To think people who work from home don’t get it?

I love wfh, with my arthritis it gives me more time in the morning to get up and take my many meds before settling down to work rather than having to commute and remember to pack all the pills in my bag. I can also concentrate better with my ND condition and I don't miss the social bit in the office. Last time I was in one, it was so bad that I almost constant stress that had me on anti depressants. When covid came along and we had to wfh I came off my anti depressants within two years. It works for some people, others hate it which is fine.

I really dislike the part of my job that us WFH, so isolating.

I would never be in the garden in a sunny day either, my laptop overheats, I can't see the screen, leaders expect ‘TEAMS’ meetings, with camera at any point in the day.

However, I work with schools and more and more support staff (TA’s, admin) are leaving because the WFH offer and other terms are is so good.
For instance a school admin officer, offered a 4 day week (rather than 5 in school). fully WFH, school run time recognised, so WRAC needed before and after school and a salary of £10,000 per year more.
Of course she has accepted the building society job, the school just can't compete.

Yes, I've done both and having to "go to work" is much more limiting and very tiring, although I think working from home also has some significant downsides.

I work from home. I have done since the first lockdown.
My boss told us straight away - If you're too sick to work, it doesn't matter if you're WFH, you don't work.
Today is a different day, due to the 'Microsoft' issue. We can't work, so we've been chilling in one way or another.

Yes WFH is a joy.

Instead of being in my car at 6.30am, for an hours commute I am logged on and working. Most evenings the same, leaving the office at 5 rarely happens as I’m trying to catch up on the admin after spending hours of the day on a Teams call.

For the last fortnight I’ve been quite unwell but there’s an expectation that you can continue as normal as it’s not the same as “getting into the office”, on the days I’ve finished early feeling rubbish, the work phone pings away, so you know there’s a ton of stuff waiting for the morning.

My mother’s battling stage three cancer and the treatment regime has been challenging my boss has been “good” suggesting I can take my laptop to appointments and keep on top of things whilst “hanging around”.

Before Covid I spent 20 years working, and travelling to distant offices so I fully appreciate the changes and benefits. Not everyone who works from home is able to do the washing, pick the kids up, get a bit of shopping done. Not everyone who is in their place of work is 100% busy all the time, constantly.

So tired of the weekly MN threads that WFH is easy.

But you are agreeing with me

It is possible please don't feel stuck

@Nocturna
and why are they all out in the garden? Unless it's a lunch break they should be concentrating on their job
Go on, tell me why I can't concentrate on my job from my patio? My wifi reaches past my bi folds!! I have been alone, in my shorts and vest top with a jug of iced cordial writing up a review for CP meeting, recording notes from my shift last night and completed some over due on line training. That's work to me as I wouldn't do it in my free time.

It's highly unlikely that people who wfh have always done so, and yes they do get it. I've wfh for about 10 years and it's one of the reasons I do the job I do, it's so I never have to work from an office because I absolutely do get what it's like to work outside the home .

@catza generally I dont mind been dealt with remotely.. but.. I did draw a like when they offered me a telephone appointment for a smear test 😂

This exactly. Some people even wfh on part time hours!

I'm very happy if my team are out in the garden today working, quality of life matters. I think they'd be a bit more productive in an office, but I want to retain the team, and that's a far bigger concern in a relationships-focused industry. Because we're not paying for premises, I can spend on other things to enrich their lives, too.

Anyone can be at risk for all sorts of different reasons.

It's been revolutionary been able to WFH. That's why some business owners hate the shift in power dynamic. It's made to he Labour market more flexible, but with winners and losers in the corporate world. I know folk in London salary but doing it as digital nomads in other parts of the country.

The issues for nurses are overwork and underpay, not WFH office roles.

OP, do you want all the doctors, nurses, dentists, shop workers etc to wfh ?? I mean thank fuck they don't, else we would all be screwed!

Work pattens are changing rapidly , particularly since covid times. It's great that there is a good mix of people wfh and on site. If the work can be done anywhere, who cares that it's in the garden!

By the way, I'm a TA and work on site daily. I've had one wfh job which tied me to a laptop for hours on end, my internet used to crash regularly ( many power cuts!) and it was stressful work.

Find a wfh job if you are feeling envious.

I hope you don't need a nurse or doctor at some point in the future. Because these threads always end up with those WFH telling people in the NHS to get another job.

No problem. I didn't know these jobs existed either until I ended up with one. This is an example of how pandemic actually made an improvement in this respect. Previously, we were missing out on reaching those who were severely affected as our management was reluctant to transition (even partially) to remote services. Then we had to anyway due to Covid and we haven't looked back. It's been life-changing to our patients.

Some firms in America have started reducing the salaries of those working from home. Less travel costs etc.

Companies have outsourced for years. I don't see why more people working from home some of the time, would make any difference.

@Catza I had no idea these sorts of roles existed I'm sorry for my sarcasm. It's great that modern tech means that you can reach patients who might have found it very difficult to get to you or were distance would made travelling take up a lot of your time meaning that other patients weren't seen

Teacher here. Cannot work from home but wouldn't want to. I like to be at work socialising and saving on my bills because I'm not at home.

I have, here is the summary:

-some people don't have a choice
-give an example
-gave the example
-ffs! that's not what I meant!!!

I work hybrid. There's Pros and cons to both. I don't have contractors in when I'm working as I've got to work and can't have noise when in meetings or on calls.

If I'm too ill for the office, I'm too ill to work from home.

It's not cheaper, it costs me more for gas and electricity to work from home than to drive in to the office 10 mins away and I've had to up my Internet speed.

I'm not spending time with family, I'm working.