Covid-19 to have a permanent downward effect on commuting patterns with more partial working from home?

[Cowley]

One of my nearby neighbours having been assured he can work from home for the foreseeable future and having it written into his contract is now going to spend a small fortune building a large cabin at the bottom of his garden which will become his Office.

That would count against his tax bill though and he’ll still have the asset of a cabin in his garden if he changes jobs at some point.

 

[37424]

That would count against his tax bill though and he’ll still have the asset of a cabin in his garden if he changes jobs at some point.

Indeed but I think the insulated cabin alone is over 12K and then the site will need to be prepared, electricity supply etc. But I guess separating the office from the house is good in some ways feels like your going to work I suppose even if it only at the bottom of the Garden.

 

[Bantamzen]

Brewdog were doing offers like this before Covid. They have some quite large spaces which are basically empty during the day, so it makes a lot of sense. It's really aimed at people who want to get out of the house every so often, can use a laptop screen to do their job (I've never really understood what multiple monitors give you that alt-tab doesn't), and don't need huge privacy solutions or loud calls.

Well for a start when you are debugging code having at least 2 screens makes the job a whole lot quicker. And there will be plenty of other examples where Alt+Tab isn't an option.

 

[takno]

Well for a start when you are debugging code having at least 2 screens makes the job a whole lot quicker. And there will be plenty of other examples where Alt+Tab isn't an option.

I find it quicker to switch window than to move my eyes. Means I don't have to adapt my working style depending on which desk I'm at, or remember where the keyboard focus is going. It's a working style I've developed over 25 years or so though, so I appreciate it may not be so easy or natural for other people.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Personally I've got so used to having one singular larger screen that I think going back to the two screens in the office is going to be a bit annoying haha!
But yeah as a software developer having a larger screen estate than what is offered by a laptop is pretty much essential for the development side of my job.
There will be some parts of my job that I can do on a laptop screen, but they will be the meetings and workshop sessions I end up on which generally I wouldn't want to do whilst in a pub!

 

[edwin_m]

Two screens can be very helpful if you're producing a document based on information that's in another one. It's also helpful in Teams, because if you're presenting on one screen it can't be used to see who's talking or has "raised hand".

 

[Bantamzen]

I find it quicker to switch window than to move my eyes. Means I don't have to adapt my working style depending on which desk I'm at, or remember where the keyboard focus is going. It's a working style I've developed over 25 years or so though, so I appreciate it may not be so easy or natural for other people.

It doesn't always work for me when I'm running application code & want to see the app's functions running whilst keeping an eye what the code is doing. Plus as a member of a very spread out team, when in the office I use my laptop as a third screen to handle messaging services so that they don't distract whilst working on code. And a mate of mine has a four screen setup....

 

[route101]

It was faster for me to travel from north London to St Albans and Hatfield, than one industrial estate at Enfield.

But one near Angel Road was perfectly feasible as I could take a direct bus there.

I scoped out a warehouse on industrial estate yesterday, 15 minutes drive away yet by public transport 90 mins . 30 min walk to bus then 20 mins bus then 25 min walk. I wish I had a car or means to buy one.

 

[Envy123]

I scoped out a warehouse on industrial estate yesterday, 15 minutes drive away yet by public transport 90 mins . 30 min walk to bus then 20 mins bus then 25 min walk. I wish I had a car or means to buy one.

The Enfield job was 2.5 hours door to door - either two buses or bus, train, tube, tube, bus, walk.

That's the same exact timing going to Milton Keynes or Chertsey!

 

[Hadders]

The Enfield job was 2.5 hours door to door - either two buses or bus, train, tube, tube, bus, walk.

That's the same exact timing going to Milton Keynes or Chertsey!

As long as the final destination at Milton Keynes or Chertsey was next to the station.

 

[Envy123]

As long as the final destination at Milton Keynes or Chertsey was next to the station.

Yes, both were within a few minutes' walk to the station.

 

[SamYeager]

One of my nearby neighbours having been assured he can work from home for the foreseeable future and having it written into his contract is now going to spend a small fortune building a large cabin at the bottom of his garden which will become his Office.

Just hope he makes sure he's got the thumbs up from planning before he builds it. Be expensive if he was forced to demolish it!

 

[westv]

Just hope he makes sure he's got the thumbs up from planning before he builds it. Be expensive if he was forced to demolish it!

Do you need planning permission if you plan to have an erection in your garden?

 

[nedchester]

Do you need planning permission if you plan to have an erection in your garden?

Always best not to as neighbours can be easily offended these days.......sorry couldn't resist......

 

[Mikey C]

Do you need planning permission if you plan to have an erection in your garden?

 

[bramling]

Do you need planning permission if you plan to have an erection in your garden?

Depends on size and location. ISTR permission is required if something goes above a certain height if it’s adjacent to a boundary fence. Then there’s issues with stuff like certification if there’s an electrical installation.

 

[david1212]

One of my nearby neighbours having been assured he can work from home for the foreseeable future and having it written into his contract is now going to spend a small fortune building a large cabin at the bottom of his garden which will become his Office.

Just hope he makes sure he's got the thumbs up from planning before he builds it. Be expensive if he was forced to demolish it!

Do you need planning permission if you plan to have an erection in your garden?

Depends on size and location. ISTR permission is required if something goes above a certain height if it’s adjacent to a boundary fence. Then there’s issues with stuff like certification if there’s an electrical installation.

Back in time I recall the limit for not needing planning permission was an area of 100sq ft / 10sq m and single story. There will be a height limit too so probably a nominally flat roof. That is a decent size for an office as against a workshop.

Unless a lot of power is needed the supply could just be from a 13A RCD protected socket on the ring main, or even two although not leaving a lot for 30 / 32A for the rest of the circuit. The main requirement will most likely be heating and air conditioning in the summer. To keep costs down the insulation of walls, floor and ceiling/roof will all need to be good as a 2kw electric heater running 10 hours a day would be around £3 a day. Back in time the logical option would have been a night-storage heater and a dual-rate meter.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Daily Mail has an article today that City of London Investment Banks are going to start allowing staff to return following teh removal of stay at home from 29th March

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/m...office-EIGHT-days-stay-home-rule-dropped.html

US Investment banks are planning to lead the charge back to the office as the first wave of City workers get ready to return to work.

Several banks contacted by The Mail on Sunday said they were preparing to open their offices again as soon as March 29 – in eight days' time.

Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Credit Suisse are among those paving the way for workers to begin to return.

Good to see and from little starts like this we will see food places then pubs start to reopen and resource up and public transport usage start to return. Not saying it will return to pre covid levels anytime soon but view remains that come June if all restrictions are off we will see a rapid move to 60-70%

 

[david1212]

Daily Mail has an article today that City of London Investment Banks are going to start allowing staff to return following teh removal of stay at home from 29th March

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/m...office-EIGHT-days-stay-home-rule-dropped.html


Good to see and from little starts like this we will see food places then pubs start to reopen and resource up and public transport usage start to return. Not saying it will return to pre covid levels anytime soon but view remains that come June if all restrictions are off we will see a rapid move to 60-70%

There is a subtle difference between allowing staff to return and expecting them too. ( Anti ) - social distancing guidelines also remain so not least to keep the unions happy they may well only want a proportion.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

There is a subtle difference between allowing staff to return and expecting them too. ( Anti ) - social distancing guidelines also remain so not least to keep the unions happy they may well only want a proportion.

Yup but from little acorns...

 

[Mikey C]

The likes of those Investment banks are in a very different world to most employers though. The money is great, but the hours and commitment to the job are incredibly tough. If Goldmans can make their new employees work 95 hour weeks, they can make them return to the office...

 

[Bald Rick]

There’s a clear view emerging that certain types of industry will tend to have people back in 5 days a week, and certain other industries won’t.

In the former category are many of the big city employers - not necessarily the banks, but the insurance market (a classic example of agglomeration theory), the trading floors, big corporate finance (M&A, Bond markets etc) and their support services. These are generally in and around the square mile.

In the latter category is media, IT, corporate offices, property, accountancy / consultancy and many more. These are spread across central London.

What will be most interesting to see is what happens with Government offices, which are mostly based in and around Westminster, and the large legal contingent in and around Temple / Ludgate.

This is important, as people who work in the city are more likely to commute into Liverpool St / Fenchurch St / Cannon St / City TL / Moorgate / London Bridge, and therefore these stations may see a quicker return of commuters, and ultimately to a higher level, than others.

 

[telstarbox]

Property people of my acquaintance are quite keen to get back in but they often have site visits to do or going to the pub "building client relationships".

Interestingly I thought lawyers would be the same but they seem to be happier with WFH.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Mar 2021 ==

The likes of those Investment banks are in a very different world to most employers though. The money is great, but the hours and commitment to the job are incredibly tough. If Goldmans can make their new employees work 95 hour weeks, they can make them return to the office...

If everyone in the City was working 95 hours a) the pubs would all shut b) the trains wouldn't be busy from 1700 onwards!

 

[westv]

Daily Mail has an article today that City of London Investment Banks are going to start allowing staff to return following teh removal of stay at home from 29th March

I thought the "work from home if you can" was staying until 21/6 at least.

 

[philosopher]

I thought the "work from home if you can" was staying until 21/6 at least.

Work from home if you can is compulsory until the 28th March, then it is advice until at least the 21st June.

 

[westv]

Work from home if you can is compulsory until the 28th March, then it is advice until at least the 21st June.

Ah! I see. So basically no real change then.

 

[Mintona]

It still blows my mind that you can run a computer with two different screens. Feels like something out of a sci fi movie. I’m also bemused by just how many people use computers all day every day. Give me staring out of a window any day.

 

[Mikey C]

Property people of my acquaintance are quite keen to get back in but they often have site visits to do or going to the pub "building client relationships".

Interestingly I thought lawyers would be the same but they seem to be happier with WFH.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Mar 2021 ==


If everyone in the City was working 95 hours a) the pubs would all shut b) the trains wouldn't be busy from 1700 onwards!

The people on the trains at 1700 are probably the ones who will still be largely working from home in April...

 

[nlogax]

Give me staring out of a window any day.

I've tried it. I got bored of staring at an empty car park..it's overrated.

 

[philosopher]

The people on the trains at 1700 are probably the ones who will still be largely working from home in April...

I may be wrong here, but those workers on very high salaries working in the city probably are going to live close to where they work partly as they can afford it and partly because if they work very long hours they can’t afford to waste too much time commuting.