To wonder how we ever did 5 days a week in an office?

True. You are factually right, of course.
But what is technically possible (sure, I could retrain as a call handler or an administrator of some description in order to WFH) is not necessarily feasible. Retraining in a new professional capacity takes years and comes at great cost. There are few WFH roles to which I could easily transfer my skills set which would be similarly remunerated.
WFH seems a real, brilliant all-round win for the employee. Blithely telling less fortunate workers to just 'retrain' feels disingenuous.

There's quite a lot of random judgement of people in the office environment on this thread.

I actually think the prevalence of WFH has increased people's social anxiety and difficulties in connecting and communicating with others although I do acknowledge the benefits of flexibility, reducing commuting and making useful accommodation for disability.

Yet you're the one telling us all what "we" should be doing and thinking and starting goadyfucker threads about how amazing "our" WFH lives are.

Still WFH but have to come in 1 day a week for the ‘culture’ - costs £200 month extra in childcare, 3 hours of travel for the return trip and I get nothing done in the open plan office. I get home about 8pm and I’m exhausted. I couldn’t do 5 days a week of this.

My job wouldn't be accessible to me if it wasn't a hybrid role. Both for distance and accessibility reasons.

People don't want to take responsibility for their choices anymore.

My family all do hybrid office based jobs and wfh a few days a week in our household. It’s the same as a house share in that sense, we all have a room to do it in.

The ppl saying that they don’t get the chance to wfh, ok fine, some jobs can’t. Do you want your dc to have the option one day? Yes, it’s a great option for many.

I have 2 sons and a daughter. All at home still and working and saving. My relief that they did not have to commute as much, for me has been immense. Accidents on the road, incidents on the underground My daughter using public transport and tube less is better and less tiring - constantly propositioned by creeps and crazies. Her going in to the office only twice a week, cuts her risks…

Doh. Obviously.

I was specifically interested in the original poster who manages a lab and wondered what restrictions were in place for her particular workplace, if any.

In my workplace WFH was enforced and my workload increased enormously as a direct result of covid.

This is so true, it comes across in their replies!

Also, my job doesn't involve a lengthy commute, or an office environment.
No time wasted travelling , no water cooler chat. Just get in, and get on with it.
My health is in the toilet and I'd love to be doing lunchtime yoga and taking afternoon naps ffs. It's like an extra layer of privilege in society imo.

I think a lot of people believe it's not "real work" if you're not suffering

^

Agreed.

@OptimismvsRealism are you rich enough to not need to work?
Blithely suggesting we all just find other jobs, or that you'd leave if someone had the cheek to ask you to work somewhere outside of your own house, seems to indicate someone who isn't worried about paying the bills!
I would love to wfh but am stuck in the type of job where it's not an option. Finding another job would mean re training, or a significant drop in wages. Neither of which I can afford.

I'm happy it's working out for you, but can you really not see that not everyone has the option?

As someone in the public sector I can honestly say my wfh days allow me to get an extra 50% completed as I literally have zero distraction

^

This.

Plus work life balance, better for women, better for children, etc

Yup. I hear you

I go in once a week and that's enough

Listening to people drone on and on about their boring lives, god help me. I just walk away

As someone in the public sector I can honestly say my wfh days allow me to get an extra 50% completed as I literally have zero distraction.

As a hybrid model It improves wellbeing, reduces costs for both employer and employee but does had draw backs, not everyone works as hard as others and some need constant supervision and there can be a lack of team building etc.

Anyone can change careers, I understand and believe the op is meaning this, it is within your control.

However not everyone is able to make this change due to responsibilities and role, which is I believe what is irritating the posters

This is me. I am always mentoring, coaching, helping people who are struggling. So does everyone in my team. If we were remote, it just wouldn't be as good.

There are jobs it's great for. But complex, multi-disciplinary, teamwork jobs, it's crap.

It’s a godsend for our children too.

When they are older they will benefit from wfh themselves. Nobody wants their dc to have to commute 3 hour round trips, 5 days a week.

I could WFH if I wanted to. But I feel quite passionately that our work is much better in person, and that our juniors can apprentice much more effectively. Certainly with clients it’s worlds more impactful in person.

i chose to live close enough to the office to avoid overlong commute every day - tiny and crap place but worth it in my view as this way I maintain some semblance of balance, and am better at my job, which I enjoy.
0 sympathy with those who loved far away from work place during Covid expecting to be allowed to WFH 5 days a week indefinitely.
but I appreciate I am lucky that I enjoy my job and therefore have a different relationship with employment than those who don’t at all.

they do indeed, my colleague did just before her 67th birthday last year.

I like hybrid working, go into the office a couple of days a week which is good in terms of learning and team building, but bad in terms of noise levels and my concentration.

I am more productive at home, and I know I am, because my work is quantifiable and the figures speak for themselves.

I feel lucky to have the option though. It's a much better work life balance.

But the housing/public transport/cost of living crises coupled with years of wage stagnation especially in the public sector have made living within commuting distance of the office completely unaffordable for many

I have to do one day in the office. I do it but hate it. I am neurodivergent and find being in the office around all those people, difficult to say the least! If I had to do it 5 days I just couldn't. I have three children and hats off to those who do it with three children.