Anyone on Furlough?

[busby1971]

A genuine question as I don't know, I'm not working from home so just interested. If you do WFH are you able to claim for electricity/internet (or is mobile data supplied) office furniture if you need it, lockable cabinets if required for data protection etc? If you are self employed all tax deductable. If you have IT equipment does is it covered by your company insurance? I know people aren't then paying for travel costs etc so it's swings and roundabouts. I agree that WFH will increase drastically across some organisations is this classed as running a business from home? As I said haven't got a clue if was just a conversation with a relative.

Depends on the organisation, I think that most small additional costs of working from home would be covered by reduction in commuting and normal 'at work' expenses.

Companies should ensure that your workspace, wherever it is, is safe. Most people have a suitable table we've had some guys pick up their special chairs, work stations have been sent home with the staff. I've heard that some companies have paid a grant to set up a home office.

We've had people ask about covering the costs of working from home and they have been given the option of returning to site, nobody has followed through yet.

It would be hard for the average employee to be able to specify which costs are directly attributable to working from home, for the low paid it could have an impact on the benefits they receive, for renters they might be breaching their tenancy and all householders would need to check with their home insurance to make sure they're covered, as long as checking their council tax/business rates liabilities.

One lady at one of our sites informed her manager that her bills were now unaffordable due to home working, initial chat revealed that her two teenage boys and furloughed husband were probably having a bigger impact than the Laptop she was using.

 

[vim_fuego]

A genuine question as I don't know, I'm not working from home so just interested. If you do WFH are you able to claim for electricity/internet (or is mobile data supplied) office furniture if you need it, lockable cabinets if required for data protection etc? If you are self employed all tax deductable. If you have IT equipment does is it covered by your company insurance? I know people aren't then paying for travel costs etc so it's swings and roundabouts. I agree that WFH will increase drastically across some organisations is this classed as running a business from home? As I said haven't got a clue if was just a conversation with a relative.

I can claim for printing, telephone, stationary and anything I think I have expended on my work effort. I have received all my IT stuff from my office including my biff chair. I feel like I could carry on doing this indefinitely...it just needs me to think and act differently i.e. I don't have to start at 0800...If I feel tired or stressed have a lay in and catch the work up when I feel better...get out of my seat regularly, have my lunch in the garden or go for a walk and make sure I do something after work that helps me to switch off.

 

[busby1971]

I can claim for printing, telephone, stationary and anything I think I have expended on my work effort. I have received all my IT stuff from my office including my biff chair. I feel like I could carry on doing this indefinitely...it just needs me to think and act differently i.e. I don't have to start at 0800...If I feel tired or stressed have a lay in and catch the work up when I feel better...get out of my seat regularly, have my lunch in the garden or go for a walk and make sure I do something after work that helps me to switch off.

Its important to create separation, we have an office at home and the only reason I go in there is for work, the wife comes home and catches up in the evenings with marking andnplanning. so I get evicted.

Its important not to feel guilty about doing the odd household task, there's plenty of distractions at work to offset this.

 

[vim_fuego]

On occasion I log into my work laptop in the evening and see which of my team are 'green' on Teams. Then we have a chat about whats going on at their end and if they are just moving their work to later in the day to allow a later start. There is so much more to think about before wading in and bollocking people...perhaps they are dealing with a home-schooling meltdown and they are now spending time with their kid and helping them...perhaps they are struggling with isolation. One issue I didn't think about but is affecting some in my teams is being a Grad who has just started with us...They were encouraged to flat share with out other Grads in Bristol so they could keep each other company and have a social life but now we are working from home its feasible to have 3-4 of them trying to find workspace in a small flat and the wi-fi is seriously under strain as are tempers.