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

Although there are some definite positives for working from home there is also a lot of negatives to, iv never done it as I don't have the motivation but I assume, poorer mental health, stress on relationships and family, higher utility bills, weight gain, alcohol problems (That one probably more personal to me but I would drink all day if I was working from home.

I WFH pretty much all of the time. I would love to get out in the garden sometimes but let me tell you my reality.
I am supposed to work a 7 hour day and in the office I have to factor in the 45 minute commute each way so I would stick to 7 hours, at home I end up doing 9 hour days, so effectively working my commute. I don't get paid extra or get TOIL. I rarely have a lunch break.
It's almost expected that because you do the extra, people can pile work on because I always end up delivering by hook or by crook.
Yes I can have workmen in or could work if I felt a bit off but I don't spend half my day doing house jobs, the washing up is piled up by 5pm.
If I was in the office people would realise I probably need some support or else I wouldn't be,able to deliver half of what I do.

Life isn’t fair? Surely you know that at your big age.

Of course we get it, that's why we do it.
If you add in disability as in my case, its the only way I can work

I do get it, because I worked in an office pre-pandemic. I also used to work for the NHS. I then chose not to because I hated it. Are you saying I should quit my WFH job that allows me a good work life balance and to pick up my child from nursery on time, and go and apply for an NHS job so I can feel like you do now?

It makes me laugh how some people think WFH staff have it easy. My husband is WFH he started at 8.30am this morning and is still working now, he's had a 15 min lunch break. This is a standard for him. His local office is a 2½ hr commute each way. His main office is in Milan, he has to travel there for a week every month. He also does international calls that he has to do during the night. His colleagues that office work are at home sat in the sun he is most definitely not. Hes certainly not taking pics for insta. There are perks to both wfh and office.

“You have more time with family.”

hahahahah

No. My work life overspills into family time now!

But who forced you to work for the NHS?

I have specifically made life choices so that I could precisely be in my Cotswold garden for days like this. Your job probably gives you more personal satisfaction than mine (data scientist), I’m not going to sit here and bemoan you. Swings and roundabouts.

Free will is a thing.

@Wfhwhat why are you claiming there are no options for you to wfh in the NHS?

I know quite a few people who WFH for NHS. Obviously you can’t do patient care but there are other roles at every grade.

I have WFH for 20 years.

I was self employed, at least part time, for 20 years and now work in the public sector.

It can be very difficult to switch off. I work very long hours. My commute to the office pre COVID was 1.5 hours one way. Now it's more like 2.5 hours because epu lic sector travel just isn't back where it was. I have a disability and WFH means I can stay in employment.

I totally get it isn't easy for everyone and it's a privilege to be be able to WFH. My OH has a job that he must go to, no WFH.

I work for the NHS doing video appointments with clients. I am full time wfh. I used to be office based. Wfh has totally enriched my life. I appreciate it greatly. It is a stressful band 7 role and wfh offsets some of the stress.

Lol I’d rather be in the office for the air con than working from home!

The old "comparison is the thief of joy" saying springs to mind here.

How does it impact anyone outside of your day to day whether someone you don't know is working from home or not? Imagine if we didn't know who worked from home.

There are pros and cons on both sides, I think wfh has more pros and so I'm looking for a role that allows for that. I'm not slagging off people that already have that while I don't though.

I work for the NHS and wfh 1 or 2 days a week and go into the office the other day. I am hugely grateful for this but having said that I worked for the NHS for 20 years doing a 50 mile commute so I feel I have done my time. This only came about because of covid. It gives me a lot more flexibility with my children, I am able to take them to school most days and it means I may only need to book an hour here and there for events rather than taking a whole day annual leave. The employer benefits as others have said with sick days as I will try to muddle through at home rather than taking a sick day, the commute can really make the difference. I have never worked in the garden, I have my laptop and monitor all set up indoors.

Surely the cost of extra utilities is offset by the savings on travel and even childcare.

Having done both I think a mix of both is preferable. Too much WFH = hard to switch off, lonely, makes you feel like you are going mad at times. If there was a way I could do 60/40 or something WFH / in office I would.

Yep, this!

I used to have a five-hour round trip four days a week on top of an 8 hour day in the office (was 'fortunate' to WFH one day a week)... I absolutely get how much easier my life is now!! (Do two days in an office 20 mins away and two days from home).

Honestly don't know how I did it tbh.

I wfh, I haven't been out in the garden today either. Self employed, the deadlines don't disappear because it's a sunny day.

Wrong post

This is the major concern in the long term.

Previously, London was the ideal location for large corporate offices and many roles were UK-based as a result. If roles are no longer office based, there is no longer a reason why these roles will be based in the UK.

The UK’s employment rate remains below its pre-pandemic level. The UK is the only G7 country where this is the case.

Working from home isn't all it is cracked up to be for everyone.

I work for the NHS and WFH except for one day a week. I work in an attic room where there is barely any light with a tiny window which I can't see out of. I am so busy that I don't get to go outside and couldn't anyway due to confidentiality.

I don't have a separate office so there is very little distinction between work and home anymore.

Not all of us working from home have a nice office and get to work outside or have breaks to potter around at home and do other things.

Going into the office doesn't have the same feel as it did in the past. My role is largely remote so there aren't many people in anyway, so it doesn't really help with the feelings of isolation.

Why can't you work from the garden? Dh did today, took his laptop off outside and sat in the shade.

I was freelance for years working from home and it was great when DD was small etc cos I could do the school runs and finish early and etc. But Lordy it was depressing and isolating and not stimulating and a bit relentless because I couldn’t really switch off and ended up answering emails at 11pm at night.

I now work in an office a 5 min drive from my home and I feel so much happier.Work stays at work.

My dh wfh since 2020 and finds it very hard to switch off. Last night he wouldn’t finish work until 9pm, whereas before, he would be home at 6:30pm. There are ups, but also downs. I guess nothing is perfect. He certainly hasn’t been in the garden enjoying the sunshine but takes the dc to school, which he never used to:

My husband can work from home but chooses to go to the office 25 miles away every single day and if I ask him to WFH for a specific reason eg a contractor or delivery it’s a MASSIVE drama.
I just don’t understand it at all. I’d love to WFH even just 1 or 2 days a week but it’s just not possible in my job. He can’t possibly WFH even 1 day a month 🙄