences of the pandemic, and managers were looking for ways to bring back workers both physically and psychologically.

“At the beginning, the attitude was ‘we are all in this together’, but as time goes on that has dissipated,” she told The Daily Telegraph. “Employers were pleasantly surprised that there was a lot of kindness, but that seems to have disappeared and now people are tired, burnt out and fed up.

“Anecdotally, I would say that we are seeing a bit of resentment.

“At the beginning, there was quite a lot of talk around danger money for front-line workers and whether they should be rewarded. Some employers have paid bonuses or given extra perks like a few days’ holiday to differentiate those still going into work.”

From Aug 1 the Government guidance changed, meaning employers can now ask employees to return to their workplace so long as they have Covid-19 safety measures in place.

But Ms Jacobs estimates that in offices only 20 to 30 per cent of the workforce will be expected to come back before the autumn or year end.

“There has been pushback from people who are still anxious about returning, even some not wanting to come back from furlough,” she said.

The CIPD advises employers that there is “no clear reason for a rush to return to work” and that bosses should only ask employees to come back if it is “essential, safe and mutually agreed”. Alan Price, CEO of Brighthr which provides HR support for 33,000 small and medium businesses, said most were not yet requiring all their employees to return, largely due to social distancing measures and childcare concerns.

Mr Price said that for smaller businesses September, when children return to school, will be the “watershed moment”. Many working from home are beginning to argue that there has not been a big drop in productivity, and they are spending more time working as they are not having to commute.

Since the start of the pandemic Brighthr has recorded a 50 per cent fall in sickness and a 75 per cent reduction in lateness. But what is emerging is an “us and them” division between those who were furloughed or not, and those who were attending work or working from home, Mr Price said.

“We have also seen grievances from people who have had to go into work, that their colleagues have no travel time or travel costs, and they do,” he added. Under the new rules, employees have to return to work if they have been told to do so, unless they can prove their employer is not complying with Covid-secure measures.