Olympic congestion - Employers stance

robfosters · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:09

Where do you stand on this?

It is without doubt, going to be very bad over the next 3 weeks and more around London, and hardly any rush hour commuters have any realistic chance of completing their morning commute in the normal time.

Do you think people should be forced to complete all their work hours, even if it means leaving mega early and getting home mega late with no overtime, or do you think the rules should be relaxed so that workers can try to keep to their normal schedule even if it means a natural shortening of their office hours.

I personally feel that although obviously every effort should be made, people should not have to undergo massive pressure and strain to complete their work hours. An average day outside the house could easy be pushed up from 10 hours to 12 or more. That's an extra working day a week just spent commuting.

What are your firm's plans?

estebanrey · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:11

Dunno, what happens with Saturday workers in North London when Spurs and Arsenal are both playing at home? Same thing really.

robfosters · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:12

estebanrey said:
Dunno, what happens with Saturday workers in North London when Spurs and Arsenal are both playing at home? Same thing really.

Not really the same thing is it.

joxang · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:14

Our employers have just 'advised' us to add 30-40mins to the commute time. Will probably be leaving the house just after six! Sure miss being a student

.

EDIT

estebanrey said:
Dunno, what happens with Saturday workers in North London when Spurs and Arsenal are both playing at home? Same thing really.

What's wrong? It's sunny, cheer the **** up. You're not doing anything except putting a cynical downer into every thread you write in...

estebanrey · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:14

robfosters said:
Not really the same thing is it.

Why not? There is huge congestion in that part of the world when both teams are playing at home.

joxang · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:16

estebanrey said:
Why not? There is huge congestion in that part of the world when both teams are playing at home.

The reason why the two situations are different should be blindingly obvious.

robfosters · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:16

estebanrey said:
Why not? There is huge congestion in that part of the world when both teams are playing at home.

Yes, but it's 1 day as compared to 7.

Energizer Bunny · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:18

We're being encouraged to work from home as much as possible

I got an email from TFL this morning telling me to expect 30 minutes qeues to get to the platform at my station. Hurrah!

Glaucus · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:18

It's upto you to get to work on time, off course companies shouldn't have to relax anything. Odd question. It's 3 weeks, live with it. If companies wants to help, by working at home or suggesting alternative working hours, it's a bonus.

KaHn · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:21

This is why I refuse to work in London

5 min walk to work \o/

KaHn

Haggisman · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:30

joxang said:
The reason why the two situations are different should be blindingly obvious.

In which case it should only take you a moment to explain them

I don't see how it's any different - a sporting event causing delays.

Rroff · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:34

Glaucus said:
It's upto you to get to work on time, off course companies shouldn't have to relax anything. Odd question. It's 3 weeks, live with it. If companies wants to help, by working at home or suggesting alternative working hours, it's a bonus.

There has to be some flexibility somewhere - its completely out of an employees control in this case. Also something a lot of companies seem to forget - the door swings both ways - make some allowances for an exception like this and employees are as a generalisation more inclined to return the favor.

PapaLazaru · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:36

Just deal with it for three weeks.

Glaucus · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:37

Rroff said:
There has to be some flexibility somewhere - .

why?
It's not out of the control of the employer, just leave earlier. There's lots of situations that can make you late, or make it busier. Do you ask for flexibility in term time and it takes three times as long to get anywhere due to all the parents taking kids to school?

Ekim · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:38

My work are being flexible in regards to starting and finishing time, but you are expected to do a full 7.5 hours a day either way.

Think we are allowed to start as early as 7am or as late as 11am and any where in between. I am going to try and work normal hours any how. I think the route I take in shouldn't be too bad.

Rroff · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:42

Glaucus said:
why?
It's not out of the control of the employer, just leave earlier. There's lots of situations that can make you late, or make it busier. Do you ask for flexibility in term time and it takes three times as long to get anywhere due to all the parents taking kids to school?

Theres leaving earlier and then theres exceptions like the olympics where it could be insanely congested/traffic control making journeys significantly longer than normal... I don't think it that unreasonable to have a bit of flexibility in term time either if there are periods where it gets extremely busy well beyond normal levels, aslong as the work is getting done.

Glaucus · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:43

Difference is you know it's going to Insanely busy. You won't get up and be shocked it's busy. You can easily compensat and leave 30mins earlier or what ever you have been advised.

If a company decides to b flexible it's a bonus, nothing more.

Rroff · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:46

Yeah if it was like allowing an extra 20-30 minutes fair enough that would be reasonable... but especially with the olympics it could be extremely unpredictable and a lot more than allowing for a few extra minutes.

albert · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:50

Oh you poor southern softies ... It's up to you to get to work on time and no-one else.

Nikumba · 24 Jul 2012 at 17:54

Don't work in London so Im ok, but we have a flexible working policy if you turn up at 7am go home at 3pm, 8 go at 4 etc.

That would be an easy way for a company to deal with it, also if it was a larger company, I would have been looking at how to implement some sort of flexi system for this period.

Kimbie