Sorry, not sorry, but wfh really is much easier

Ii fully recognise how lucky I am - our office closed after Covid and we’re all on wfh contracts now.

We live opposite the school so we do drop off at 8.45 home 2 mins later, feed the cats and make a coffee, logged on by 9.

After school club until DH and I finish work, then pick up from across the road.

its bloody brilliant! I used to hate it with a school run, separate nursery run, DH and I travelling to our offices. A long day with so much worry about traffic etc.

I've alone too. Would like perhaps to work from home 1 day a week. Annoys me when people say they are working from.home snd looking after a child. Not possible to fo either well

Well of course I realise it’s easier - hence choosing the job I did, and left behind an arguably more secure career with more holidays and a better pension.

To be fair, the previous career was teaching and that’s not the only reason I made the change. But flexibility and the chance to be around far more for my DC was a huge factor.

When people moan about teachers having it easy, not knowing they’re born and so many holidays I always thought, ‘well go ahead and train and do that then’.

Now people criticise those who wfh for skiving and living the life of Riley and again I think pretty much the same - go ahead and do it then. Make the (sometimes hard) choices you need to make to get the life/ job you want - whilst understanding that you’re inevitably going to have to compromise or lose out in some other areas too. If not, then accept that some people will have it better/ easier than you and that’s just life really.

My work has to be 100% office based but honestly I prefer that.

I only have a 20 min commute & I live alone and for one thing don't have space for a home office but I need the structure of going to work. Showered dressed meals planned and most importantly interaction with other people.

Working from home wouldn't work for several reasons for me

Perfect mix for me is a day or two in office and the other 3/4 WFH - stops me going feral!!!

I work hybrid, always a Fri, sometimes a Mon as well, it depends what's happening. It's great for when I have loads of spreadsheets to grapple with as I can talk myself through it out loud. And I'm very much in favour of WFH as it wasn't an option when DD was young and I support my younger colleagues and am glad that they have occasional days where they aren't racing home for nursery pick-up (our office is central London). And it's great for people with disabilities. I once managed someone who couldn't always make it in. She was perfectly competent but the not coming in was so problematic back then - no-one had a clue what to do. I remember thinking during the pandemic that this must have been a game-changer for her.

I agree with this @YaMuvva as being a downside

I have a garden office. This is essential for me to allow me to switch between home and work.
I would not have taken a remote job (back in 2015) if I did not have this set up.

Im hybrid and do 3 days in some 2 at home. Sometimes more. Im well aware some of it is easier. But in my role the workload doesnt get any more reasonable at home. If anything when wfh i usually work an extra two hours a day.

The thing is if you are jealous of it change jobs dont begrudge your friends more time for themselves.

Wfh without your own study would be a nightmare. It’s not comparable to having a nice study with a good view.

I never get distracted by housework though 😂

Same. I work in a beautiful building, a pleasant 20 minute walk from my home with people who I enjoyed spending time with. At home my desk is in the kitchen where I'm constantly interrupted by people getting food and drinks and snacks and having leisure time while I'm working, and also distracted by all the housework that needs to be done.

Tbh I didn’t really like wfh. Thought I’d love it but, no. I don’t want to associate home with work.

That said I don’t have long a commute.

Well yes, of course it is. I took a 20% pay cut about 16 years ago to take a new job working from home for a better work-life balance, and I've not once regretted it.

Of course, I'm also autistic, which - for me - means that the office environment works directly against my productivity, whereas my home office is set up specifically for all my needs.

Accordingly, COVID felt pretty much like the rest of the world was just catching up with my lifestyle ;)

It seems really weird now to think I used to be in the office 5 days per week.

Anyway, my company have cut down on their workspace so it would now be physically impossible for all of us to be in daily. Which is absolutely fine with me.

Wfh literally cured my depression. I would never go back to life before

Pre-Covid I would wake up 6:30, walk dog, cook breakfast, get kids up, drop kids and dog off at nanny’s, get showered/dressed, drive 45 mins if not 1 hour plus depending on traffic (company moved HQ) and be at the office for 9am.

In the evening I would be lucky to be walking through my front door at 7pm - considered that a good day. After cooking, cleaning and baths dh and I would have an hour of watching tv together before going to sleep. It gave me existential dread and I had some very dark thoughts driving back in the dark during winter.

I will never apply for a job where I need to be in the office more than 2 days.

We're currently in a phase where companies cannot recruit for in-person roles, it's only a matter of time before they work out that the only way people are going to want to do them is if they increase pay. It's very basic economics sweetie.

This is very true and something else I meant to say.

WFH has become more necessary, and more of a dividing factor, because people (not only in London but perhaps especially there) are pushed further and further from their place of work due to house prices etc.

In the past people didn’t commonly have 2 hour each way commutes, and certainly the primary carer for children wouldn’t.

WFH has also allowed many women to work when they wouldn’t previously have been able to, or at least not in the same roles. Because in practice it does tend to be women working around children, much as it shouldn’t have to be.

I do hybrid which is perfect for me. I like the flexibility and the “head down” ability of working from home. But I also like seeing colleagues and interacting in a more meaningful way in person. I find certain things do get done more efficiently in person. A mix works for me.

I was hybrid working pre pandemic.

Different jobs will have pros and cons, and those pros and cons change as society changes. I think it must be hard for some people to see the jobs they chose, when most people travelled in to work, remain as they always were whilst other people’s jobs may be improved by wfh.

But that’s life - lots of things change. Your friends could possibly be more understanding though.

If your husband WFH though, and you say WFH people don’t need to use childcare whilst you do, isn’t that a bit inconsistent? Surely your husband can be doing this slipping out on school runs etc? Of does he not because it’s actually a crap way to live and work?

People being allowed to work at home does NOT improve pay and conditions for jobs requiring attendance, get real and back to reality 😂😂😂

If it wasn't for pathetic people moaning and whinging, you'd still be working 12 hrs a day 6 days a week in a cotton mill your Ladyship. Working conditions are SUPPOSED to get better, and if people in office jobs working from home means that jobs which require attendance, like teaching, nursing and retail have to improve the pay and conditions in order to compete with flexible options, that's good too. Having more time with your family and to spend on hobbies along with reducing the environmental cost of commuting with no loss of productivity is a wonderful thing for everyone except people who own city centre office space.

I work hybrid but mainly wfh. It's perfect for me. And I'm so grateful my work does it.

@LadyPenelope68 a lot of people in London have very long commutes as the jobs are in the centre and people can't afford to live there. I have a lot of sympathy with people whose commute is 2-3 hours in total each day (as is common in London) and also have young children.

I once worked from home full time for six months and hated it. Lonely and boring. I ended up retraining as a teacher to avoid it.

I think I would have loved it for a couple of days each week when my children were little though.

Just read through the numerous threads from people moaning and whinging about having to go back to the office. It’s pathetic.

I think this is a valid concern and moving forward remote offices etc will have better advice around this and other issues, including keeping a close eye on overwork.

In terms of physical health, flexible hours could allow for exercise, walking meetings can be included, standing desks suggested where appropriate in DSE assessments etc. I think physical health and mental health are very interlinked, though one being poor does not always equal the other being poor. I think in MH there’s also a concern that people are ‘unseen’ in full WFH jobs and guidance around that may be needed too.

However, there’ll be plenty of pros and cons to both office and WFH as I mentioned earlier and I think better guidance could be really useful.