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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask how often you’d go to the office if it wasn’t a requirement?

141 replies

Orangegreen · 12/04/2024 14:02

I work in quite a small team where people are rarely in the office all at once unless of a training day or larger meeting which is infrequent.

I’ve fallen into a pattern of working from home a bit more lately. Nobody has said anything about it. Nowhere is it mandated or discussed how much we actually should. For instance, some people go in for the morning and go home at lunchtime to work from home. Nobody bats an eyelid.

I haven’t been in a while so I am considering going in early next week. It will be ironic that if I go, everyone else will have probably chosen to stay at home though.

Commuting in is quite expensive and I don’t have a good reason to work from there other than to be visible. Would you go, or WFH until requested to do otherwise? As I say nobody has said anything and it is usually our choice but I don’t know if you stand out by not going in as often as others.

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RefreshingCandour · 15/04/2024 13:24

I have been WFH for 12 years. I go to meetings in London x 8-10 times a year.

In an ideal world, I’d go in once a week. Or once every two weeks.

TheEyesOfLucyJordon · 15/04/2024 13:21

QuizzlyBears · 12/04/2024 14:45

I am asked to do 2 or 3 days a week but I go in every day, I hate WFH. I like the routine of getting up and out, I dress for work and can easily add gym or social stuff around office hours. I like seeing my colleagues and we are lucky to have a team who want to spend time together. I hate seeing people on teams from home in their Oodies or with cats strolling across the screen/children making noises in the back. I understand that WFH suits some people but I do question motives sometimes.

Exactly this, to expand on my previous post 🙂

CheshireCat1 · 15/04/2024 13:20

I only work part time and don’t need to go in but I do go there two mornings a week.

TheEyesOfLucyJordon · 15/04/2024 13:18

Every day, rain or shine

Working from home is a miserable experience, even for a day. Hate it 😢

Cofaki · 15/04/2024 13:14

I would go in once a fortnight because I miss seeing people in person but also do like working from home (I've done it since long before the pandemic).

JaceLancs · 15/04/2024 13:12

I don’t enjoy wfh so go in every day

binaryfinery · 15/04/2024 12:45

I'd like to go in two or three days but no-one else in my team ever goes in so I don't bother. Just applied for a job that would involve human contact during the day!

ingenvillvetavardukoptdintroja · 15/04/2024 12:43

At least 4, sometimes 5 days in office. Recently stopped doing client work in the community but now managing a team through transition and much easier to do this face to face.
I'm lucky though because it's a 20 min bike ride on a special off road route which is mu only exercise. Also have lots of close friends at work. There's no desk for me at home as house too small and partner wfh full time. And I get dragged into looking after kids if I'm home!!

Comtesse · 15/04/2024 12:30

I go in almost every day. Sick of working at home (but live quite close to the office so fast and cheap to get in).

itwasahotsummersnight · 15/04/2024 12:27

I'm hybrid and I can so as many or as little days in office as I like. I normally do 2-3.

PissedOffNeighbour22 · 15/04/2024 12:24

I have to go in 3 days a week. If I had the choice it would be zero.

£15 a day in travel costs to sit and listen to people talk on the phone all day (I need to concentrate, and listening to people talk about court cases etc for hours really doesn't help my concentration). There is absolutely no need for me to be in the office and I could work from home before Covid anyway.

EveryoneJapan · 15/04/2024 12:18

We have to go in at least twice a week, of which two days have to be Tues, Wed, or Thurs.

If I didn’t have to go in, I’d still do two days but I’d probably do one on a Monday.

NancyJoan · 15/04/2024 12:02

I would go in every day, regardless, but I walk to work so no issues around my commute.

Wexone · 15/04/2024 10:56

Once or twice a month. and I only go in to show face really unless there is a face fi face meeting required. to me it's pointless. it's 2 and a half hour drive for me each way at least. more likely be a crash or something and can be over 3 hours 😢 it's so stressful. it's a faff to getting house in order when in office sort dinner dogs out ect . I get nothing done in office hate having to do teams calls in middle of office with everyone else on calls. if could wfh permanently would be great

chatw0o0p · 15/04/2024 10:54

My team/division are required to go into the office at least 2-3 days a week. Most people go in for 2 days, some 3, but they are few & far between. Some people have an exemption and they are 1 day per fortnight, or never, as far as I can tell.

Ideally I would go once a week or once a fortnight. It's nice to chat and have a coffee, but it doesn't really make any difference to my work content/output.

PoppyCherryDog · 15/04/2024 10:33

When I lived near work and could walk or cycle in I’d go in 3/4 times a week. Having moved out to the country now it takes one hour to get in. I do once a week and happy with that.

Mamabear487 · 15/04/2024 09:27

I go in once a week although only work 3 days. The commute is a pain takes an hour and a half each way and I’ve got 2 kids with a breakfast club and childminder drop off. If I didn’t have to go in I probably wouldn’t bother

kikisparks · 15/04/2024 09:25

I have to do 50% which for me is 2 days a week. Would probably do 1 day every 2 weeks if had the option.

Beezknees · 15/04/2024 09:24

Would be weather dependent for me. 2 days a week is required in my job. I'd go in more if the weather was nice as Iive in a flat and hate wfh on sunny days, but I do it so I can be here for DS when he gets home from school. If it was raining I'd rather wfh.

nothingsforgotten · 15/04/2024 09:19

Every day, as wfh sounds like my idea of Hell. The only reason I ever enjoyed work was because of interacting with my colleagues, and my home is my refuge from work so I certainly don't want it to become my office. Thankfully my job can't be done from home.

NooNakedJacuzziness · 15/04/2024 08:04

I go in 3 days a week, considering 4. I like seeing people and have some good friends in there to go out to lunch with. Also like seeing other non-work friends who work in the same city. My step count is 14,000+ on an office day and only 2,500 when WFH. I feel a bit blah at the end of a WFH day, especially in the winter/bad weather.

MrsToothyBitch · 15/04/2024 08:00

I'm currently in almost every day as that's how my role lies. Those who can wfh ate expected in 2 days a week and should aim for a 3rd day if possible. I have diagnosed GAD and my entire cause of the whole bloody thing trigger/ root worry is work/the work place and perpetually going in is awful but helpful. I like the separation. Mentally it's probably better for me overall.

However my commute sucks balls and if they could change stuff around so I could wfh more, they wouldn't see me for dust based on that alone. Money and time saved would go a mahoosive way towards a happier, healthier less anxious me in the first place. DH is in 2 days a week. The company tried to make it 3 and he was quite vocal about it so they kept it at 2. He actually can work 100% remotely so given the choice he probably would and would go in once a month or once a fortnight or something.

Emmz1510 · 15/04/2024 07:46

i am a hybrid worker and the number of days I go in each week depends on what work I’m doing- admin/report writing/phone calls/case recording/teams meetings vs. Client facing/in person meetings. It probably averages out at 2/3 days a week in the office at the moment but I can go periods where I am not in at all for several weeks. Wfh has its advantages and disadvantages. I like some personal contact and find wfh lonely and isolating and it’s bad for my lazy tendencies! But it’s more practical for family life, particularly as I don’t drive and have a long commute

itsgettingweird · 15/04/2024 07:39

I have a job where you can't wfh.

I often think I'd like to swap to a hybrid job to wfh FT unless necessary etc.

Honestly I think I'd love it for a few week and then choose to go on a couple of days.

If there's no requirement and you are meeting targets and don't want to go in - I wouldn't!

Didimum · 15/04/2024 07:32

I have to go in 3 days a week. 1.5hr commute. I don’t mind it at all. I’d maybe alternate 2-3 days week by week if I had the choice to save a little on commuting, but overall I enjoy it. Commuting is the only time I get to read!

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