[News] Staff who work from home after pandemic 'should pay more tax'

[Albion Dan]

I know quite a lot of companies have. Unity , the tech company in Brighton gave everyone £200 at the beginning of lockdown I think and then gave them another £250 recently to be spent on stuff to make working from home more comfortable

That's really different to a significant investment in a permanent home office. I'd say it's basic heath and safety even.

 

[Springal]

That's really different to a significant investment in a permanent home office. I'd say it's basic heath and safety even.

Ah didn't see the original post

 

[Blue3]

Says bank.

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...-from-home-after-pandemic-should-pay-more-tax

It's an interesting idea we do live under a capitalist system that oftern rewards those who have relatively comfortable jobs such as within an office with a kitchen nice toilets carpet under feet air conditioning heating all within a constant location, while others who don't have any of those things are often not rewarded enough.

Take the current pandemic the person working from home not perched on the end of a bed but in a space that has a desk and office chair can control their environment and will be paid the same as somone who goes into the office but without the travel costs and risks associated mixing with others but with the added costs of heating lighting etc.

Now take those who don't have either of these options maybe the cleaner working in the takeaway that the office workers visit lunchtime or the staff working in the corner shop or maybe housekeeping in hospitals and nursing homes on minimum wage should the more fortunate not pay a bit more?

"From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs" (German: Jeder nach seinen Fähigkeiten, jedem nach seinen Bedürfnissen) is a slogan popularised by Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program. The principle refers to free access to and distribution of goods, capital and services.

 

[Madafwo]

A load of bollocks anyway but what highlights how idiotic the authors of the report really are is this :

"That means remote workers are contributing less to the infrastructure of the economy whilst still receiving its benefits. That is a big problem for the economy."

So how exactly are remote workers contributing less to the infrastructure of the economy.? Utter bankers !

I'd suggest if anyone needs taxing more it's the banks thanks to their actions ( or inactions ) in 2008.

Railways are done for if people don't return to travelling, commuting especially, currently costing around £700 million a month to run empty trains round and that isn't sustainable.

If the railways go that's a hell of a lot of people out of work which may damage the economy and the infrastructure network.

 

[A mex eyecan]

We'll all need to pay more tax

especially our children and grandchildren, who won’t have any choice.

 

[Weststander]

Company I work from surveyed the entire UK workforce months ago and the majority were in favour of a wfh/office split. The shift is already starting with the lease on one of their Scottish offices not being renewed, and the remaining one in the same town being geared up for part time attendance for most. Companies have identified large savings in real estate and associated costs can be made.

The genie is out of the bottle now and city landlords are going to have to think about what they do with empty office space. Converting it into homes would seem the logical option. Most younger people prefer the buzz of being centrally located and it would supply a customer base to the bars and shops that used to rely on office workers.

Is exactly what will happen.

 

[John Byrnes Mullet]

Agreed and a pay cut.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Wouldn't happen in Germa......




Oh.....

 

[Hamilton]

Agree with this. Tax the online crew a little more to help the struggling high st shops which are currently closed

Would be great if some of them just paid the tax they are supposed to pay at the moment so that we could invest in our schools and hospitals. I'm looking at you Amazon, you total c****s.

 

[worthingseagull123]

Says bank.

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...-from-home-after-pandemic-should-pay-more-tax

I would return to the office each day.

I’ll be driving though from Worthing to South London as I have been for the odd day here and there I have gone into the office.

 

[Hamilton]

We carried out some research about future work habits. The majority of people under 35 said they would actively pursue roles that enabled office and in person working over working from home.

We also spoke to PWC who said they are seeing really negative impacts on work effectiveness, collaboration culture, and employee mental health from away from office working and will be actively encouraging people back into work spaces as soon as possible.

From personal experience we have been running workshops to create our new business model and plan post covid and it’s been a car crash trying to do it remotely, so much so that the 20 people involved all opted to travel to York for the last two days to get it done properly.

I really think the forecasts of ongoing permanent home working are way off what will be future reality.

PWC are a bunch of cocks Dan who don't know their arses from their elbows. They should have stuck to accountancy.

Inevitably younger people will want the buzz of the office - it's life. Older workers have been there. done that and have families they want to be with.

Equally, it is impossible to upskill graduates and apprentices without some face to face time on the job.

As important is investment in digital platforms that enable virtual working and training so that people understand how to use these platforms - that will be why productivity is inconsistent

Leadership models will need to change so that companies understand how to manage workers to get the best out of them and to guard against mental health issues

Right now, PWC and others are jumping on a research bandwagon without thinking about the dynamics. I spend my life working with brands clearing up the shitshow of powerpoint presentations the likes of PWC leave in their wake.

 

[worthingseagull123]

Railways are done for if people don't return to travelling, commuting especially, currently costing around £700 million a month to run empty trains round and that isn't sustainable.

If the railways go that's a hell of a lot of people out of work which may damage the economy and the infrastructure network.

I will never go back to the train. Driving costs the same, is more convenient and comfortable.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I don't know about PWC et al but working from home 5 days a week most definitely isn't for me. I've had enough Zoom and Teams meetings to last me a lifetime. All I do is spend all day on "calls" that involve some technically inept pen pusher leaving the mute button off while they loudly slurp their coffee or bring their dog into the room.

In a lifetime first I agree with Albion Dan. The sooner I can start going back into a proper office and seeing my clients face to face the better.

 

[maltaseagull]

We'll all need to pay more tax

Sadly, that is the truth.

The bill is massive and although the debts can be deferred, eventually they will have to be repaid.

Everyone will blame the Tory party so probably next election will be a major landslide for Labour with more taxes for the rich and more borrowing for the rest.

And so it goes on.
Until there is a PR government elected with no party politics involved,nothing will change.


So, basically, nothing will change

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

This was always going to be looked at if people stayed away from the office after (if?) this is over

The trade off is not having to pay for transport cost, most will still be better off

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Don't want to derail the thread, but I've always though banks, big business and 'the City' have far too much power over governments, and thus over the rest of us.

How often are we told/warned that if an elected government promises or pursues particular policies to benefit ordinary people, banks and firms will relocate overseas, taking their jobs and tax contributions with them.

Politicians can't simply ask themselves: "Will this policy benefit ordinary voters and/or make Britain a better place to live and work?", but first have to ask: "Will this policy be acceptable to big business and the City?"

Or they could simply say '**** them. I'm going to do what I think is right, come what may, or my name isn't Jeremy Corbyn'.

Politics is the art of the possible.

 

[maltaseagull]

It's an interesting idea we do live under a capitalist system that oftern rewards those who have relatively comfortable jobs such as within an office with a kitchen nice toilets carpet under feet air conditioning heating all within a constant location, while others who don't have any of those things are often not rewarded enough.

Take the current pandemic the person working from home not perched on the end of a bed but in a space that has a desk and office chair can control their environment and will be paid the same as somone who goes into the office but without the travel costs and risks associated mixing with others but with the added costs of heating lighting etc.

Now take those who don't have either of these options maybe the cleaner working in the takeaway that the office workers visit lunchtime or the staff working in the corner shop or maybe housekeeping in hospitals and nursing homes on minimum wage should the more fortunate not pay a bit more?

"From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs" (German: Jeder nach seinen Fähigkeiten, jedem nach seinen Bedürfnissen) is a slogan popularised by Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program. The principle refers to free access to and distribution of goods, capital and services.

I was hoping that the pandemic would wake society to the value of these people but the large companies that employ many of them (Don't even mention the agencies that supply many of these workers) will always minimise costs to maximise profits.
That is a fair business ethic in many ways but these workers should have a higher minimum wage.
Perhaps the Government could categorise them as Consultants? They get well paid and do f**k all.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Sadly, that is the truth.

The bill is massive and although the debts can be deferred, eventually they will have to be repaid.

Everyone will blame the Tory party so probably next election will be a major landslide for Labour with more taxes for the rich and more borrowing for the rest.

And so it goes on.
Until there is a PR government elected with no party politics involved,nothing will change.


So, basically, nothing will change

How do you elect a PR government? How do you elect any government with no party politics involved? Unless there are parties no constituency or individual can 'elect' a government, only an MP. In a party-free candidate system nobody would have any idea what the government would eventually look like.

It sounds to me like putting your breakfast cerial, lunch time sandwich, evening fish dinner, slice of cake (possibly navy), cups of tea, and a couple of glasses of wine in a blender, pouring the outcome into bucket, and labeling it 'nourishment'.

Fortunately we Brits may be mad but we ain't stupid and it will never happen.

Brexit means taking back control, not allowing some muppet in Burnley to have a stake in who my MP would be. Local represensetatives for local people. We'll have no trouble here.

And I haven't even started on PR yet. On my single transferable life

 

[narly101]

Tax the homeworkers - unbelievable, Jeff!

I can't wait to get back into the office. Homeworking sucks.

 

[maltaseagull]

How do you elect a PR government? How do you elect any government with no party politics involved? Unless there are parties no constituency or individual can 'elect' a government, only an MP. In a party-free candidate system nobody would have any idea what the government would eventually look like.

It sounds to me like putting your breakfast cerial, lunch time sandwich, evening fish dinner, slice of cake (possibly navy), cups of tea, and a couple of glasses of wine in a blender, pouring the outcome into bucket, and labeling it 'nourishment'.

Fortunately we Brits may be mad but we ain't stupid and it will never happen.

Brexit means taking back control, not allowing some muppet in Burnley to have a stake in who my MP would be. Local represensetatives for local people. We'll have no trouble here.

And I haven't even started on PR yet. On my single transferable life

Perhaps no party politics is unrealistic but there is something seriously wrong with the system when the SNP has 47 MPs
and the Liberal democrats have 11 with a larger percentage of the national vote.

As for local representatives what do most MPs do when push comes to shove?

Vote the PARTY line .