If employers were mandated to allow employees to WFH unless there was a clear reason to need someone physically in a workplace

You just need a more humane employer and greater value to their business.

I’ve been hybrid for a long time pre pandemic.

My work colleagues aren't my life long friends and work isn't my social life (although some former work colleagues have become close friends that over the years) but I do appreciate and enjoy sharing lunch or a pint with them.

Sometimes a little low level socialising does wonders for your mental health and wellbeing.

Everybody I know in the corporate world agree wfh is bad for skills development in junior staff. They need to be in the office observing and learning. Not 5 days a week, but minimum 3 ideally I’d say, so 3-4.

Why is it so shocking to be asked to go to work?

The single biggest complaint we had about return post Covid was that there was no post work social stuff.

Like I said. Lack of understanding that you are not all people.

The clear benefit.of WFH is the environmental one, much less commuting around the world.

Hybrid is best I think, and most office based places offer hybrid now.

Depends what sort of job you do really but my job involves a lot of team work, never coming into the office would be detrimental to that.

Peoples argument is they can do their job just aswell at home. They forget about those people starting out, the things you learn from those conversations you hear when colleagues are chatting. Hybrid working is a good happy medium and I don’t know why people can’t be content with that as a good work life balance. So many want more and more of their own way, forgetting they are the employee and essentially do what the employer wants.

By law? Give over man, that's not practical for millions of roles. How would a nurse or a fire fighter work from home?

Look, I get it, there are huge benefits to WFH, especially for women and in certain sectors and organisations it does work really wel. I WFH mainly (team meetings in office once every 1-2 months) I enjoy working from home BUT my role and most of the roles in my organisation lend themselves to WFH. If WFH is so important to an individual you will seek out a role that allows that.

It's a weird stance to think everything should run the same though and you're being weirdly aggressive about it.

Ideally I'd like no one to "suffer"! It would be great if we were all happy in our work settings, and if productivity etc was as it should be.

Completely agree with the comments re a step back for women.

I hated WFH, however now with health issues I feel it could be a great option for me, but it's not possible in my role.

I'm just fed up with people who don't understand

• not everyone can wfh
• nor everyone wants to
• it's not always the best for the businesses /employers!

And as I said the general sneering at the people who don't wfh

OP, you have said recently that you feel like your life is over. Yet you are only in your forties I think. Why not try and connect with people instead of being angry and unhappy alone at home?

And I stand by the fact that young people benefit from face to face mentors. I know you don’t have kids so maybe that influences your view. But I promise that face to face contact really helps young adults learn.

No... Sigh. I want the employer to be forced to offer a choice.

And if it's detrimental to the organisation?
As a university academic I have a feeling there would be issues if I decided to WFH 5 days a week.

Conversations like this are why I hate office people.

I can imagine you're quite difficult to work with. You seem unwilling to see other viewpoints.

Everyone should have the cboice to WFH by law? Mr Monkey manages a shop - how would that work for him and his colleagues - he can't sell shoes from home.

No one in your personal life wants to go to the pub after work?

What are you talking about?
When people talk about the social aspect of work they aren't talking about the pub!!
It's the day to day interactions, getting to know people and working together.

But you have by law already 🤦‍♀️

I don’t know how hard this is for people to understand.

Not everyone is the same. They never have been. Even pre Covid and wfh I had more than 50% of my team working hybrid. Because I know how to accommodate differences.

Equally I as a manager am in most days (3 or 4) because I understand that for some of my team that F2F contact is vital.

It’s not a universal solution and anyone who thinks it is is probably a bit unempathetic. Or thick.

I totally agree with this. I honestly think it is a regressive step for women.

It is making women retreat back into the domestic sphere, unquestionably.

Completely agree!

So everyone suffers because you do?

Yet you want everyone to suffer by forcing them to WFH 🤷🏼‍♀️

My work lease my office and it's like 5 years etc so it would be a waste if everyone WFH. We do hybrid, office closed Friday. Can't speak for everyone else but it's a perfect balance for me. I enjoy being home 3 days and then at work 2 days.

I do eat better at work and move more through. At home the kitchens always open 😂

And this is what I mean. A lot of us have social lives for this stuff. Work is draining forced contact with people we often completely hate.

I have a very active social life. I also enjoy the social aspect of my job. I chose my job because I enjoy working with people.

It's an opportunity from heaven to WFH. So yes because I and millions of others say so.

But you don't speak for everyone. You need to realise that!!